Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1882 — PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES. [ARTICLE]

PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES.

National Agricultural Convention. The third annual meeting of the American Agricultural Association was held at Chicago, lasting four days. The attendance was large, embracing representatives from all sections of the country and of all branches of agriculture. President N. T. Sprague, in his annual address, advocated the extension and development of free water communication and the enactment of a Federal law. regulating inter-Scate commerce that will remove the evils resulting from inharmonious State legislation. He approved the bill for the appointment of a National Railway Commission, to whom all questions of difference between the people and common carriers shall be referred He also pronounced in favor of a modification of the tariff, and directed the special attention of the convention to the evils of adulteration of food Papers of interest to agriculturists were read and many valuable ideas presented by various speakers. _____ Street Railway Association. Representatives of the street tramway interest assembled in Boston and formed an International Street Railway Association. Moody Merrill was elected President, and said there were 415 street railways in the United States and Canada, which employ 35,000 men, run 18,000 cars, and carry annually 1,212,400,000 passengers. The captal invested exceeds $150,000,000, and the tracks operated cover 3,000 miles. Commercial Traveler*. The national convention of merchants and commercial travelers was held at Baltimore. The association desires the abrogation of State taxes upon “drummers” and the effecting'of free trade between all the States. State Grange Meetings. The State Grange of Michigan met at Lansing, and Grand Master Cyrus G. Luce delivered an address pointing out the necessity of legislation to protect the producers against the extortions of railroads. The movement is making headway in Michigan, and new granges are being formed. The Wisconsin State Grange convened at Madison. It is reported that the grange is about holding its own in the State, there being now 131 subordinate granges, with a membership of about 4,000. The Ohio State Grange held its annual session at Mansfield. The reports showed the order to be in a flourishing condition and growing in membership. The Pennsylvania Grange met at Harrisburg, over 100 delegates being in attendance. At a public meeting, addresses were delivered by Gov. Hoyt and others. The grange throughout the State was represented to be in a healthy condition. The ninth annual session of the Maryland State Grange was held at Baltimore, lasting several days. Every' county in the State was represented, and the delegates were enthuriastic over the flourishing condition of the order, as shown by the reporta Thebe was an Important gathering of the Mississippi Valley Cane-Growers’ Association at St Louis, representatives being present from all the Western and Northwestern States, and from New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. The address of President Coleman reviewed the sorghum industry, which, a delegate claimed, would keep $60,(XX),000 to $80,000,000 yearly in the country if its culture proved to be a success. Reports were presented in relation to the growth of sorghum and the manufacture of sugar and sirups therefrom. It was shown that great success had already attended the production of sirup, and that’ there was no. difficulty in finding a market for the product at remunerative figures.