306 FARMERS' ORGANIZATIONS 



composed the educational associations. At this time the Council 

 took on new strength and vigor, and issued its first " Farmers' 

 Platform." This platform, endorsed by the constituent organiza- 

 tions, was an expression of the farmers' views upon economic, 

 political and social questions. It was a scheme of reforms for 

 benefiting not merely farmers but wage earners, artisans, profes- 

 sional men and tradespeople. This platform calls for tariff reform 

 and a complete abandonment of the protective policy; taxes to be 

 imposed on unimproved land value, on incomes and on inherit- 

 ances ; nationalization of railways, telegraph and express companies ; 

 natural resources to be developed by the government through a 

 leasing system; the initiative, referendum, and recall; publicity of 

 campaign contributions; abolition of the patronage system; each 

 Province to have autonomy in liquor legislation (to the end that 

 federal laws might not impede local prohibition) ; woman suffrage 

 in any Province to confer automatically woman suffrage in federal 

 elections. Although the farmers' movement in Canada began in 

 a struggle to improve conditions in the grain trade, this platform 

 contains no mention of the grain trade. This is conclusive evidence 

 of the farmers' success in solving the grain trade problem, them- 

 selves, through cooperation, In 1918 a new platform was drawn 

 up, embodying these same principles excepting those which had 

 been enacted into law by the Parliament at Ottawa. 



The aims of the Canadian Council of Agriculture are five, as 

 set forth in its Constitution, namely, (1) to encourage the farm 

 population of the Dominion of Canada to organize for the study 

 of educational, economic, social, and political problems having a 

 bearing on the happiness and material prosperity of the people. 

 (2) To constitute in itself a medium through which the various 

 organizations in membership may act collectively where their 

 common interests are concerned. (3) To establish a bureau for 

 the collecting and disseminating of statistics and other information 

 bearing on rural welfare. (4) To provide unity of action on matters 

 of common interest to the organizations in membership and to 

 formulate demands for legislation and present the same to the 

 Parliament of Canada. (5) To investigate methods of taxation 

 for providing national revenue and disseminate information thus 

 secured through farmers' organizations. 



The achievements of the Council have been substantial. 

 Many of its planks have been enacted into legislation. But more 

 important is the fact that it has been the farmer's voice. It does 

 not take a psychologist to recognize the truth that when the farmer 



