190S 
83 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Orange Discussion 
OPINIONS OF PROMINENT GRANGERS 
ON TOPICS OF PUBLIC IMPOBTANCE 
What the Grange Stands For. 
The Grange is the strongest and most enduring 
farmer’s society in this country, if not in the world. 
Other farm organizations have sprung up and flour¬ 
ished for a time only to wither or die. After a hard 
struggle and slow early growth the Grange lives—a 
powerful yet conservative element in American farm 
life. We may safely say that no other organization 
so fairly represents the American farm freeholder. 
An honest expression of Grange opinion may be ac¬ 
cepted as a fair statement of the views held by the 
better class of farmers who own their farms and live 
on them. If there is any organization better qualifled 
to give voice to the views of this class we do not 
know what it is. 
« * * 
As members of the Order, we have felt that the 
Grange has lacked a voice with just the carrying 
qualities needed to reach the thousands who do not 
understand what the Grange represents. Its pub¬ 
lished literature has been directed at its own mem¬ 
bers. Thus thousands of good people In both country 
and town who at heart subscribe to its principles do 
not harmonize with it because they do not understand 
what it means. We would like to help in this matter 
by presenting the opinions of prominent Granges on 
leading topics—with brief reasons for such opinions. 
Our present plan is to give from time to time discus¬ 
sions of matters in which Granges are vitally inter¬ 
ested. We shall avoid long and elaborate arguments, 
but pay most attention to the whp that lies behind the 
opinion. This will not be permitted to interfere with 
our usual amount of practical farm matter. 
• * * 
Several matters are discussed this week. The 
Grange position on the canal question has never been 
so concisely stated before. Mr. Hitchings starts a 
discussion on the important mortgage tax law. Who 
has seen before the opinions of good farmers on the 
Raines liquor law? The need of new buildings and 
equipment for the Agricultural College is a live sub¬ 
ject—one of the greatest importance to the Grange. 
Woman’s suffrage is suggested for New Hampshire, 
but evidently farmers are not enthusiastic for it. 
These brief discussions show what can be done. We 
expect to have matters of National importance dis¬ 
cussed by prominent Grangers, and also State issues 
which demand attention in various States. In short, 
the object of this new department in The R. N.-Y. is 
to present boiled-down opinion with reasons there¬ 
for by farmers and for farmers on public matters 
which strongly affect American agriculture. Saving 
the rural school, salaries in place of fees for county 
officers, mutual Are insurance, the Torrens system of 
registering land titles, are subjects that ought to be 
discussed by farmers. 
* * * 
In his report to the State Grange last year Worthy 
State Secretary W. N. Giles wisely said: 
Let us ask nothing that we do not need, or say nothing 
that we do not fully mean; let us demand nothing but 
exact justice, and then show to the world that we will 
be satisfied with nothing less; let us take no action at 
this session, let us pass no resolution, that we are not all 
prepared to go home and work for, and never cease 
working until they are accomplished. A resolution passed 
here becomes a plank In our platform and to be of value 
must be enforced. 
This Is sound advice. By carrying it out to the let¬ 
ter the Grange will win the respect of all fair-minded 
people. It should be a cardinal principle of the Grange 
to say publicly just what it means and nothing more. 
That is the way to give character and weight to its 
opinions! 
• • • 
Best Plan of a Grange Hall. 
If a Grange is to be permanent it should have a 
home of its own. Many Grange halls have been built 
—there should be many more. What is the best size 
and arrangement for such a building? What should 
it contain?- Some of the halls now in use are incon¬ 
venient inside with little beauty outside. Why not 
have them convenient and handsome? Who has a 
clear idea of what a Grange Hall ought to be? We will 
give $5 for the picture and plan of the best Grange 
Hall and $3 for the second best. Those who contest 
for these prizes must be subscribers to The R. N.-Y. 
They may describe a hall already standing, or present 
their Ideal. We want, if possible, a picture of the 
building and a fair set of working plans, with the 
estimated cost. The contest will close May 1, and will 
be decided by a committee of competent Grangers, 
ENLARGING THE ERIE CANAL. 
THE GRANGE OPPOSES THE SCHEME. 
Good Reasons Plainly Stated. 
The following questions were sent to the secretaries 
of the Pomona Granges in New York: 
Please give us a fair statement of the feeling among 
the members of the Grange and other good farmers re¬ 
garding the following: Do they favor or do they op¬ 
pose the enlargement of the Erie Canal at the expense of 
the State? Tell us briefly why farmers feel as they 
do about this matter? 
The response to these questions shows that the 
Grange is practically a unit in opposing the plan for 
enlarging the Canal. We regret that space will not 
permit us to give all the replies. We present fair 
samples of the reasons for such opposition: 
It was resolved that the membership of Macedon 
Grange is totally opposed to the expenditure of any 
State money whatever for the purpose of building a 
barge canal. Discussion disclosed that were canal 
tolls reestablished much opposition to a barge canal 
would cease. mbs. b. s. durfee. 
Macedon, N. Y. 
I have taken a vote at all the meetings I have at¬ 
tended and they stand as a body against the enlarge¬ 
ment of the canal by the State, not one man voting 
in favor of it. They say if it is to be enlarged for a 
barge or ship canal let it be done by the United States 
Government, to whom the work very properly be¬ 
longs. F. N. GODFREY. 
Glean, N. Y. 
The Grange opposes the canal scheme (every mem¬ 
ber), also 99 per cent of the farmers. If the State 
ELEVATING PLATFORM FOR FRUIT PICKERS. 
Fig. 36. 
wishes to spend one or two hundred millions let them 
do it in building good roads, and not on that old ditch, 
so the masses will get some beneflt from it. This 
canal scheme is only to create fat jobs for campaign 
purposes. w. travts. 
