1938: Ontario

Political Situation.

After the violence accompanying the 1937 C.I.O. automobile strike and the excitement attending the subsequent provincial elections, Ontario found 1938 relatively uneventful. The struggle between Premier Mitchell Hepburn, leader of the Ontario Liberal party, and Dominion Prime Minister Mackenzie King of the same party continued unabated. Hepburn combined with Premier Duplessis of Quebec to oppose the Dominion Government on such issues as the St. Lawrence waterway, the export of electric power to the United States, and amendment of the North America Act. Both provincial leaders continued their anti-labor activities, and were accused of infringement on civil liberties.

Early in the year Premier Hepburn made an attempt to export electric power to the United States. His proposal was blocked by Prime Minister King on the ground that it might disturb Canadian-American friendship, particularly if an emergency made it necessary to recall the power suddenly. In May, negotiations for the joint Canadian-American development of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence seaway and power project was revived at the request of the United States. These negotiations were brought to an abrupt standstill in September when Premier Hepburn flatly refused to enter upon technical study of the power project as it affected the province. Although some constitutional authorities argued that the Dominion Government could proceed without the consent of the province, Prime Minister King was not disposed to act against the opposition of the provincial government.

When the larger question of Federal-Provincial relations were being considered during the year by the Rowell Commission, Premier Hepburn first took a strong stand in favor of provincial rights, then refused to have further dealings with the Commission. The Premier based his refusal on the ground that the Dominion Government had violated its pledge not to impose any new taxes until after the Commission had reported.

The Liberals won two of the three by-elections held during the year for the provincial legislature. In July, the 31-year-old Liberal, H. Louis Hagey, was elected at Brantford over the Conservative, Reginald Welsh. In late September, Norman Hipel, who had recently been elevated to the post of Minister of Labor, won his by-election by acclamation. A week later, however, a Conservative candidate, William J. Stewart, carried the Toronto Parkdale constituency over C.C.F., independent Liberal, and Socialist Labor candidates.

Although its vote-getting powers were apparently undiminished, the Hepburn government came in for serious criticism at a meeting of the Ontario mayors in the summer of 1938. Although the mayors defeated a resolution which would have given them 'a mandate to take over the provincial government' if steps were not taken to relieve the burden on the cities, the introduction of such a resolution indicated that their patience was very rapidly becoming exhausted.

Dionne Quintuplets.

Ontario's most renowned citizens — the Dionne Quintuplets — underwent a successful operation for the removal of their tonsils and adenoids in the late fall. The operation was decided on after all of the little girls had suffered seriously from colds in August. An invitation to exhibit the children at the New York World's Fair in 1939 was turned down by their guardians.