68 ESSAYS ON WHEAT 



both time and labor in the transportation of grain. 

 Its work in the end is therefore beneficial to the whole 

 community. 



XIV. The Canada Grain Act 



As the grain business in western Canada grew in volume 

 and importance, the farmers often complained of the 

 treatment they received from the elevator companies. 

 They accused the elevators of unjust weighing and grad- 

 ing, of paying prices that were too low and exacting 

 charges for handling the grain in the elevators that were 

 too high, of not cleaning the grain, of refusing to give 

 special bins, of pooling profits, of killing competition, and 

 of forming monopolies. They also complained that rail- 

 way companies discriminated among the applicants in the 

 distribution of cars, and that buyers of grain in various 

 ways took advantage of the grain growers. This dissatis- 

 faction caused Parliament to regulate the business of 

 handling grain by passing a succession of measures. 

 Finally this legislation was codified in the Canada Grain 

 Act of 1912.25 



The Canada Grain Act creates a Board of Grain Com- 

 missioners to administer the Act, defines the statutory 

 grades of wheat, etc., arranges for the establishment of 

 commercial grades, and regulates the grading and weigh- 

 ing of grain. It also contains provisions concerning the 

 construction of loading platforms, the operation of ele- 

 vators, the distribution of railway cars, and the trading 

 between the farmer on the one hand and the track buyer 

 and commission merchant on the other. The Act requires 

 each person buying grain, and each person or company op- 



25 Cf. Robert Maglll, Grain Inspection in Canada, Department of 

 Trade and Conunerce, Ottawa, 1914, p. 14. 



