RED RIVER VALLEY TO FOOTHILLS 145 f 



They organized a very successful seed fair, a feature of 

 which was a meeting to discuss improvement of the 

 market for live stock, especially hogs ; this resulted in 

 the appointment of a Pork Commission. At their con- 

 I/ vention in 1906 the Association took stand on such 

 important matters as the special grading of Alberta 

 Hard Winter Wheat, the establishment of a terminal 

 elevator at the Pacific Coast, of a pork-packing and 

 beef-chilling plant by the Provincial Government, etc. 

 In the discussion of everything affecting the welfare of 

 the farmers the Association played an important part 

 and it was at their request that the Provincial Govern- 

 ment sent an agent to investigate the markets of 

 British Columbia with the idea of closer relations. 



A second attempt to amalgamate with the Canadian 

 Society of Equity, which had succeeded the American 

 Society, had fallen through and there were still two 

 f armers' organizations in the Province of Alberta. How- 

 ever, with the progress being made with the Provincial 

 Government in connection with the pork-packing and 

 beef-chilling plant and with the Dominion Government 

 in regard to government ownership of terminal 

 elevators, the farmers as a whole began to see the need 

 of closer union^ Such wide measures as a system of 

 government-owned internal elevators were bringing the 

 farmers of all three Western provinces into closer 

 conference and in 1908 the feeling in favor of amalga- 

 mation of all Alberta farmers into one organization 

 began to crystallize. 



Finally in September a conference was held between 

 representatives of the Alberta Farmers' Association 

 and the Canadian Society of Equity. The constitution 

 drafted at this conference was submitted to the annual 

 conventions of both bodies at Edmonton on January 

 10 f5H 



