EARLY FARMER ORGANIZATIONS 25 



was on in the fall of 1902. The meeting followed 

 a long prior discussion by correspondence in 

 which J. J. Morrison, then on the home farm in 

 the township of Peel, took a prominent part. 

 One hundred and fifty were in attendance, and 

 there was a prolonged debate before organization 

 was finally effected. Jabel Robinson, one of the 

 delegates, strongly urged that those present 

 should unite with the Grange and give renewed 

 life to that organization. A. Gifford, of St. 

 Vincent, advised the acceptance of the platform 

 of the Patrons of Industry as the platform of 

 the new body. Eventually it was decided to 

 create a new organization with the name and 

 the simple platform set forth above. 



At this first meeting the Association went 

 farther than the mere adoption of a general 

 statement of purpose. A number of specific 

 resolutions were approved. One of these called 

 for discontinuance forthwith of the practice of 

 "granting public money to private and corporate 

 interests in the form of bounties and bonuses." 



At that time both the Dominion and Pro- 

 vincial Governments were granting bonuses to 

 new railway enterprises, and bounties to the iron 

 industry. Up to that period nearly $230,000,000 

 in cash and 54,000,000 acres of land had been 

 granted to railway promoters, and in one year 

 (1902) $7,915,000 had been given in bounties on 



