264 DEEP FURROWS 



sound of their own Voice it was only natural that the 

 quaver of timidity began to disappear from the tones 

 of it and that their speech grew stronger in the Legis- 

 lative Halls dedicated to government " of, by and for " 

 them. The "Backbone of His Country " set out to prove 

 that he was not spineless, merely disjointed. And as 

 he gained confidence in his vertebrae the Farmer began 

 to sit up and take notice began even to entertain the 

 bold idea of getting eventually upon his feet. 



The intention was laudable. To make it audible he 

 assembled a platform, stood up on it, and argued. His 

 protests could be heard clean to the back of the Hall. 

 Like the young elephant whose trunk was being 

 stretched by the crocodile, he said: "You are hurting 

 me !" In the nose-pulling game of Party Politics as it 

 too often has been played, it sometimes takes a lusty 

 holler to make itself heard above all the other hollering 

 that is going on; if getting a hearing is "playing 

 politics," then the Grain Growers have run up a pretty 

 good score. 



They began with various amendments to the Grain 

 Act. These included the famous "car distribution" 

 clause, the farmer's right to a car and his procedure to 

 obtain it and additional cars as he needed them, the 

 provision of penalties for the purchase or sale of car 

 rights, etc. Opposition to some of these amendments 

 was keen and the farmers had to fight constantly; 

 when they were not fighting for necessary amendments 

 they were fighting to retain those already secured. 

 Constant vigilance was required. Many delegations of 

 Grain Growers visited Ottawa from time to time to 

 plead for improvement of conditions in handling grain, 

 more equitable inspection methods, government owner- 

 ship and operation of terminal facilities and so on. 



