64 THE STORY OF THE U.F.O. 



recommend the selection of farmers' candidates 

 in rural constituencies at by-elections, and that 

 the representatives from the U.F.O. to the 

 Canadian Council of Agriculture report back to 

 the board the attitude of that body toward this 

 subject." Not long after the Manitoulin farmer 

 candidate was elected. 



The annual convention, commencing December 

 18th, 1918, is remembered chiefly because of two 

 resolutions passed, which had a vital bearing on 

 the policies of the Farmer-Labor Government 

 later on. While the secretary could report a 

 membership of twenty-five thousand, grouped in 

 more than a thousand clubs, the actual atten- 

 dance at the convention was small. This was on 

 account of the "Flu", that dread disease which 

 was then raging in the city and kept many away 

 through fear of contracting the malady and 

 carrying it home. At one time the idea of a con- 

 vention was abandoned, but eventually the 

 annual meeting was held, and amongst other 

 business transacted the two resolutions referred 

 to were adopted . They were as follows : ' That 

 there be a plank in the provincial platform of the 

 U.F.O. favoring local option in taxation," and, 

 "That this convention views with alarm the pro- 

 posed hydro-radial policy involving the expendi- 

 ture of millions of dollars on a railway intended in 

 many instances to duplicate existing railways, 



