d, and this body urged the several executives to
wait upon their respective governments and try to obtain definite
action.

At the suggestion of Premier Roblin, of Manitoba, a conference of the
three premiers was arranged through the Secretary of the
Inter-Provincial Council. It was the hope of the farmers that this
might lead to uniform legislation, introducing government ownership of
the elevators, and that the three provincial governments would join in
an appeal to the Dominion Government for co-operation. In each
province the whole subject had been dealt with exhaustively in the text
prepared by the Grain Growers--the conditions making a government
system of elevators necessary, how it could be created and the
practicability of its operation, the question of financing and the
beneficial results that would follow. It was the idea of the farmers
that the provinces would purchase existing storage houses at a fair
valuation, issuing government bonds to finance the undertaking and
build new elevators where needed.

The provincial Premiers met at Regina on May 4th, 1908, talked over the
matter, then sent for George Langley, M.P.P., one of the directors of
the Saskatchewan Grain Growers' Association who occupied a seat in the
Saskatchewan Legislature. They appointed Mr. Langley as a sort of
ambassador in their negotiations with the Grain Growers'
representatives, sending him to the Inter-Provincial Council to present
verbally a couple of alternative propositions--that the Railways should
be asked to build loading elevators with storage bins or that the
management of the elevators should be taken away from the present
owners and profits limited while the farmers' organizations became
responsible for grades, weights, etc.

Back came the Grain Growers with a document which repeated their former
demands and amplified their argument. They claimed that they were
entitled to what they were asking if only because the farmers formed
the major part of the population and their demands could be granted
without placing any tax upon the remainder of the people. They
requested a conference with the three Premiers to go into the matter in
detail.

Not until November 4th, 1908, did this conference take place in Regina.
When they did get together the Premiers were not posted well enough on
details to promise anything more definite than that they would consult
their colleagues and make reply in due course.

It was the end of Jan