William James Major
Encyclopedia
William James Major was a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
from 1927 to 1941, and was a prominent cabinet minister in the government of John Bracken
.
Major was born in Yeovil
, Somerset
, England
, and migrated to Canada in 1901. He was educated in Manitoba, was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1913, and worked as a barrister-at-law. He also became active as a freemason.
Major was chosen as a star candidate of the governing Progressive Party
in the 1927 provincial election
. In this period of Canadian history, newly-appointed cabinet ministers were required to resign their seats and seek the renewed support of their electorate. This was inconvenient for most government leaders, who frequently circumvented the regulation by appointing or shuffling cabinet ministers just before general elections. Major, despite his lack of political experience, was named as Bracken's Attorney General on April 29, 1927, and fought the election in this capacity. He proved an effective campaigner and was elected for Winnipeg, which returned ten members through the single transferable ballot voting method.
As Attorney General, Major oversaw construction of the Headingly jail and designed a liquor control act that lasted into the 1950s. He began an extensive revision project of the province's magisterial system in 1930, and was finally able to present his finished report to the legislature in 1940.
In 1929, Major and fellow cabinet minister William Clubb
became caught up in a conflict-of-interest controversy involving the Winnipeg Electric Company (WEC). Both ministers had purchased shares in the company while negotiations for a government lease were still pending. It may be noted that opposition legislators had also purchased WEC stock during this period, and that Clubb's shares were in fact purchased by prominent Conservative
legislator John Thomas Haig
. Bracken initially defended both ministers, but was forced to call for their resignations on February 22, 1929.
Bracken did not judge the offense to be a serious transgression, and returned both Major and Clubb to their cabinet positions on May 18. On December 31, Major was also named as Minister of Telegraphs and Telephones.
The Progressives and Liberals
of Manitoba formed an alliance for the 1932 provincial election
, after which time government members became known as "Liberal-Progressives". Major endorsed this alliance, and was handily re-elected in Winnipeg. He was retained in both portfolios after the election.
Major emerged as a prominent Liberal-Progressive campaigner in the 1936 election
, stressing the Bracken administration's record of fiscal prudence and successful management. He finished fourth on the first count in Winnipeg, and was re-elected on the sixteenth count. He again retained his previous portfolios, and also served as Manitoba's Municipal Commissioner
from September 21, 1936 to November 22, 1939.
On November 4, 1940, Bracken's Liberal-Progressives entered a four-party coalition government with the Conservatives, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation and the Social Credit League
. Major continued to serve as Attorney-General and Minister of Telephones and Telegraphs, and was given additional responsibilities as Minister of Dominion-Provincial Relations.
He was appointed to the Court of the King's Bench just prior to the 1941 provincial election
, and resigned his cabinet positions on April 1, 1941. He also headed the Greater Winnipeg Co-ordinating War Services Board during World War II
, and led Manitoba's Red Cross campaign in the same period.
Major served as a member of the court until 1951, when he was forced to resign due to ill health. He died two years later.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
from 1927 to 1941, and was a prominent cabinet minister in the government of John Bracken
John Bracken
John Bracken, PC was an agronomist, the 11th Premier of Manitoba and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ....
.
Major was born in Yeovil
Yeovil
Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and migrated to Canada in 1901. He was educated in Manitoba, was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1913, and worked as a barrister-at-law. He also became active as a freemason.
Major was chosen as a star candidate of the governing Progressive Party
Progressive Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Party of Manitoba, Canada, was a political party that developed from the United Farmers of Manitoba, an agrarian movement that became politically active following World War I...
in the 1927 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1927
Manitoba's general election of 28 June 1927 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This was the first election in Manitoba history to elect members through a single transferable ballot in all constituencies...
. In this period of Canadian history, newly-appointed cabinet ministers were required to resign their seats and seek the renewed support of their electorate. This was inconvenient for most government leaders, who frequently circumvented the regulation by appointing or shuffling cabinet ministers just before general elections. Major, despite his lack of political experience, was named as Bracken's Attorney General on April 29, 1927, and fought the election in this capacity. He proved an effective campaigner and was elected for Winnipeg, which returned ten members through the single transferable ballot voting method.
As Attorney General, Major oversaw construction of the Headingly jail and designed a liquor control act that lasted into the 1950s. He began an extensive revision project of the province's magisterial system in 1930, and was finally able to present his finished report to the legislature in 1940.
In 1929, Major and fellow cabinet minister William Clubb
William Clubb
William Reid Clubb was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1922 to 1941, and was a prominent cabinet minister in the government of John Bracken....
became caught up in a conflict-of-interest controversy involving the Winnipeg Electric Company (WEC). Both ministers had purchased shares in the company while negotiations for a government lease were still pending. It may be noted that opposition legislators had also purchased WEC stock during this period, and that Clubb's shares were in fact purchased by prominent Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
legislator John Thomas Haig
John Thomas Haig
John Thomas Haig, PC was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as parliamentary leader of the Manitoba Conservative Party in 1921-22....
. Bracken initially defended both ministers, but was forced to call for their resignations on February 22, 1929.
Bracken did not judge the offense to be a serious transgression, and returned both Major and Clubb to their cabinet positions on May 18. On December 31, Major was also named as Minister of Telegraphs and Telephones.
The Progressives and Liberals
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
of Manitoba formed an alliance for the 1932 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1932
Manitoba's general election of June 16, 1932 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This was the second election in Manitoba where the single transferable ballot was used in all electoral divisions...
, after which time government members became known as "Liberal-Progressives". Major endorsed this alliance, and was handily re-elected in Winnipeg. He was retained in both portfolios after the election.
Major emerged as a prominent Liberal-Progressive campaigner in the 1936 election
Manitoba general election, 1936
Manitoba's general election of July 27, 1936 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The was the second election in Manitoba after the formation of a Liberal-Progressive alliance in 1932...
, stressing the Bracken administration's record of fiscal prudence and successful management. He finished fourth on the first count in Winnipeg, and was re-elected on the sixteenth count. He again retained his previous portfolios, and also served as Manitoba's Municipal Commissioner
Municipal Commissioner (Manitoba)
The office of the Municipal Commissioner is a former government department in the Canadian province of Manitoba, established by the government of John Norquay in 1887...
from September 21, 1936 to November 22, 1939.
On November 4, 1940, Bracken's Liberal-Progressives entered a four-party coalition government with the Conservatives, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation and the Social Credit League
Manitoba Social Credit Party
The Manitoba Social Credit Party was a political party in the Canadian province of Manitoba. In its early years, it espoused the monetary reform theories of social credit....
. Major continued to serve as Attorney-General and Minister of Telephones and Telegraphs, and was given additional responsibilities as Minister of Dominion-Provincial Relations.
He was appointed to the Court of the King's Bench just prior to the 1941 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1941
Manitoba's general election of April 22, 1941 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was held shortly after the formation of a coalition government in December 1940...
, and resigned his cabinet positions on April 1, 1941. He also headed the Greater Winnipeg Co-ordinating War Services Board during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and led Manitoba's Red Cross campaign in the same period.
Major served as a member of the court until 1951, when he was forced to resign due to ill health. He died two years later.