1939: British Columbia

One of the outstanding events in the spring of 1939 was the arrival of Their Britannic Majesties in British Columbia. King George and Queen Elizabeth visited Vancouver on May 29, and proceeded by boat to Victoria where they were greeted by Lieutenant Governor Eric W. Hamber, Premier T. D. Pattullo, and Mayor McGavin. The royal party received an elaborate and enthusiastic welcome in both cities.

Among the most notable events of 1939 in domestic policy were the efforts of the provincial government to enforce the far-reaching program of business controls adopted by the provincial legislature in the fall of 1938. Efforts to fix oil and gasoline prices in accordance with the law were held up during the early part of the year by unfavorable action by the Supreme Court as a result of suits brought by the gasoline distributing companies. Although the provincial government declared its intention to carry the case to Privy Council in London, it suddenly agreed in October to waive its 'provincial rights' for the duration of the war. In allowing the Dominion Government to take over responsibility for price fixing during wartime, John Hart, provincial Minister of Finance, served notice that the province intended to start at the beginning and reassert its rights at the end of the conflict. The province also accepted Dominion control of provincial borrowings on a temporary basis.

Meanwhile, the government had carried out a second item in its economic program by setting up in February a three-man Public Utility Commission headed by W. A. Carrothers, a former university professor. The new Commission spent the remainder of the year in an investigation of the utilities companies prior to beginning its rate-making activities. It is not yet clear whether the intention of the government to bow to the Dominion authorities in other price-fixing activities during the war will delay control over the utilities. Despite the government's announcement, the Retail Merchants Association has asked the legislature to undertake immediate enforcement of the law preventing 'loss-leader' sales.

In November, the Government started prosecution of the leaders of the International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers for refusal to submit their claims to arbitration before striking. It is the first test of the Labor Arbitration Act of 1937, and as such is considered one of the most important legal cases affecting labor in the recent history of Canada. It is also believed that the case will greatly affect the future of the C.I.O. in British Columbia. This organization has been making some headway in the province, but a defeat in this case may prove a serious setback. Opposition groups in the provincial legislature have pledged themselves to seek amendment of the law legalizing 'instantaneous strikes' in the event that the union loses this case.

Something of a sensation was caused, in November, by the denunciation of British war policy in the legislature. (See CANADA.)

Although full reports of the last quarter are not yet available, it is estimated that the total output of the province's four basic industries — lumbering, mining, agriculture, and fishing — was about $200,000,000 for 1939, or $2,000,000 more than in 1938. The war brought some temporary dislocation to British Columbian industries, but 1940 is expected to see a considerable expansion of war orders from the mother country. Many of the mines long idle are expected to reopen. The province has vast supplies of copper, lead, and zinc which have not been exploited in recent years because of low prices. A rise in prices is expected to bring many, if not all, of these mines into operation. It is possible even that shipbuilding may be revived as it was in the last war. The present facilities for airplane production are expected to be considerably expanded.