These Russel and Adams Graders owned by the Toews family were used to grade Rhineland's roads in the 1920's. The work was done by contract and the men hired by Toews lived in the Caboose. When road construction came to a halt in the Depres­ sion the machinery was sold for scrap. When conditions improved, the Municipality bought their own machines but the Toews family continued to work for Rhineland.

Credit: Peter Toews

Rhineland Gretna

Plum Coulee

Total

Source: Census of Canada

Population R.M. Rhineland 1926-1941

1941 8936 507 440

9883

Fig. 23

The Rhineland Agricultural Society and Co-operation

Although collective purchasing and buying clubs had been active in Rhineland much earlier, it was not until the 1930 's that formal co­ operation began in the municipality. As early as 1900 farmers in the Gretna area had banded together to erect a Farmers' Elevator as an alternative to what was seen as the elevator monopoly and in 1921 a buying association had been formed by Gretna-Altona farmers to com­ bat exorbitant petroleum prices. While effective in the short term, these enterprises were not well organized or managed.

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