GRANGE, NATIONAL. 



GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 



The orders come through the subordinate grange, 

 the goods being paid for on delivery. Binding- 

 twine, fertilizers, farm machinery, are perhaps 

 the leading articles purchased, although trade con- 

 tract> f\i-t for almost everything the farmer 

 needs. Grange fire-insurance exists in a number 

 of the States, the best example being in New 

 York, wiiere about $100,000,000 worth of risks is 

 carried by Grange companies, at an average an- 

 nual rate of about $1 a thousand. 



The annual meeting of the National Grange in 

 r.io-J was held in Lansing. Mich., Nov. 12-21. 

 Delegates from 28 States were present. As a 

 Avhole, the meeting was of interest chiefly because 

 of the showing made in the growth of the order. 

 So far as any reports or resolutions are concerned, 

 there was no" unusual or radical action. The near- 

 est approach to this was a resolution favoring 

 Government ownership of railways. This reso- 

 lution was not 

 pressed, however, 

 and did not come 

 up for debate. The 

 report of the Com- 

 mittee on Trans- 

 portation was a 

 vigorous arraign- 

 ment of railway 

 discrimination, and 

 Attorney - General 

 Knox, Commis- 

 sioner Prouty, and 

 Prof. Ely were 

 quoted to illus- 

 trate the preva- 

 lence and results 

 of this discrimina- 

 tion. The Grange 

 had a good deal to 

 AARON JONES. do with securing 



the Interstate 



Commerce Commission, and is still in favor of 

 giving that commission ample powers. It is un- 

 doubtedly the sentiment of the Grange that all 

 possible resources along this line should be ex- 

 hausted before Government ownership is seri- 

 ously discussed. 



So far as trusts are concerned, the Grange three 

 years ago approved the following recommenda- 

 tions unanimously, and this statement may be 

 said to represent the present Grange sentiment 

 as to trust legislation : 



" It must be made impossible for so-called trusts 

 to accumulate millions by selling watered stock 

 without adding to the wealth of the country. 

 Therefore, we recommend: 



" First, official inspection of all corporations, as 

 in case of national banks. No corporation should 

 be tolerated whose books can not bear such in- 

 spection. 



" Second, prohibition of all rebates or dis- 

 criminations by public carriers. 



" Third, taxation of all capital stock. 

 " Fourth, all capital stock should be paid in 

 full. 



" Fifth, severe penalties for violation of law 

 first, by forfeiture of charter, fine, and imprison- 

 ment; second, by impeachment, fine, and imprison- 

 ment of all public officials whose duty it may be 

 to enforce the law and who fail to perform that 

 duty." 



The National Grange does not prepare a general 

 platform expressing its stand on public questions. 

 The nearest approach to this is contained in the 

 following quotation from the address of National 

 Master Jones at the last session of the National 

 Grange, which may be considered the official state- 



ment of the position of the National Grange on the 

 subjects named. 



" I again call attention to the legislation de- 

 manded by the agricultural interests of the coun- 

 try, considered, approved, and urged at the thirty- 

 third, thirty-fourth, and thirty-fifth annual ses- 

 sions of the National Grange. For the arguments 

 in support of the legislation demanded 1 respect- 

 fully refer to the Journal of Proceedings of the 

 thirty-third, thirty-fourth, and thirty-fifth an- 

 nual sessions, and the action of the various com- 

 mittees and the addresses of the Legislative Com- 

 mittee to the Congress of the United States. 



" 1. Free delivery of mails in the rural districts, 

 and that the service be placed on the same perma- 

 nent footing as the delivery of mail in the cities, 

 and that appropriations be commensurate with 

 the demands and the benefits of the service. 



" 2. Provide for postal savings-banks. 



" 3. Submit an amendment to the Constitution 

 providing for the election of United States Sena- 

 tors by direct vote of the people. 



" 4. Submit an amendment to the Constitution 

 granting the power to Congress to regulate and 

 control all corporations and combinations, prevent- 

 ing monopoly and the use of their corporate power 

 to restrain trade or arbitrarily establish prices. 



" 5. Enlarge the powers and duties of the In- 

 terstate Commerce Commission as provided in 

 Senate bill No. 1430 [the Cullom bill]. 



" 6. Regulate the use of shoddy. 



" 7. Enact pure food laws. 



" 8. Provide for the extension of the markets for 

 farm-products equally with manufactured articles. 



" 9. The enactment of the antitrust law, clearly 

 defining what acts on the part of any corporation 

 would be detrimental to public welfare. 



" 10. Speedy construction of the Nicaragua 

 Canal by the United States [secured by the pas- 

 sage of the Isthmian Canal bill]. 



" 11. The speedy construction of a ship-canal 

 connecting the Mississippi river with the Great 

 Lakes and the Great Lakes with the Atlantic 

 Ocean. 



" 12. Revising the fees and salaries of all Fed- 

 eral officers, and placing them on a basis of similar 

 service in private business. 



" 13. Protect the dairy interests by the passage 

 of House bill No. 3717 [secured by the enactment 

 into law of the Grout bill]." 



To this ought to be added the sturdy opposition 

 of the Grange to the passage of the ship subsidy 

 bill. The Grange at its last meeting also placed 

 itself on record as favoring the gradual introduc- 

 tion of the plan of centralizing the rural schools, 

 and approved a vigorous committee report con- 

 taining a severe criticism of those agricultural col- 

 leges which have failed to give adequate attention 

 to farm problems. 



The Master "of the National Grange is Aaron 

 Jones, of South Bend, Ind. ; the Secretary is John 

 Trimble, No. 514 F Street, Washington," D. C. 



GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, a 

 monarchy in western Europe consisting of the 

 Kingdom of England, with the Principality of 

 Wales, united with the Kingdom of Scotland, 

 forming together the Kingdom, of Great Britain, 

 with which is united the Kingdom of Ireland, 

 the whole constituting the United Kingdom of 

 Great Britain and Ireland, which holds supreme 

 dominion over the Empire of India and over 

 colonies and dependencies of various classes self- 

 governing federations and colonies, colonies gov- 

 erned partly by the Crown but having representa- 

 tive institutions, Crown colonies, and protecto- 

 rates under native laws and rulers constituting 

 with the United Kingdom the British Empire. 



