THE GRAIN EXCHANGE AGAIN 119 



when the new building which the Exchange was erect- 

 ing was completed there would be a gallery for the use 

 of the public during trading hours. 



If the Legislature were to amend the charter, 

 declared the Exchange's spokesman, the Exchange 

 would demand that the charter be cancelled in toto 

 and a receiver appointed to distribute the assets. The 

 Exchange was tired of being branded thieves and 

 robbers and they should be let alone to do their busi- 

 ness. If this were not satisfactory, then they wished 

 to be put out of business altogether. 



The Grain Growers protested that it was not their 

 desire jTTha ve the chart P~r ^m*Aiu*d They were not 

 blind to the usefulness of the Exchange if it were 

 properly managed and all they asked was that this 

 organization be compelled to do what was right. The 

 reason the Exchange had admitted the Grain Growers' 

 Grain Company, the farmers claimed, was so that they 

 could have it under discipline, being afraid of a com- 

 bination of farmers in the interests of the producer. 

 The farmers had lost confidence in the manipulations of 

 the Exchange and wanted official protection. 



The question of declaring deals in futures to be a 

 criminal offence was outside provincial jurisdiction and 

 the farmers withdrew that part of the request. They 

 wished everything else to stand, however. 



At this juncture a recommendation was made that a 

 conference be held between the Government, the Grain 

 Growers, the Exchange, reeves of municipalities, 

 bankers, railroads, etc., for discussion of everything 

 pertaining to the handling of wheat, including amend- 

 ments to the Grain Exchange charter. The idea 

 appealed to the Premier and before the Committee he 



