1939: Saskatchewan

For Saskatchewan 1939 was the best year since 1929. After years of drought and subnormal agricultural conditions, the wheat crop of 230,000,000 bushels was the best for the decade and one of the best in the province's history. Of this amount, approximately 200,000,000 bushels are believed to have entered commercial channels, yielding a cash income of about $100,000,000. With the return from other crops, the total farm income is estimated at $190,000,000, or $40,000,000 above the 1938 total.

The effect of the bumper crop was felt in all sectors of Saskatchewan economy. Bank clearings were double those of 1938. Only 60 or 70 rural municipalities are maintaining relief in the winter of 1939-40 as against 300 in the previous year. In the southwestern part of the Province, the area most affected by drought in the previous year, no relief was deemed necessary for the winter of 1939-40. The decline in relief has taken a great load off the budget, which for years has shown a deficit. Even the sales tax levied in 1937 and ear-marked for educational purposes failed to prevent a deficit in the fiscal year ending April 30, 1939, although the tax yielded $2,340,000 during the year. Pressure was exerted on Premier W. J. Patterson, the provincial treasurer, to follow Alberta's example and default on bond payments. In resisting this pressure, the Premier maintained the credit position of the province in spite of its long-standing financial difficulties. A $3,500,000 bond maturity was met early in the year with the aid of the Dominion Government.

The 1939 session of the provincial legislature approved the establishment of a Federal-Provincial Northern Conservation Board to supervise the conservation of resources in the northern sections of Saskatchewan. J. L. Grew of the Federal Mines and Resources Department of the Dominion Government and George N. Munro of Winnipeg were named members of the Board, which serves in an advisory capacity to W. F. Kerr, Minister of National Resources.

The King and Queen passed through Regina on their way West on May 25. They visited Saskatoon on their return trip, June 3. The royal couple were greeted in both cities by tremendous crowds, with Western informality.