A FINAL TEST 219 



work was entailed in handling a given quantity of 

 grain, compared to the season before. The Company 

 was handicapped for office space also and errors were 

 bound to occur in a business involving so much detail 

 that a simple mistake might lead to infinite trouble. 

 Correspondence had not been answered as promptly as 

 it should have been, the necessary information regard- 

 ing shipments being unavailable. 



All of these things had been met frankly in the 

 President's annual address and now when he brought 

 the day's animated debate to a close he added merely a 

 word or two regarding the strong financial position to 

 which the farmers' pioneer trading organization had 

 won its way in the commercial world. He pointed out 

 the future that lay before it. Upon personal attacks he 

 did not comment at all. 



Immediately a unanimous vote of thanks for his 

 untiring work and loyalty was tendered to Mr. Crerar. 

 The debate was over. The following morning the 

 officers for the ensuing year were chosen and only one 

 of the four directors who had resigned from the old 

 Board was re-elected. He withdrew and the whole 

 incident was closed. 



But the real test was yet to come. The withdrawal 

 of the four directors had left but five to cope with the 

 difficult situation of the Export Company. It had 

 found itself with a large amount of ocean freight on its 

 hands freight which had been secured on favorable 

 terms from shipping agents for use later in transport- 

 ing grain which the farmers' agency expected to sell in 

 the Old Country. It was decided to cut off the export 

 business entirely for the time being and to re-let the 

 ocean shipping space to other exporters. The price of 

 ocean freight fluctuated to such an extent, however, 



