8 BULLETIN 037, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ing organizations in Canada. An analysis of the organization plans 

 and operating methods of these two companies will, therefore, be suf- 

 ficient to give the reader an idea of cooperative grain marketing as 

 practiced by western Canada. 



THE SASKATCHEWAN COOPERATIVE ELEVATOR CO., LTD. 



The Saskatchewan Cooperative Elevator Co., Ltd., was formed 

 as the direct result of recommendations made by a commission ap- 

 pointed by the Saskatchewan provincial government in 1910 to in- 

 vestigate and report upon the entire grain situation in western Can- 

 ada. Prior to the appointment of this commission the grain growers' 

 associations had been pressing the provincial government of Sas- 

 katchewan to acquire and operate as public utilities the country ele- 

 vators in Saskatchewan. The recommendations of the commission 

 were opposed to the proposition to own and operate the country 

 elevators; instead it recommended the incorporation of a farmers' 

 elevator company for that purpose, to be assisted by the govern- 

 ment in the matter of financing. Although the recommendation of 

 the commission was not what the farmers of Saskatchewan had 

 hoped for, it proved to be the best course, for about the same 

 time the provincial government of Manitoba was persuaded by the 

 Manitoba Grain Growers' Association (now the United Farmers of 

 Manitoba) to purchase a large number of country elevators and at- 

 tempt to operate them. The venture was unsuccessful after two sea- 

 sons and the 170 or more government-owned country elevators in 

 Manitoba were subsequently leased to the Grain Growers' Grain Co. 

 They are under lease to the United Grain Growers, Ltd., at the 

 present time. 



The Saskatchewan Cooperative Elevator Co. is incorporated under 

 a special act of the Saskatchewan Legislature. During the first 

 years of its life it established over 40 country elevators and handled 

 more than 3,000,000 bushels of grain. Since that time the number 

 of country elevators operated by it has grown to over 300 and in one 

 year it is said to have handled as much as 43,000,000 bushels of grain. 

 The financial statement of this company for the season 1918-19 

 shows it to have a paid-up capital stock of $1,122,312.50 and a sur- 

 plus of $1,969,591.36. Its stockholders number over 21,000. The 

 average number of shares held by a stockholder is slightly more 

 than 3. Par value of shares is $50. During the season 1918-19, 

 which was a short crop year, 20,823,138 bushels were handled through 

 308 of its country elevators. Grain handled for farmers direct, that 

 is, platform-loaded cars, amounted to 1,018,418 bushels. The com- 

 pany conducts a commission business on the Winnipeg Grain Ex- 

 change and operates two terminal elevators at Port Arthur, Ontario. 

 One has a capacity of 650,000 bushels and is suitable for mixing and 



