

WHAT HAPPENED IN ALBERTA 241 



pulling with him for the fullest weight of intelligent 

 effort. The difficulties were sorted and sifted and 

 classified, the machinery oiled and running true, and 

 with a valuable directorate at his back Rice-Jones 

 " made good." 



The third season of the Alberta Farmers' Co-Oper- 

 ative Elevator Company brought the final proof that 

 the farmers knew how to support their own institu- 

 tions. For through the 87 elevators that the farmers 

 operated in Alberta flowed a total of nearly twenty 

 million bushels of grain, with well over ten and one- 

 quarter million bushels handled on commission. The 

 Livestock Department in the face of severe competition 

 achieved a permanent place in the livestock business of 

 the province with offices of its own in the stock yards 

 at Calgary and Edmonton. By this time livestock ship- 

 ments had amounted to a value in excess of two million 

 dollars. The Co-Operative Department had handled 

 farm supplies to a total turnover of approximately 

 $750,000. 



As in the case of the Grain Growers' Grain Company 

 and the Saskatchewan Grain Growers' Association's 

 trading department the list of articles purchased 

 co-operatively by the Alberta farmers grew very rapidly 

 to include flour, feed, binder twine, coal, lumber and 

 fence posts, wire fencing, fruit and vegetables, hay, 

 salt, etc. In 1915-16 a thousand cars of these goods 

 were purchased and distributed co-operatively, besides 

 which a considerable volume of business was done in 

 less-than-carload lots. Coal sheds were built in con- 

 nection with many elevators, the staff increased and 

 the entire Co-Operative Department thoroughly organ- 

 ized for prompt and satisfactory service. 



