158 AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



Council, and no provision was made for funds with which to discharge 

 them as they became due. In this emergency, the chairman of this 

 Executive Board applied to the president for a ruling as to whether the 

 per capita dues were payable in advance or not. He ruled that they 

 were, but the Judiciary Committee refused to concur in the ruling, and 

 according to the constitution that question has been held in abeyance 

 to be decided at this session of the Supreme Council. The result has 

 been great confusion. Eleven States, namely, Kansas, Virginia, North 

 Carolina, Arkansas Alliance, Mississippi, South Carolina, Georgia, Ala- 

 bama, Florida, Louisiana, and Maryland, reported their number of active 

 members according to their strength on the first day of October, 1889, 

 and paid on them for the year ending October i, 1890. These pay- 

 ments were scattered throughout the year, and ten States, namely, Mis- 

 sissippi, Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Texas, 

 Arkansas Farmers and Laborers' Union, Colorado, and New Mexico, 

 had not reported and paid in full on the first day of November, as the 

 constitution expressly provides shall be done. Six States, namely, 

 Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas Farmers and Laborers' 

 Union, and New Mexico, had not reported or paid anything on the 25th 

 day of November, at which date this board examined the books of the 

 secretary. The gross expense for the year, including every item author- 

 ized by the Supreme Council, and all the running and incidental expenses 

 necessary to carry on the work, has been $19,55 1.65. The gross receipts 

 from the per capita dues for the year ending October i, 1890, have been 

 $11,231.27. The gain upon supplies sold by the national secretary was 

 $1380.33, and the amount of fees and dues received from unorganized 

 States was $918.95 ; making the gross receipts for the year ending Octo- 

 ber i, 1890, $13,530.55, and leaving a deficiency of $6021.10. This 

 deficiency has been reduced to $2862.75 by the use of $3158.35, which 

 has been received on the per capita dues for the year ending October i, 

 1891. The net deficiency, therefore, for the year, as shown by the sec- 

 retary's books on the 25th day of November, was $2862.75. In view 

 of these facts, your board respectfully makes the following recom- 

 mendations : 



1. The salaries and expenses should be reduced to the very smallest 

 possible amount on which the business can be conducted, and must be 

 reduced until the expenditures do not exceed the income. 



2. There exists no necessity for requiring the national president or 

 the chairman of the Executive Board to live at the national head- 

 quarters, because they can attend to the business just as well and live 

 at home, where they will require less salary and incur less expense. 



