Mitch Hepburn became leader of the Liberal Party of Ontario 17th December
1930 at the King Edward
Hotel in Toronto.
The financially strong Tory party under the leadership of George S. Henry,
a man who taught Sunday school and could be counted on to "Plough a
straight furrow" had just succeeded Howard Ferguson two days before
Hepburn's election.
The Liberal party, due to WWI debt, fighting the moral crusade against the
evils of booze, three referendums between 1919 and 1924, and losing the 1929
election had lost its structure and soul. In 1929, they won only 14 seats of
112 at Queen's Park. They were looking
for new leadership.
In 1931, hydro companies were accused of selling out to private interests
and contributing to government campaign funds.
At the same time that Grenzebach won the sweepstakes at the IPM at
Peterborough (16th October 1931), Hepburn made a one hour speech that evening
at Woodstock City Hall on the demise of agriculture, the graft and corruption
in the Bennett government concerning hydro contracts in Quebec. It parallels the present wastage of power in Ontario concerning wind
turbine projects that are guaranteed money losers, paid for by taxpayers. Hydro had been sold out to private interests,
had vastly overbought, paid for by the public treasury. Hepburn believed in public ownership of
Hydro. The proposed St. Lawrence power
project could produce power at half the cost of what the 40 year contracts the
Howard Ferguson government signed in the fall of 1929.
Hepburn concluded his speech by suggesting a Royal Commission to
investigate Hydro contracts.
Dr.H.B.Atkinson,of Embro was elected president of the North Oxford Reform
Association.
Dr. Atkinson veterinary offices were opposite the Embro Town Hall
and site of Tom Thompson Motors. Dr.
Atkinson, in brief remarks of appreciation made mention of the fact that
exactly 25 years ago to the day, he had opened his office in Embro and became a
resident of Oxford
County.
Baxter, Cayley and McMillan supported Hepburn, the fighting Irishman, who
tore Bennett and the Tories to shreds.
"The farmers of this country are not going to submit to present
conditions, but will rise in their wrath and drive from office those men who
have put into effect the policies that are driving agriculture out of
existence.
"A short time ago, we were able to control our parliament, but we
elected a man to office who today has assumed more power for himself than has
any man since 1837, when we had the Family Compact.
"Under a special Act of last session, Mr. Bennett is able to spend all
of your money as he sees fit, and the members of your parliament have no say
(Author comment: Sounds like 2017).
"Beans, which were $3.50 a bushel, now are $1 in Montreal,
or 50 cents to the Elgin
farmer.
"Only a short time ago, these gentlemen, who have increased the number
of cabinet ministers from five to thirteen, saw fit to increase their salaries
to $2,000.
"Tax any industry and the burden is finally borne by agriculture and
it is being throttled out of existence."
Hepburn vowed to make the Liberals a fighting party under his leadership
and adjust the system of taxation and put it upon those where it belongs, who
have been piling up wealth for years.
In connection with hydro matters, Mr. Hepburn alluded to the purchase of
the Dominion Power and Transmission properties at about $22 million and
challenged Mr. Henry to "tell the people of Ontario how much there is left
as liquid assets". The common
stock, he recalled, had doubled in value when the deal was about to come off.
In 1930, George Henry had invested $25,000 in Ontario Power Service
Corporation bonds (OPSC) and companies of which Hydro Commissioner Arthur Meighen was a director
who held several hundred thousand dollars worth as well. Quoted from Page 45, Mitch Hepburn by Neil McKenty.
Baxter praised Hepburn for stirring up enthusiasm among the Liberals; it
was bound to make itself felt throughout the party.
Cayley suggested subsidization for agriculture as was done for the steel
industry.
McMillan, M.P. for South Huron said while agriculture is being strangled,
there are supreme optimists going around telling the farmer prosperity is just
around the corner.
McMillan was part of a commission in the Drury government that set up the
provincial savings department - the farmers' bank or The Province of Ontario
Savings Office. It was headed by
Professor Jackman of the University
of Toronto. Monies deposited earned 4% interest, were
loaned out to other farmers at the same interest. "If this had been maintained as it
should have been, agriculture would not be in the paralyzed state of
1930-1931" said McMillan. The
tariff policies of the Bennett government have thousands of Canadians in a
state of semi starvation while warehouses are bursting with grain.
