44 DEEP FURROWS 



as might appear to the farmer to be undergrading or 

 overdocking; so that the farmer's right to load direct 

 on cars was a necessary supplementary protection. 



I The annual shortage of cars during the rush season 

 Dllowing harvest was found to be a direct cause of 

 epression in prices. When cars were not available for 

 immediate shipments the grain soon piled up on the 

 elevator companies who were thereby forced to miss 

 the cheaper transportation by boat from the head of 

 the lakes or assume the risk of carrying over the grain 

 until the following spring; in buying, therefore, they 

 naturally allowed a wide margin to cover all possible 

 contingencies. Increase of transportation facilities 

 during October and November accordingly was impera- 

 tive. 



With no rules to regulate the grain trade except 

 those laid down by the railways and the elevator 

 owners, the need was great for definite legislation simi- 

 lar to that w r hich obtained in the State of Minnesota 

 and, as a result of the Royal Commission's recommen- 

 dations, the Manitoba Grain Act was placed upon the 

 statutes and became operative in 1900. To supervise 

 the carrying out of the law in connection with the 

 grain trade a Warehouse Cpmmissionesr was appointed, 

 Mr. C. C. Castle who acted on the Royal Commission 

 being selected for this responsible office. 



LA sigh of relief went up from many intelligent 

 trmers who had begun to worry over the conditions 

 j heveloping ; for they looked upon the Manitoba Grain 

 iJAct as a sort of Magna Charta. With the grain trade 

 under official control and supervision along the lines 

 laid down by the Royal Commission, they felt that 

 Y QT TthJTifl w /v n'M hft nlr*fihtjwv It was like calling 

 in a policeman to investigate suspicious noises in the 



