1942: Ontario

The outstanding political event of the year in Ontario was the unexpected resignation of fiery Premier Mitchell F. Hepburn on Oct. 21, 1942, after more than eight years in office. His action was a culmination of years of bitter conflict between the Ontario provincial government and the Dominion Government at Ottawa, a conflict that was in no wise lessened by the fact that both Hepburn and Prime Minister Mackenzie King were members of the Liberal party. Because of his criticisms of the Dominion Government's war policies, Premier Hepburn had been formally expelled from the Liberal party on Feb. 6, 1942, by an extraordinary caucus of Ontario Liberal members of the Dominion House of Commons. The immediate issue leading to his expulsion was his announced intention to oppose Prime Minister King's plan for a national plebiscite on sending conscripted soldiers overseas, but the ultimate issue was Dominion solidarity as against the Ontario separatist policies of Premier Hepburn. A few days after his expulsion, Hepburn aroused the ire of the United States by declaring that the American Navy was afraid of the Japanese fleet. Ironically enough, in view of Hepburn's long record of opposition to the C.I.O. and organized labor, the issue which finally forced the Premier's resignation was his urging of the lifting of the ban on the Communist party and his presence on the same platform with Tim Buck, recently released Canadian Communist leader.

Premier Hepburn was succeeded in office by Attorney General Gordon Conant. Mr. Conant also has opposed the policies of Prime Minister King, and his accession to office has done little to lessen the split between the Dominion and provincial governments.

Earlier in the year Ontario had provided another political sensation when Arthur Meighen, newly selected leader of the Conservative party, was defeated by Joseph Noseworthy, a comparatively unknown Co-operative Commonwealth Federation candidate in a Parliamentary by-election held on Feb. 9. Mr. Meighen, twice Prime Minister of Canada, had been called from retirement to the leadership of the Conservative party. Mr. Noseworthy was the first Cooperative Commonwealth Federation candidate to be elected to Parliament in the history of Ontario.

Ontario has taken a leading part in vocational training for the Dominion war effort and cadet training. The schools of Toronto admit men and women from factories and soldiers from the army for advanced technical training as well as provide vocational training for the thousands of teen-age youngsters already enrolled in the schools. More than 50,000 Ontario secondary school students are being given compulsory basic cadet training as set up by the Departments of National Defense and National Defense for Air.

Agricultural production in the province was considerably hampered by a severe shortage of farm labor, described as the greatest in Ontario's history. But the loss was minimized by the mobilization of nearly 40,000 young people, women, and other emergency workers by the Ontario Farm Service Force.

The population of Ontario gained 324,929 in the ten-year period from June, 1931 to June, 1941 according to the figures of the decennial census, released early in 1942. The population is listed as 3,756,632 in 1941, exclusive of the men in the armed forces. Ontario retained 82 seats in the Dominion House of Commons in the reapportionment resulting from the census.

1941: Ontario

As in many other Canadian provinces, the urgency of the war situation brought Ontario a rest from the intense political activity of the past few years. It will be recalled that in 1940 Premier Mitchell Hepburn had sought to make political capital out of what he regarded as the Dominion's laxity in pushing the war effort, but that he had suffered a rebuff when the government of Prime Minister Mackenzie King accepted the challenge and won an overwhelming victory in a special election.

Following this setback, the Ontario Premier refrained from his previous violent opposition to the Dominion Government. He confined his attacks largely to the CIO — which he told visiting American editors was 'the greatest enemy democracy has in North America' — and strikes, which he charged were directly inspired by the Axis powers. Although he did not clash openly with the Dominion Government as in previous years, the outspoken Premier did enter a violent protest against the provision in the 1941 Canadian budget imposing an increase of from 5 to 15 per cent in the income taxes derived by non-resident bondholders from investments in Ontario. Writing to J. L. Ilsley, the Dominion Minister of Finance, he declared that 'American insurance companies and American trust companies are refusing to accept the impost which is viewed as ill-timed and ungrateful.'

Although a year of relative inactivity in the political field, 1941 was a period of intense economic activity. As the most industrial of Canada's provinces, Ontario was most affected by the extraordinary war effort put forth during the year. New production records were set in practically every industry except those given over solely to the production of consumer goods. Large-scale industries such as the automobile industry have been converted almost completely to war production. Employment was at peak records, and industrial disputes were rare. A threatened shortage of coal turned attention to the very considerable peat deposits of the province. One of the largest of these deposits, the Holland peat bog, is located less than 30 miles from Toronto and is capable of turning out an estimated 8,000,000 tons.

