THIRD DAY-AFTERNOON SESSION.
Grange was called to labor by the Worthy Master.
REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES.
Bro. W. J. Beal, for the Committee on Good of the
Order, read the following report:
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON GOOD OF THE ORDER.
Worthy Master and Fellow Patrons:
Your Committee on Good of the Order submit the following report for your consideration: 
The objects of the Order are generally better understood than they were a few years ago, yet in this respect many come far short of fully appreciating the high and noble purposes for which the Grange was organized.
To remedy this, we recommend a more careful study of their declaration of principles, and that a portion of that declaration of principles be read at frequent intervals. Let some young person commit the whole or some part to memory and present the same as a declamation; or let some one take a paragraph as a text for an essay. As soon as he is initiated, every member should be supplied with a copy of the declaration of principles.
To encourage this, we recommend that the Executive Committee or Secretary of the State Grange have printed a large number of copies for free distribution to all the members of the Grange. Too many cannot be distributed among readers "outside the gates."
We call attention to these words in our Worthy Master's report: "If the farmers of our much favored land fail to gather wisdom from the history of the unorganized agriculture of the Old World, and permit others to do their reading, their thinking, their writing, their speaking, their business and their legislation, it will not require the gift of a prophet to tell what their future will be. The history of the Old World has been but the history of oppression to tillers of the soil."
There never before has been so much intellectual activity among the farmers of our country as there is at the present time. Much of this we attribute to the work of the Grange. We repeat and throw out some additional hints, showing how our Granges may become more efficient.
We fully agree with our Worthy Lecturer that more care should be given in the proper selection of officers in our subordinate Granges. Mere popularity should not be the main reason for election to office. None but faithful, impartial, and unselfish workers are worthy of official position.
We call especial attention to the Grange as an educator. This should be correctly kept before those not members of the Order.
There should be more system in conducting the exercises of the Grange, in wearing the regalia in full, and accurately carrying out all the written and unwritten work. The work of

Bro. Mortimer Whitehead, Worthy Lecturer of the National Grange, during the past summer has done much good in our State. We recommend a continuation of such work and that some plan be early devised by which there can be more system in passing from one Grange to another.
Every Grange should make strenuous efforts to get a hall of its own. This effort will interest and strengthen the members and increase the number. The hall should be kept clean, neat, and in good order. The lamps always trimmed and ready for use. Bare walls should be neatly decorated with suitable mottoes and designs. If possible, collect a museum of grasses, grains, seeds, insects, and make them objects of study. Glass jars of grains, labelled to show the grade, as made by the boards of trade, will be valuable and instructive.
We earnestly urge every Grange to start a library, even a small one, and use every honorable means to keep it growing, and teach every member to use it.
Your attention has before been called to the need of always having a published program a week or two in advance of any meeting. None who try this plan will fail to appreciate its importance.
To interest all, strenuous efforts must be made by the proper officers to pass no one by in the assignment of work. Each can do something; he promises this when he joins the Grange. Unless he works, he will not maintain his interest. The best workers find the least fault. Idlers are often mischief makers. The program should be more diversified than usual, and made to include literature, history, tableaux, dialogues, exhibitions of small fruits, large fruits, of grains, of vegetables. Plowing matches, sheep shearing festivals, fairs, are valuable and come within the scope of Grange work At least once a year there should be an unusual effort made to bring all together for a reunion, at a grand festival, where there shall be music, toasts, and speaking by prominent farmers; where the declaration of principles shall be read and discussed. We suggest a festival on or near the anniversary of our Order.
Enough attention is not given to the importance of promptly beginning meetings at the time appointed. Many officers are derelict in this respect. The time of closing can also be easily managed by fixing the hour, and then crowding the work along so as to close promptly on time. If this was carried out, there would be no need of the remark of our Worthy Chaplain, where he cautions us not to hold late hours, and encroach on the Sabbath.
Now and then a public meeting of the Grange, with invitations to outside farmers to participate is valuable, but we believe much injury has resulted in some places in having too many public meetings, especially where they were not well attended, and the order of exercises was not interesting or well carried out. If a meeting is to be public, spare no pains to make it lively, interesting, and instructive.
We call attention to the formation of Granges for the little folks wherever it is practicable, that they may early learn to love the Order. In some cases they are inclined to think the Grange interferes with their rights, because they are left to spend the long evenings alone while parents attend the Grange.
Although we do not understand that the financial work of

the Grange is its main feature, yet we have noticed that every live Grange is in some way active in co-operation.
In the VISITOR we recognize a great aid in promoting the good of the Order. Cannot a member in each Grange be appointed to solicit and forward subscriptions? Where there is some one to attend to this subject at the proper time, more will be effected than by leaving it to all to ask, or not ask, as they may desire. The VISITOR is fearless and always reliable to our interests-which cannot be said of any other publication in the State.

We are gratified with the increased interest that is manifested in Pomona Granges, and recommend that they adhere to the objects as specified in our By-Laws, and not attempt to discuss many specific topics, such as culture of wheat, corn, or the care of any kind of stock. In meetings of Pomona Granges, we shall find reports of schools, Subordinate Granges, and cooperation quite enough to occupy the time at command. It seems to be within the scope of a Pomona Grange to employ permanent lecturers for all the Granges in the County, to hold institutes in winter, and a rousing farmers' festival in summer. These should be held in suitable parts of the County, to accommodate every Grange at some time or other. The carrying out of but one of the above suggestions will not make a Grange successful, but careful attention to all of them cannot fail to make a live, model, Grange which will be worth untold money to any country neighborhood.
And now in conclusion, permit us to recommend continued effort in the use of petitions to members in our Legislature and in Congress. Petitions alone, as we have too often learned, will not always accomplish the object desired. We recommend that Patrons, regardless of political party, follow up these petitions with systematic personal effort, and see that the desired measures receive due attention. Be sure that no mistake is made in what you ask, and then see to getting it. This is not all. Lay it down as a part of your duty to your Grange, your occupation and your country, to attend the caucuses, or primary meetings, and there beforehand know the views of your candidates on certain important questions.
Respectfully submitted,
W. J. BEAL, Chairman.
On motion, the report was adopted.
On motion of Bro. Salmon Steele, the Secretary was requested to publish the report in the GRANGE VISITOR at as early a day as practicable.