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THE BEGINNING OF THE U.F.O. 63 



on apace, and before the annual convention, two 

 meetings of directors should be noted. On 

 September 4th, 1918, it is recorded in the minutes 

 that Mrs. Brodie, Mrs. Foote and Miss Gries- 

 bach, the provisional executive of the newly 

 formed women's association, met with the men 

 and reviewed their activities and their prospects. 

 On the strength of their recommendations, the 

 treasurer was instructed to pay organization 

 "expenses up to the limit of the resources." 

 Then on October 28th a joint meeting of the 

 boards of directors of all the branches of the 

 U.F.O. was called at Toronto. The association 

 was now growing so rapidly, and spreading out 

 into so many lines of activity, that the whole ques- 

 tion of reconstruction required careful consider- 

 ation. Amongst all the other features the one 

 that demanded most careful attention was the 

 attitude of the U.F.O. toward political action. 

 Up to this time the U.F.O. had taken no direct 

 hand in politics officially, but just previous to 

 this meeting the farmers of Manitoulin, where a 

 by-election was to be held shortly, had shown 

 that they were not disposed to wait for official 

 action, but had declared their intention of 

 putting an independent candidate in the field. 

 After full discussion the following motion was 

 passed: "That we ^do not at present decide 

 upon forming a farmers' party, but that we 



