INTERNAL ELEVATORS 171 



fair valuation, issuing government bonds to finance the 

 undertaking and build new elevators where needed. 



The provincial Premiers met at Regina on May 4th, 

 1908, talked over the matter, then ient for George 

 Langley, M.P.P., one of the directors of the Saskatche- 

 wan Grain Growers' Association who occupied a seat 

 in the Saskatchewan Legislature. They appointed 

 Mr. Langley as a sort of ambassador in their negotia- 

 tions with the Grain Growers' representatives, sending 

 him to the Inter-Provincial Council to present verbally 

 a couple of alternative propositions that the Railways 

 should be asked to build loading elevators with storage 

 bins or that the management of the elevators should be 

 taken away from the present owners and profits limited 

 while the farmers' organizations became responsible 

 for grades, weights, etc. 



Back came the Grain Growers with a document 

 which repeated their former demands and amplified 

 their argument. They claimed that they were entitled 

 to what they were asking if only because the farmers 

 formed the major part of the population and their 

 demands could be granted without placing any tax 

 upon the remainder of the people. They requested a 

 conference with 'the three Premiers to go into the 

 matter in detail. 



Not until November 4th, 1908, did this conference 

 take place in Regina. When they did get together the 

 Premiers were not posted well enough on details to 

 promise anything more definite than that they would 

 consult their colleagues and make reply in due course. 



It was the end of January, 1909, before the Inter- 

 Provincial Council had an official reply. The Premiers 

 pointed to grave and complicated questions which stood 

 in the way of granting what the farmers were asking 



