170 DEEP FURROWS 



declined to act on the request of the Grain Growers 

 alone, but called a conference of municipal reeves and 

 others interested. This conference was held in June 

 and urgently requested the Manitoba Government to 

 acquire and operate a complete system of storage 

 elevators throughout the province, as asked for by the 

 Grain Growers. Nothing was done at the first session 

 of the renewed government, however. 



Meanwhile the Grain Growers were circularizing the 

 three Prairie Provinces on the need for a government 

 system of elevators and at the annual conventions of 

 the organized farmers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and 

 Alberta in 1908 strong endorsement of the idea was 

 made. An " Inter-Provincial Council of Grain Growers' 

 and Farmers' Associations "* had been created, and 

 this body urged the several executives to wait upon 

 their respective governments and try to obtain definite 

 action. 



At the suggestion of Premier Roblin, of Manitoba, a 

 conference of the three premiers was arranged through 

 the Secretary of the Inter-Provincial Council. It was 

 the hope of the farmers that this might lead to uniform 

 legislation, introducing government ownership of the 

 elevators, and that the three provincial governments 

 would join in an appeal to the Dominion Government 

 for co-operation. In each province the whole subject 

 had been dealt with exhaustively in the text prepared 

 by the Grain Growers the conditions making a 

 government system of elevators necessary, how it could 

 be created and the practicability of its operation, the 

 question of financing and the beneficial results that 

 would follow. It was the idea of the farmers that the 

 provinces would purchase existing storage houses at a 



*See Appendix Par, 9. 



