A FIGHT FOR LIFE 95 



An effort was made to discredit the whole proposi- 

 tion as a political move of the Conservative Party. 

 Throughout tne 53 wan River district, the Dauphin dis- 

 trict and all the way down to Neepawa the rumor 

 spread ahead of the meetings; so that the speakers 

 were asked many pertinent and impertinent questions. 

 J. W. Robson, a Swan River farmer who was at that 

 time a Conservative Member of the Manitoba Legisla- 

 ture, was giving his services free as a speaker on 

 behalf of the proposed company; John Kennedy was 

 known to be a political supporter of J. W. Robson. One 

 and one make two; two and two sometimes make a 

 fairly large-sized political rumor. But Mr. Robson was 

 a ready and convincing speaker who was known to be a 

 farmer first and last and Mr. Kennedy attributes the 

 practical results obtained as due largely to Mr. Rob- 

 son's logic and sincerity. 



Along in June Kennedy received a telegram from 

 Winnipeg that startled him. It contained the first 

 intimation that difficulties were arising |&T Ottaw\ Jo 

 prevent the proposed farmers* company from getting 

 their charter. Tafcing tne first train, he found on Ids 

 arrival at Winnipeg that Francis Graham and W. A. 

 Robinson, the two committeemen who met him, had not 

 yet notified E. A. Partridge. A wire was despatched 

 at once to Sintaluta and the Chairman joined them by 

 first train. For two days the Board wrestled with this 

 unexpected difficulty which threatened to annihilate 

 the company before it got started^ 



The application of the Organization Committee for a 

 charter was refused on the ground that the shares of a 

 company with ji capital of $250,000 could not be less 

 than $100 each. Their solicitor tried in vain to induce 

 the Department to change its views, all canvassing to 



