rs' Grain Company was undertaking
the initial experiments in co-operative purchasing of farm supplies,
showing the Manitoba Government that farmers could run elevators
satisfactorily and fighting its way forward to success in the exporting
field, how were things getting along in Saskatchewan? With $52,000 and
another four or five hundred in loose change tucked away in its hip
pocket as the net profit of its first season's operations the new
system of co-operative elevators had struck out "on a bee line" for
Success and was swinging along at a steady gait, full of confidence.
The volume of business handled through these elevators the first year
had been affected by the failure of the contractors to finish
construction of all the elevators by the dates specified. Even so, the
new company had handled 3,261,000 bushels of grain, more than half of
it being special binned.

In planning to build eighty-eight new elevators in 1912 and to purchase
six, thereby bringing the total to 140 co-operative elevators, the
directors thought it wise to form a construction department of their
own instead of relying upon outside contractors. Also it was decided
to open a commission department of their own at Winnipeg, the volume of
business in sight being very encouraging. This move was not made,
however, because of any dissatisfaction with the Grain Growers' Grain
Company's services as selling agent; on the other hand, although crop
conditions had been perhaps the most unfavorable in the history of
Saskatchewan and the grain with its diversity of grades therefore very
difficult to market satisfactorily, the Board of Directors acknowledged
in their annual report that the wisdom of the arrangement with the
Grain Growers' Grain Company had been proved by the satisfactory
working of it.

The volume of business handled by the 137 elevators in operation the
second year jumped to 12,900,000 bushels with a net profit of
approximately $168,000, and it was apparent that the general acceptance
of the co-operative scheme throughout the province would mean
organization upon a large scale. This was emphasized during the 1913
grain season when 192 elevators were in operation and about 19,500,000
bushels of grain were hauled in to the co-operative elevators by
farmers.

This rapid expansion of the Saskatchewan Co-Operative Elevator Company
was entailing such an increase in staff organization that it became
necessary to provide special office accom