William Thomas White
Encyclopedia
Sir William Thomas White, KCMG
, PC
(November 13, 1866 – February 11, 1955) was a Canadian
politician and Cabinet minister.
in 1890, and subsequently worked for Toronto's Assessment Department. He received a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of Toronto
in 1895, and a law degree from Osgoode Law School in 1899. White did not practice law after his graduation, but instead worked as a Managing Director for the National Trust Company, Ltd., becoming its Vice-President in 1911. National Trust was incorporated in 1898 by Senator George Albertus Cox
and Edward Rogers Wood
. National Trust Company, Ltd. became part of Bank of Nova Scotia as Scotia Trust in 1997.
White was initially a Liberal
party member, but his views diverged from the party's policies on some key matters. He was a supporter of British imperialism
, and joined Clifford Sifton
and other Liberals in signing an anti - reciprocity
manifesto in 1911.
Although he had few allies in the Conservative Party
, White was respected by party leader Robert Borden
, who recognized that White's presence would bring some disaffected Liberals to the party. After winning the general election of 1911
, Borden appointed White as his Minister of Finance
. White did not hold a seat in the Canadian House of Commons
at the time, and in fact had never campaigned for public office before. Nevertheless, he was elected by acclamation in a by-election
in the eastern Ontario
riding of Leeds
, after another Conservative Member of Parliament
(MP) was convinced to resign.
White was responsible for managing Canada's finances during World War I
. His approach was conservative, and he was reluctant to interfere with private enterprise or even to raise taxes in the early period of the war. Although he eventually made some interventions (including fixed profit margins and regulated food supplies), he continued to reject fundamental changes in the nation's finances. One exception was the introduction in 1917 of an income tax
of 4% on all income of single men over $2,000; for Canadians with annual incomes of more than $6,000, the tax rate ranged from 2 to 25 per cent. Though it was intended as a temporary war measure and despite White's recommendation that "a year or two after the war is over, the measure should be reviewed by the minister of finance of the day, with a view of judging whether it is suitable to the conditions which then prevail," income tax became a permanent feature of Canadian life.
In 1919, he approved the use of naval warships to suppress post-war labour radicalism in British Columbia
.
White served as Finance Minister until August 1, 1919. From November 1918 to May 1919, he also served as Acting Prime Minister
while Borden was in Europe
. Several members of Borden's Unionist government (a wartime coalition of the Conservative Party and some Liberals) called on White to replace Borden as Prime Minister in 1920, but he declined.
In the 1920 New Year Honours, as a reward for his service as Acting Prime Minister, White was appointed to the Imperial Privy Council, allowing him to use the honorific "The Right Honourable". He remained a Member of Parliament until the 1921 election
when he retired from politics. Later in the year, he published a pamphlet entitled The Story of Canada's War Finances, defending his management of the wartime economy.
White did not consider himself as a "career politician". His tenure as Finance Minister was very stressful, and he seems to have welcomed the opportunity to leave political life after the war's end. There is no indication that he entertained a return to politics in later years.
In 1933 he served as a member of the Royal Commission on Banking and Currency
. opposing the creation of Bank of Canada.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, PC
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(November 13, 1866 – February 11, 1955) was a Canadian
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...
politician and Cabinet minister.
Biography
White worked as a reporter for the Toronto Evening TelegramToronto Telegram
The Toronto Evening Telegram was a conservative, broadsheet afternoon newspaper published in Toronto from 1876 to 1971. It had a reputation for supporting the Conservative Party at both the federal and provincial level. The paper competed with the liberal Toronto Star...
in 1890, and subsequently worked for Toronto's Assessment Department. He received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1895, and a law degree from Osgoode Law School in 1899. White did not practice law after his graduation, but instead worked as a Managing Director for the National Trust Company, Ltd., becoming its Vice-President in 1911. National Trust was incorporated in 1898 by Senator George Albertus Cox
George Albertus Cox
George Albertus Cox was a very prominent Canadian businessman and a member of the Canadian Senate.He was born in Colborne, Upper Canada in 1840. He began work as a telegraph operator for the Montreal Telegraph Company and became their agent in Peterborough, Ontario. In 1861, he became an agent for...
and Edward Rogers Wood
Edward Rogers Wood
Edward Rogers Wood was a prominent financier in Canadian business, notable for his role in the development of the Brazilian Traction, Light and Power Company Limited and for his links with the “Peterborough Methodist Mafia” of George Albertus Cox...
