CHAPTER XII 



THE SHOWDOWN 



It's scarcely in a body's power 

 Tae keep at times f rae being sour 

 Tae see how things are shared. 



Robert Burns. 



A FIGHT was on between the elevator interests 

 and the commission merchants of the Winnipeg 

 Grain Exchange a fight for existence. For, 

 with the Commission Rule of the Exchange eliminated, 

 those firms which handled grain on a straight pom- 

 mission basis would fyft forrpd to meet the competition 

 of the elevator buyers and the chances were they would 

 be forced to handle grain at a loss : the best they could 

 hope for would be to cover their costs. 



It will be remembered that this Commission Kule. 

 established in 1899, was that a charge of one cent 

 commission per bushel should be made for handling 

 grain and that all members of the Exchange dealing in 

 grain must show that the price paid was the price at 

 the terminal (Fort William) less the freight and one 

 cent per bushel commission. This commission could 

 be neither more nor less than one cent ; for at that time 

 it was felt that business could not be done, offices 

 maintained and an efficient and reliable service given 

 for less. It was a charge which both farmers and grain 

 men considered fair and reasonable. 



The trouble in the Exchange started when the com- 

 mission men claimed the right to have country agents 



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