A FIGHT FOR LIFE 105 



bank manager had intimated, the whole thing was just 

 hard luck rather than any unsoundness in the business. 

 It was a x fine paradox that the more pronounced the 

 success of the idea itself became, the greater grew the 

 danger of complete failure because of the predicament ! 

 Death by wheat! An ironical, fate indeed for a grain 

 company ! 



Upon investigation, the farmers' company discovered 

 that their original idea of distributing their profits co- 

 ope'ra'tively as embodied in the circular to which the 

 Exchange had objected was contrary to the pro- 

 visions of the Manitoba Joint Stock Companies' Act 

 under which they_keld their charter. Therefore the 

 co-operative idea in connection with profits was form- 

 ally dropped by the Grain Growers' Grain Company. 

 This had been done at a directors' meeting on December 

 22nd (1906), when a resolution had been passed, can- 

 celling the proposal contained in the objectionable cir- 

 cular.* But although the Exchange had been notified 

 immediately and repeated applications for reinstate- 

 ment had been made, the farmers' company waa still 

 struggling along in the throes of their dilemma proof 

 positive, concluded the farmers, that the Grain 

 Exchange bad used the co-operative suggestion as a 

 mere pretext to j)ust the Company from the field 

 altogether. 



In piled the wheat, car after car of it ! A consider- 

 able portion of it had been bought on track and farmers 

 who had consigned their grain were anxious, naturally, 

 to have it disposed of without delay. With prices going 

 down and navigation on the point of closing, the best 

 hopes of the management became centred in getting a 

 big shipment away to Buffalo by boat. That would 



* This resolution was confirmed at a meeting of the shareholders, 

 February 5th, 1907. 



