CANADIAN GRAIN POOL THREATENED

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6890, 22 April 1929, Page 7

CANADIAN GRAIN POOL THREATENED

Over Skipping Premium * —•— MANITOBA AND ALBERTA GROWERS DISSATISFIED FIVE YEARS’ FRICTION. United Press Association —By Electri* Telegraph—Copyright. Received Sunday 11 p.m. 'OTTAWA, April 20.

The Winnipeg Tribune publishes a statement to-day that unconfirmed but persistent reports indicate that Mr. McPhail, president, Mr. Mclvor, sales manager, and Mr. Smith, European representative of the Canadian wheat pool, havo been forced to resign by tho Alberta .and Manitoba members. Saskatchewan, which produces over 50 per cent, of the grain pool, is tho cause of the dissention. Manitoba and Alberta growers have enjoyed a six cents per hundred weight shipping premium over the rates paid by Saskatchewan, yet under tho pool plan of fiat payments thrroughout, the former provinces must share this advantage with the Saskatchewan producers. There has been friction in the pool for nearly five years on this issue, and pool leaders claimed they ceuld not operate effectively unless this advantage in shipping rates was distributed over the entire membership. Manitoba and Alberta chafed at the ruling and fought it with tooth and nail. The Tribune’s article continues: “It is only now, according to a rumour, which is well founded, though unconfirmed, that Alberta and Manitoba have become strong enough to force the issue to the point of demanding resignations among the pool’s expert executive. Students of the situation believe, however, that while the future of tho pool is clouded by this issue—and it is problematical whether Saskateheu an will surrender the right to share shipping premiums—members will ultimately patch up their differences. The growers as a whole, are alive to the realities of tho position. They realise the grain trade is only too anxious to seethe pool break up in dissentions and recriminations, in order that it can again assert its dominance over the unorganised and largely defenceless individual producers.