. National Trust Company, Ltd. became part of Bank of Nova Scotia as Scotia Trust in 1997.
White was initially a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
party member, but his views diverged from the party's policies on some key matters. He was a supporter of British imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
, and joined Clifford Sifton
Clifford Sifton
Sir Clifford Sifton, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician best known for being Minister of the Interior under Sir Wilfrid Laurier...
and other Liberals in signing an anti - reciprocity
Reciprocity (Canadian politics)
In nineteenth and early twentieth century Canadian politics, the term reciprocity was used to describe the concept of free trade with the United States of America...
manifesto in 1911.
Although he had few allies in the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
, White was respected by party leader Robert Borden
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
, who recognized that White's presence would bring some disaffected Liberals to the party. After winning the general election of 1911
Canadian federal election, 1911
The Canadian federal election of 1911 was held on September 21 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 12th Parliament of Canada.-Summary:...
, Borden appointed White as his Minister of Finance
Minister of Finance (Canada)
The Minister of Finance is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible each year for presenting the federal government's budget...
. White did not hold a seat in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
at the time, and in fact had never campaigned for public office before. Nevertheless, he was elected by acclamation in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in the eastern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
riding of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, after another Conservative Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) was convinced to resign.
White was responsible for managing Canada's finances during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. His approach was conservative, and he was reluctant to interfere with private enterprise or even to raise taxes in the early period of the war. Although he eventually made some interventions (including fixed profit margins and regulated food supplies), he continued to reject fundamental changes in the nation's finances. One exception was the introduction in 1917 of an income tax
Income tax
An income tax is a tax levied on the income of individuals or businesses . Various income tax systems exist, with varying degrees of tax incidence. Income taxation can be progressive, proportional, or regressive. When the tax is levied on the income of companies, it is often called a corporate...
of 4% on all income of single men over $2,000; for Canadians with annual incomes of more than $6,000, the tax rate ranged from 2 to 25 per cent. Though it was intended as a temporary war measure and despite White's recommendation that "a year or two after the war is over, the measure should be reviewed by the minister of finance of the day, with a view of judging whether it is suitable to the conditions which then prevail," income tax became a permanent feature of Canadian life.
In 1919, he approved the use of naval warships to suppress post-war labour radicalism in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
White served as Finance Minister until August 1, 1919. From November 1918 to May 1919, he also served as Acting Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
while Borden was in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Several members of Borden's Unionist government (a wartime coalition of the Conservative Party and some Liberals) called on White to replace Borden as Prime Minister in 1920, but he declined.
In the 1920 New Year Honours, as a reward for his service as Acting Prime Minister, White was appointed to the Imperial Privy Council, allowing him to use the honorific "The Right Honourable". He remained a Member of Parliament until the 1921 election
Canadian federal election, 1921
The Canadian federal election of 1921 was held on December 6, 1921 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 14th Parliament of Canada. The Union government that had governed Canada through the First World War was defeated, and replaced by a Liberal government under the young leader...
when he retired from politics. Later in the year, he published a pamphlet entitled The Story of Canada's War Finances, defending his management of the wartime economy.
White did not consider himself as a "career politician". His tenure as Finance Minister was very stressful, and he seems to have welcomed the opportunity to leave political life after the war's end. There is no indication that he entertained a return to politics in later years.
In 1933 he served as a member of the Royal Commission on Banking and Currency
Royal Commission on Banking and Currency
The Royal Commission on Banking and Currency was a 1933 Canadian royal commission tasked with reviewing the Canadian government's involvement in monetary policy...
. opposing the creation of Bank of Canada.