1942: Saskatchewan

It was generally expected in the early part of 1942 that the Saskatchewan Liberal government of Premier W. J. Patterson would be forced to hold a provincial election during the year. Premier Patterson's failure to call an election was generally attributed to fear of defeat resulting from agricultural discontent. Despite another good crop year, Saskatchewan's farmers continued to campaign throughout 1942 for preferential farm legislation and for 'parity.' By 'parity' the Canadian farmer means a price per bushel of wheat high enough so that a bushel of wheat will buy the same amount of goods as a bushel bought before the depression. Under 1942 conditions this would mean a price of about $1.40 a bushel. Unfortunately, the program presented by the representatives of Canada's greatest agricultural province conflicted sharply with Canada's changing wartime needs for farm products. Because of Allied losses in the Far East, Agricultural Minister J. G. Gardiner sought to reshape the Dominion's agricultural program so as to place less emphasis on wheat and much greater emphasis on flax, oats, and barley. In deference to pressure from wheat farmers, the Government purchase price for wheat was increased from 70 cents a bushel to 90 cents a bushel delivered at Fort William, but the fixed price for the coarse grains and flax was increased even more sharply. As a result, Saskatchewan farmers devoted more than 40 per cent of their total acreage under cultivation to the favored crops, although the drop in wheat acreage was less than 4 per cent. A large part of the province's bumper crops remained in the fields until September and October because of an unprecedented shortage of harvest hands. Thousands of volunteer workers were mobilized in eastern Canada to help save the crops.

Saskatchewan was the only province in the Dominion which lost in population in the ten-year interval between 1931 and 1941. Because of the decline in population from 921,785 in 1931 to 887,747 in 1941, Saskatchewan had its representation in the House of Commons reduced from 21 to 17.