The Committee also directs all purchases, and audits all bills; so that not a dollar is expended without its knowledge. The Treasurer keeps an accurate account of all moneys, and countersigns orders before they are paid by the financial agent. Accounts are opened upon the books of the Secretary with the several State Granges, and each is duly credited with all moneys received from it, and charged with whatever is disbursed for its benefit. The balance, less its proportional share of the expenses of the National Grange, shows what we will call the deposit of that Grange with the National Grange. These balances or deposits are held as sacred trusts for the benefit of the State Granges, to be used, as during the past year, to the amount of more than twelve thousand dollars, in the relief of suffering, or in such other manner as may be determined on hereafter. More than twelve thousand dollars has been expended during the year

for the relief of suffering from grasshoppers, from floods, and from other disasters; the several amounts having been paid back to the State Granges, out of their deposits, and so far as possible in proportion to those deposits.

The general disposition of the Order is toward a reduction of salaries, the abolition of the supply feature, and, disregarding all party ties, to act unitedly for the common good of all classes, and for the whole country.

CHAPTER XI.

WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.

GROWTI—CatSES OF NUMERICAL STRENGTH-GRANGES OF THE FIRST AND SEC

OND GROWTH-INVESTMENTS AND SAVINGS--GENERAL AND INCIDENTAL BEYEFITS WORTHY MASTER ADAMS' ADDRESS AT CHARLESTON: SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS: WHAT WAS DONE ABOUT THE Texas Pacific RAILROAD, AND WHY IT was DONE.

In 1873 ten States were represented in the meeting of the National Grange. In 1874 the number had swelled to thirtyone, and the business of the Central Bureau, at Washington, required a heavy staff for its successful prosecution. No great enterprises are moved without a corresponding outlay of brain and money power; but it was marvelous to the uninitiated, to see what the “little drops of water and little grains of

saüd,” falling so quietly from the coffers of the Subordinate Granges, were accomplishing when gathered together. The monopolists who had thought the farmers' movement unlikely to “prove much of a shower,” began to lay in a stock of umbrellas. They also began to devise schemes for dividing and creating distrust within the body of the Order. But so thoroughly had the organization prepared itself for any stress of weather; so strong was it on its central principle that “the good of the whole could only be reached by the perfection of its parts,” that its growth has scarcely been checked by even momentary disasters.

It was not until the fall of 1873, however, that, owing to the agitation prevailing throughout the United States in respect to monopolies, especially oppressive in the North-west, the power of the Grange began to be felt in the land. From the original centers of its strength, without any effort at propogandism, it had spread in all directions; in truth, it had a center in every true Patron, from which an unconscious influence proceeded, until at the opening of the year 1875, its membership was estimated at not less than one million four hundred and thirty thousand. There were other negative causes for this unprecedented growth, among which may be named class-spirit, a debauched currency, protective tariff, railroad combinations, combinations of manufactures, plow-makers and others. The Granges of the first period may be termed the fighting Granges; for they bore the brunt of the great conflict with monopolies, and led the way to concession and peace. They had unpleasant things to say, and they said them in unmistakable English. Some excesses of zeal were exhibited, and the Western Granges narrowly escaped the fate of becoming a third political party. It must be admitted by all that they possessed wise and temperate leaders. Dudley W. Adams, the present W. M. of the National Grange, and Colonel Cochrane, Master of the Wisconsin State Grange, declined nominations for the highest offices in their respective States.

The Order now contains, in round numbers, twenty-two thousand Subordinate Granges, distributed as follows: Missouri, Iowa, and Indiana, each two thousand; Illinois and Kentucky, each one thousand five hundred; Kansas, one thousand three hundred; Ohio and Tennessee, each one thousand one hundred; Texas, eight hundred; Georgia, seven hundred; Alabama and Mississippi, six hundred and fifty; Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arkansas, each five hundred and fifty to five hundred and seventy-five; Nebraska, six hundred; North Carolina, four hundred and sixty; Virginia and Pennsylvania, each four hundred; South Carolina, three hundred and twenty-five; New York, two hundred and seventy-three; California, two hundred and fifty; Louisiana, two hundred and ten; Oregon, one hundred and seventy-five; Washington Territory, (under jurisdiction of Oregon,) fifty-two. Vermont, West Virginia, Maryland, Florida, New Jersey, Colorado, Massachusetts, Wyoming Territory, Maine, Dakota, New Hampshire, Canada, Montana, Delaware, Idaho, Nevada, and Connecticut, make the grand total at the present time, not less than a million and a half. Complete statistics of each State, or of the whole membership, are not given to the public, for obvious reasons.

It will be seen that the South and the South-west are the strongest in proportion to their population. But at the present moment the Granges are multiplying in the Eastern States with great rapidity. North and South are linked by the Grange into an industrial and fraternal unity; and are already proving the benefits of coöperation in commercial exchanges.