In an effort to provide farmers with labor to replace the men drawn into the armed service or the war industries, Ontario organized a Farm Service Corps of young men and women, boys and girls. The Director of the Corps, A. Maclaren of the Ontario Labor Department, announced in July that some 10,000 young persons had been recruited in the Corps.

Ontario is vitally interested in the agreement with the United States for construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway since the waterway would make Toronto a world port. One of the sections of the treaty provides for cutting a channel in the St. Lawrence River to allow deep-draft ocean vessels to proceed to the Great Lakes. Toronto has already begun preparations for handling the sea-going traffic after the project has been completed.

A report by the Ontario Provincial Police, issued April 1, 1941, charges the Communist Party with attempting to foment labor trouble and other activity despite the fact that the party has been outlawed since the beginning of the war. Previously there had been charges that the Communists were active in Queens University despite the ban. Although these difficulties ceased with Germany's attack on the Soviet Union in June, the restrictions against Communist activities remained on the statute books.

1940: Ontario

Under the leadership of Premier Mitchell Hepburn, the Province of Ontario continued to be the political storm center of the Dominion throughout 1940. Early in January the Ontario legislature, at Premier Hepburn's behest, adopted a vote of 'no confidence' in the war effort of the Dominion Government under Prime Minister Mackenzie King. Although under no compulsion to do so, Mr. King almost immediately dissolved Parliament and called a national election which was held on March 26. The fact that Hepburn and King were both Liberals in no sense diminished the bitterness between them. Premier Hepburn threw his full weight in the campaign to obtain the defeat of the King government. The election was enlivened by the resignation of Provincial Secretary Harry Nixon in protest against Hepburn's attitude toward the King government. He was later brought back into the Ontario Cabinet.

The election fight centered largely in Ontario where the Conservative Party is much stronger than elsewhere in the country. Prior to the election most of Prime Minister King's supporters conceded that the Conservatives would gain at least 20 seats in the province and would probably control the province's delegation in Parliament. Dr. Robert Manion, leader of the Conservatives, stood for election in Fort William.

To the general surprise of observers, King carried Ontario by exactly the same margin he had achieved in 1935 — which was unprecedented at the time. Out of the province's 82 seats in the House, the Conservatives won only 25. Although this was a much larger proportion than they gained in any other province, their failure in Ontario was especially significant because it was so unexpected. Dr. Manion himself, together with many of his principal supporters, went down to defeat.

The victory of the Dominion Liberals under Mackenzie King over the dissident Ontario Liberals under Mitchell Hepburn was of tremendous importance as it affected the long controversy between the provincial and Dominion governments regarding fundamental policies with respect to the extension of federal authority. For years Premier Hepburn, supported by Premier Duplessis of Quebec, had struggled successfully against any extension of Dominion authority. Opposition had been centered particularly against a federal unemployment insurance law, although the controversy was concerned with power issues, tax policy, and many other questions of basic importance.

The year 1940 saw the crumbling of this opposition. The defeat of Duplessis had robbed Hepburn of his most dependable ally. The formula suggested by the Sirois Commission for establishing a federal system of unemployment insurance legally through action by the British Parliament proved wholly successful. Finding defeat inevitable, the Ontario Government withdrew its objection to the unemployment insurance plan and it was adopted by the Dominion Parliament without dissent.

To the major proposals of the Sirois Commission on Dominion-Provincial relations, Premier Hepburn continued, however, to maintain his opposition. In this he was aided by the fact that the Commission did not recommend grants from the Dominion Government to Ontario for the support of the province's social services, such as those recommended for the less wealthy provinces. Thus the Premier could argue that Ontario would have to carry more than its share of the increased costs of social services under the new plan by increased taxation — and surrender the right to utilize certain kinds of taxation — without receiving any compensating advantages. Although the Ontario Government agreed, in November, to participate in the conference called for January 1941, to discuss adoption of the recommendations of the Sirois Commission, it is believed that the province will oppose action at this time.

Proponents of the Sirois Commission's plan point out, however, that Ontario would definitely gain by its adoption. The plan calls for the Dominion Government to take over debt services aggregating $18,539,000 from the province, together with $8,347,000 spent for relief of employables, $1,099,000 in tax collection costs, and some $9,000,000 further would be saved by the elimination of provincial subsidies to the municipalities for the relief of employables. The total savings is estimated at $37,199,000 as against a loss of $31,873,000 through a surrender of taxes and subsidies.

