284 DEEP FURROWS 



Or, take the case of the Grain Growers at Virden, 

 Manitoba, who proposed to bring into the district a 

 large shipment of binder twine to supply their mem- 

 bers. When the local merchant who had been handling 

 this necessity learned of the plan he raised his voice, 

 thus : 



" If you fellows are going to do that then I go out of 

 binder twine this season. I won't handle a pound 

 of it." 



" Not even to supply the farmers who don't belong 

 to our Association?" 



" That's what I said. You're going to make a con- 

 venience of me when you rob me of all my cash business. 

 The only business I could do would be with farmers 

 who wanted credit." 



Did the Grain Growers say : " That's their lookout, 

 then. Let them join us or go twineless " ? No. They 

 decided to bring in their co-operative shipment as 

 planned, but to allow the merchant to handle it on 

 commission in order to prevent any injustice to the 

 other farmers. 



Incidents like that can be recorded from all over the 

 .country. It does not take very many of them to compel 

 the honest conviction that equity of citizenship for all 

 the people in every walk of life means more to these 

 farmers than a high-sounding shibboleth. That being 

 so, it becomes difficult to accept the slur of utter selfish- 

 ness the idea that the farmers are auto-intoxicated, a 

 pig-headed lot who cause trouble for nothing. It is 

 very hard to believe that Everybody Else is good and 

 kind and sincere and true, affectionate one to another 

 with brotherly love, not slothful in business; for one 

 knows that the best of us need the prayers of our 

 mothers ! 