The “Granges of the second growth,” Missouri, Michigan and Wisconsin, have especially devoted themselves to the promotion of business enterprises; have been careful and economical, and have “held aloof from politics." In Missouri, however, so many Grangers found themselves in the legislature, that it was proposed to organize a Legislative Grange, while Wisconsin, under a Granger Governor, carried her legislative war upon the railroads to a successful termination.

The Patrons have invested their capital as follows: In Grange banks; in direct trade unions; in elevators and warehouses; in grist-mills; in pork-packing houses; in bag factories and brick yards; in blacksmith shops, machine and implement works; in broom factories; in cotton-gins, and cotton-yarn factories, in the South; in fruit-canning establishments; in transportation enterprises by rail, ship, and boat; in homestead associations, coöperative land companies, immigration associations and insurance companies. Not less than $18,000,000 is thus invested. The estimate of savings through coöperation is $100 per head for four hundred thousand active Grangers.

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.

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During the past year one hundred and fifty headers have been built and sold in Nebråska alone. The price has been $150 each, while the dealers were charging $325—a discount of 54 per cent., and a total saving in first cost of $26,230.

Over three hundred Werner harvesters have been built in the three States of Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota, and sold at $140, a saving on each machine of $80, and a total saving to the buyers of $24,000. The orders for the Werner this year very far exceeded the capacity of the factories to supply, and next year it is thought that three thousand of them will be called for. They have everywhere given entire satisfaction when well made and in the hands of competent operators. In a recent trial in Minnesota between the Werner, the Marsh and the Massillon, the Werner was adjudged the best of the three. Fully fifteen hundred cultivators have been made and sold during the past year, the price being $18 to $20 50 for an implement in every way as good as those generally sold for $30 to $35. The coming season a spring-tooth sulky rake will be made and offered for about $25, such an one as now brings $35 to $45. These rakes will be made at Des Moines and Dubuque, and probably at other places also. A seeder will also be offered for about $40. It is called the gang-plow seeder, and is equal in value to those now sold for $65 to $75.

A Bessemer steel beam plow is now making at Des Moines, at the Given plow-works, which can be sold for $18. Mr. Given will fill Patrons' orders first at that price, while others must wait to be served afterwards, and at a higher price. These plows are first-class in every respect, far superior and much lighter than any ordinary iron beam plow.

A mower is now making in New York, of which our Order will have entire control. All the parts usually made of iron are of Bessemer steel; the movement is very simple, and the draft light. It is provided with self-oiling boxes, which require attention but two or three times a week, and generally it is firstclass in all its parts. It will be sold in Iowa, freight paid, for not more than seventy-five dollars.

Arrangements will soon be completed to get sugars and syrups direct from members of our Order in Louisiana through the agency in New Orleans. Samples and prices are promised. Prices of syrups, of course, vary with the market; but last year the best pure cane syrups were sold in New Orleans for thirty-five cents per gallon.

The agency in New Orleans is now ready to receive flour, corn, bacon, and other western products, in exchange for sugars, syrups, etc., which the South has to spare.

In general, it may be said that the business operations of the Order have more than tripled during the past year. Business agencies are established in more than twenty-five States, including all the Western, Southern and Pacific States; and in the Eastern States such agencies are rapidly multiplying, and while increasing in numbers they are perfecting their plans of doing business. Col. Shankland is in constant correspondence with the several agents, and is making numerous journeys to attend their conventions. County and district agencies, auxiliary to the State agencies, are forming everywhere, and all are increasing in efficiency as they learn the routine of business, and as the members of the Order learn the facilities and savings of the agencies.

For example: In Iowa more than half the elevators are now in the hands of Patrons, and elevator companies, coöperative stores and mutual insurance companies are constantly increasing. Some of them, while saving largely for their customers, are also making large profits for themselves. Of course their success depends much on the experience, tact, zeal and honesty of the agent in charge; but in a general way it may be said that all are doing well and meeting the expectations of their founders. By way of illustration, a fire insurance company in Wisconsin, which is carrying four hundred and fifty thousand dollars of risks on the following plan-payment of one dollar and fifty cents for survey and policy, and one tenth of one per cent. on the risk-has not lost a dollar in a year.

A State and National organization of colored men, has been formed at the South, not political in its character, which claims to be an auxiliary to our Order and which desires to receive its supplies through our agencies. Indeed, already several carloads of goods have been furnished them in this way.

Under the special charge of Col. Aikin, of South Carolina, another member of the Executive Committee of the National Grange, the collating and publishing of information about the crops and markets is a matter fast assuming vast consequence. His reports are more complete in their statistics and more prompt in their issue than the corresponding reports of the Government Bureau of Agriculture. It is hoped to be able