Premier Hepburn finally withdrew his determined opposition to the power phases of the St. Lawrence Waterway Project in October and acceded to an arrangement between the American and Canadian governments under which the Ontario hydro-electric system will obtain more water from the Niagara River and would divert other water to the Great Lakes system.

In Toronto, Mayor Ralph C. Day was re-elected Mayor on Jan. 1 after one of the closest races in the history of the city. His margin over Lewis C. Duncan was approximately 3,500 votes. The Board of Control and most of the City Council were likewise re-elected.

1939: Ontario

Although the feud between Ontario's Liberal Premier Mitchell Hepburn and his party leader Dominion Prime Minister Mackenzie King, persisted throughout the year, 1939 proved, on the whole, relatively quiet in Ontario politics. Premier Hepburn sailed for Australia early in January, accompanied by Colin Campbell, Minister of Public Works, and Deputy Treasurer Chester S. Walters. The trip was made to study the Australian debt refunding plan. The Premier returned just in time to open the third session of the twentieth Ontario Legislative Assembly on March 8. Legislation adopted included an act enabling the province to enter into an unemployment insurance agreement with Ottawa; a law providing a new method of equalizing municipal assessments; and financial relief for the northern Ontario mining communities. A special war session of the Legislature was called on Sept. 19 to provide funds for the continuation of guards at the Niagara hydro-electric plants. Premier Hepburn accused the Dominion authorities of being lax in the provision of protection for these valuable properties. It is estimated that the cost of the guards may total $2,000,000 a year. About a dozen other war measures of lesser importance were enacted at the special session.

Colonel George A. Drew, Conservative, was elected a member of the Ontario Legislature from Simcoe East by acclamation. His choice made unnecessary the by-election scheduled for Feb. 27. Colonel Drew had just been chosen as the official leader of the Ontario Conservative Party and his success in obtaining a seat marked the first time since 1936 that the leader of the Conservatives had had a seat in the Legislature. The party standing in the Legislature at the regular session was: Liberals, 66; Conservatives, 23; United Farmers of Ontario, 1. Major James H. Clark, K. C., was elected Speaker of the Legislature to succeed Norman Hipel.

In the Toronto municipal elections, held at the beginning of the year, Mayor Ralph C. Day and the entire Board of Control was reelected. Mayor Day won by a majority of approximately 39,000 over Lewis Duncan. One Communist, Steward Smith, was elected Alderman, but he was subsequently stripped of all his committee posts following Canada's entry into the European War. In November it was announced that all municipal elections would be postponed for the duration of the conflict.

During the visit of King George and Queen Elizabeth, Toronto and Ottawa provided an extraordinarily enthusiastic and elaborate welcome. The King sat before a formal session of Parliament in Ottawa on May 19 and gave royal assent to the bills passed at the 1939 session. Toronto gave a gigantic reception for the monarchs on May 22. Although Premier Hepburn joined with Prime Minister King in the ceremonies welcoming the royal couple, the Ontario Premier bitterly denounced Prime Minister King for accompanying the royal pair on their journey through Canada, and charged the Prime Minister with seeking to take advantage of the Sovereign's popularity to prepare for the 1940 Parliamentary elections.

One of the primary causes of friction between the Dominion and provincial governments was unexpectedly removed, however, when Premier Hepburn disclosed on Nov. 2 that he had withdrawn his opposition to the St. Lawrence waterway. Completion of the project would give Ontario between 2,000,000 and 3,000,000 horsepower of electric energy. It is expected that a fresh attempt will be made to complete Canadian-American agreement carrying out the project. Ontario also has a plan for developing power resources by tapping the extensive fields of low-grade coal in the northern part of the province. It is estimated that at least 20,000,000 tons of lignite are available in this area.

Ontario gold mines broke all records for production in September and October. Output for the first ten months of the year was $89,242,398, an increase of $7,521,811, or 9.2 per cent over the corresponding period in 1938. The Provincial Department of Mines estimates the value of mineral production in Ontario during 1939 at $237,513,870, an increase of 8 per cent over the 1938 figure of $219,935,545. Of the 1939 total, metals accounted for $212,345,000; nonmetals, $11,668,870; structural materials, $11,000,000; and clay products, $2,500,000. The nickel-copper industry enjoyed a gain of 21.5 per cent in the amount of ore treated.

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.