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.

1941: Saskatchewan

A relatively bad wheat crop in 1941 after two good years meant a serious loss in income for Saskatchewan's farmers. Since the province is almost wholly agricultural, the blow was a severe one. Unlike most of Canada, Saskatchewan has so far enjoyed little, if any, wartime prosperity. And it is probable that as a result of the war the province will have to carry a major share of the relief load previously assumed by the Dominion Government. This may be heavy as large areas of the province suffered a complete crop failure.

The 1941 wheat crop of 140,000,000 bushels was only a little more than half the record 272,000,000 bushel crop of 1940. The decline may be attributed chiefly to a mid-summer drought and insect damage although there was also considerable curtailment in acreage in response to the Dominion Government's wheat acreage reduction bonus of $4 an acre. In the effort to gain a better price for the wheat that was produced, a delegation representing the wheat pools of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta visited Ottawa early in August to press for a change in wheat policy. This request was rejected by Mr. Gardiner, Dominion Minister of Agriculture. Instead of the $1 a bushel requested by the delegation, the Dominion retained the basis of payment set up in 1940, — which was 70 cents a bushel for No. 1 Northern wheat delivered at Fort William, Ontario. But agitation for $1 wheat continued throughout the fall, led by the powerful Saskatchewan pool. Hundreds of meetings were held throughout the province urging larger benefits for the farmers. This sentiment was not confined to rural areas only. The demands were supported by city councils and various urban groups. A member of Parliament from Saskatchewan, Dr. T. F. Donnelly, declared that $25,000,000 could be saved annually if the Dominion Government cut in half the payment made to elevators for storage of the wheat surplus. As a result of tremendous pressure from the western provinces, the Dominion Government announced in November a new system of acreage bonuses for grain growers.

1940: Saskatchewan

Canada's dust-bowl province of Saskatchewan enjoyed an exceptionally prosperous year in 1940. For the second time in two years it reaped a large wheat harvest. This year's crop was aided materially by a new government wheat exchange plan under which the government distributed a bushel of pure drought-resisting seed wheat in exchange for a bushel of ordinary commercial grade seed. In all some 150,000 bushels of special seed wheat were distributed under this plan at relatively slight cost to the province.

Saskatchewan dairymen and hog-raisers benefited by the German occupation of Denmark and Norway which cut off British dairy supplies and bacon from the Scandinavian states. Largely as a result of this situation, Britain concluded an agreement with Canada absorbing all of Canada's surplus bacon.

With the return of agricultural prosperity, Saskatchewan for the first time in years found it unnecessary to ask the Dominion Government for the $2,000,000 subsidy which has regularly been granted to bolster the province's finances, although an additional grant of $1,500,000, which has been obtained in each of the last three years, was received. Budget estimates for 1940-1941 forecast a rise in revenues of $1,264,000. The deficit for the year ending April 1, 1941, was estimated at only $122,610 — insignificant as compared with recent years. The province's public debt was $214,000,000 at the end of the 1939-1940 fiscal year, a rise of $15,000,000 for the year.

The Liberal party carried Saskatchewan in the Dominion elections of March 26, but Mrs. Dorise W. Neilson of the Unity party, defeated a veteran Liberal in North Battleford to become the only woman in the new Canadian Parliament. Mrs. Neilson had been an active member of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation until 1939, but had resigned and thrown her efforts into the new federation of left-wing groups which brought her election to Parliament. W. D. Herridge, son-in-law of former Prime Minister Bennett and leader of the New Democracy party, was defeated in Kindersley.

It is expected that the provincial legislature at its next session in 1941 will pass a bill fixing the price of gasoline. Saskatchewan had a gasoline price investigation several years ago, and it was found that some action was desirable. Gasoline and oil are a large item in farm costs, and the use of gasoline for farming is much heavier than for business or pleasure driving.

The Saskatchewan government announced on May 3 that it was forced to discontinue allowances to government employees who enlisted after May 1. The allowances had been making up the difference between service pay and civil service pay.

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.

1938: Saskatchewan

The Liberal party was returned to five more years in office in the Saskatchewan provincial election on June 8, 1938. The election was significant chiefly for the decisive rebuff given to the Social Credit party's bid for expansion from the neighboring province of Alberta. Final returns, including the results of a by-election, gave the Liberal party under Premier W. J. Patterson 37 seats, and the Social Credit party but 2 seats. The Cooperative Commonwealth Federation obtained 11 seats, the Union Progressives one, and the Independents one. For the second consecutive election, the Conservatives failed to get a seat. The chief gains in the election went to the C.C.F., which increased its representation from 5 to 11 seats despite a loss in popular vote. Prospects for the best crop in 10 years are believed to have contributed to the decisive victory of the Government party. Actually the crops proved very disappointing, owing to severe last-hour damage by rust.

Premier Patterson reorganized his cabinet in December, taking in two new members, including Edward M. Culliton, the youngest man to hold a cabinet post in nearly a quarter of a century. Culliton was named Provincial Secretary and Minister in Charge of the Provincial Tax Commission. C. M. Dunn, Minister of Highways in the previous Patterson government, who had twice been defeated by re-election, was replaced, six months after his defeat, by Arthur T. Procter.

Faced with another disappointing harvest in 1938, the Government was forced again to ask for a grant from the Dominion Government to meet current expenditures. Aided by a $2,000,000 grant from Ottawa, the province completed its fiscal year on April 20, 1938, with a deficit of only $191,940, the smallest since 1928-29.