Lexington, N. Y. 
It is an injustice to the farmers of New York to 
construct and maintain a canal for the beneflt of our 
western competition for the markets of New York 
City. In case of such enlargement or construction it 
would assume the position of an international water¬ 
way, and should be constructed and maintained by 
the National Government. lobenzo hulbubt. 
Hornellsville, N. Y. 
It is our belief that if there is to be a large amount 
of money expended to construct a waterway across 
the State such expenditure should be borne by the 
National Government rather than by the State, as 
we believe that the Western States would receive 
nearly if not quite all the direct beneflts of such 
waterway. b. h. smith. 
East Schuyler, N. Y. 
The reason we feel as we do in regard to the canal 
matter is this: We believe the canal to be an anti¬ 
quated means of transportation, which no amount of 
fixing will make adequate to our needs as a means of 
rapid transportation. We believe that the only rea¬ 
son the State of New York should maintain the canal, 
is as a freight regulator, and if this is so, then a 
means of transportation which will run the year 
through, is what we want We do not believe there 
is any justice in taxing the people of the State of New 
York to build a waterway which, when completed, will 
be a National benefit, and not a State beneflt We 
deny that the commercial supremacy of the State is 
dependent on the canal, and believe it would be 
neither enhanced nor retarded, by the expenditure of 
money on canal enlargement. We are opposed to the 
expenditure of the people’s money for the purpose of 
making political jobs, or for the simple purpose of 
giving employment to men, if some more important 
reason cannot be found for such expenditure. 
Philadelphia, N. Y. g. a. fulleb. 
Canaan Grange is opposed to enlargement at State 
expense. We do favor enlargement and improvement, 
but at the expense of our National Government. The 
West receives vastly greater beneflt from the canal 
than do the farmers of the State of New York, and 
the burden of taxation for improvement should not 
rest on us alone. We shall oppose it and fight it as 
long as the matter is presented to us in its present 
form. B. H. WOODWORTH. 
Canaan Four Corners, N. Y. 
Farmers feel that In maintaining a free waterway 
for the transportation of western produce they 
cheapen the produce in eastern markets, and are 
obliged to sell their products just so much cheaper; 
that in making the outlay for canal improvement 
recommended by Governor Odell, they mortgage their 
farms for about one-twentieth of their value, which 
they must pay by taxation (direct or indirect), and 
that they will never receive one particle of benefit 
from it, but will be damaged instead. 
Manchester, N. Y. ohas. m’louth. 
MORTGAGE TAX QUESTION DISCUSSED. 
In the proposed change of our mortgage taxation 
law, as recommended by Governor Odell in his mes¬ 
sage, the farmer’s voice needs to be heard in no un¬ 
certain manner. Last year a bill known as the 
Stranahan Mortgage Tax bill was introduced, having 
for its object the taxation of mortgages. The plan 
was to tax them one-half of one per cent when re¬ 
corded, and forever after exempt them from taxation. 
It was shown that to be consistent it would be neces¬ 
sary to grant the same privilege to the purchaser of 
real estate, for upon having their deed recorded they 
could demand a like privilege from the fact that 
mortgages and real estate are both considered taxable 
property. From this and other reasons the bill failed 
to pass. The legislation recommended by the Gover¬ 
nor for this year is much better, but still Is not fair 
to the owners of real estate. The Governor recom¬ 
mends that an annual tax rate of not to exceed four 
mills on a dollar be levied against the owners of mort¬ 
gages, two-thirds of the amount collected to go into 
the local treasuries and one-third to the State, ex¬ 
cepting from the operation of this law mortgages and 
bonds held by savings banks, fraternal orders, local 
building and loan associations, life insurance com¬ 
panies and charitable, religious and educational 
bodies. While the ambition of our Governor to do 
away entirely with State taxes is praiseworthy it is 
well to remember that our local taxes are increasing, 
and we want to keep listed on our local tax rolls all 
possible property. What we farmers want, and by 
right are entitled to, is a law defining property sub¬ 
ject to local taxation to consist of real estate, per¬ 
sonal property and all bonds and mortgages with no 
exemption whatever. We want it clearly stated what 
is considered personal property, and we want the 
mortgages and other taxable evidences of debt in¬ 
validated if not on record in the county where prop¬ 
erty which is mortgaged is owned. We want it com¬ 
pulsory for the county clerk to send to each assessor 
a list of the evidences of debt on record for his dis¬ 
trict, and we want a heavy fine imposed on the 
assessor if he fails to list these evidences of debt on 
the tax roll. We want the amount of the evidences 
of debt held against a person or his real estate de¬ 
ducted from his assessment, the idea of this being to 
compel a person to pay taxes only on what he owns, 
and not on what he owes. We want also a uniform 
rating of the value oJ real estate for the whole State. 
This can be easily accomplished by placing the assess¬ 
ment on real estate at double the amount of a loan 
that could be secured upon it. It is an old and true 
saying if you want to learn the value of property try 
to get a loan upon it. The taxation of mortgages has 
been opposed on the grounds that the legal rate of 
interest has been fixed by law. This can be remedied 
by having a sliding legal rate of Interest, placing the 
rate at two per cent more than the average rate paid 
by savings banks to their depositors. If there should 
occur a shortage of money for loans by increasing the 
rate paid to depositors money would be attracted to 
overcome the deficiency. It has been claimed that the 
borrower would in the end have to pay the taxes on 
the mortgage. The amount additional he would be 
obliged to pay would be more than offset by the re¬ 
duction in his taxes. We farmers Insist that the 
needed revenue required to abolish the State taxes be 
derived from taxing the earnings of franchises, from 
an increase in license fees and in other ways without 
drawing upon property needed for local taxation. 
Onondaga Co., N. Y. grant q. hitcoungs. 
