The recent announcement by Canadian National Railways to close an additional 52 producer car sites, along with the 55 sites already delisted by both railways in recent years, is a clear indication that western farmers are paying dearly for not having united into an effective farm union.

The “rationalization” or centralization of grain delivery points was predicted in the 1970s, but the vast majority of farmers paid no heed.

Throughout the intervening years western farmers have had the powers of the Canadian Wheat Board reduced, the Crow rate for hauling export grain eliminated, rail branch lines abandoned, and farmer owned grain handling facilities taken over by the private corporate sector.

As they were during the Dirty 30s, farmers are once again virtually at the mercy of unscrupulous grain merchants.

Thanks to a compliant federal government catering to the private corporate sector, farmers' opportunity to by-pass the merchants through the use of producer cars is gradually being eliminated.

The cap-in-hand approach advocated by several self interest farm groups clearly does not work. It is no surprise that the current situation finds many farmers grumbling about the need for direct action!

William Dascavich,
Edmonton