The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-19
NEW FINANCE MINISTER
SEASONED IN SER VICE
Sir Henry Drayton a. Recognized Authority on Trans
portation and an Untiring Worker-Faced
by Great Problems.

TIE fnanctdi relations bettoeen tn,
| United States and the great Dominion q
the norh Of US have become so tnsepd-
| rotelp intcridced that " u Of vaIitc t.
, knoto something Of the record aud char.
octsr Of the man Uho, for the meat feit
years at any rate, toiu guide Canada,
financial destiny. The foilototn0 sketch
Of ST. Horny Droyton, the successor o.
Sir Thomas WHITE as Comedian Ftnono,
1isisters, oIH assaredIy be Of Interest,
| theveJore, at this time.
BY GRATTAN o,LEARY.
Written Especially for the Canadian
Section OF THE SUN.
Although without the financial expe-
rience which so peculiarly qualified Sir
Thomas White for the post. Sir Henry
Drayton. who has just taken up the
duties of Canadian Finance Minister,
has to his credit an enviabiA reputation
for public service. He first attracted
attention when-first as Assistant City
bolicitor and secondly as Crown Attor-
ney for Toronto-he exhibited a concep-
ton OF and q devotion to duty which
singled him out as a coming force in
public anairA The record that he made
for fearlessness and impartiality brought
him into high favor with Sir Robert
Borden; and when, In 1919, a vacancy
occurred in the Craftsmanship Of tho
Dominion Railway mmission--ons of
the most important judicial positions in
the countryside Prime Minister prompt
ly appointed him to the post.
As chairman Of the Railway Commits
sion he acquirsd an intimate knowledge
OF the transportation problem-which
In Canada, as In the United States, is
Of vital importsnce-and when. IN 1918.
Parliament and the Government decided
to appoint q commission to inquire into
all the problems surrounding trAnspor-
tation In the Dominion Sic Henry. with
A. H. Smith Of the New York Gen.
trail and Mr.. Acworth, a noted British
export, composed the board.
How He Won Spurs.
The investigation required months Of
ceaseless toll and study. and the report
known as the Drayton-Acworth Re-
port" (Mr. Smith made a minority re-
porD. dealing with transportation neces-
stiles. railway mistakes of the past and
means OF rectifying them. stands as the
most lucid, comprehensive and reliable
work on such an important subject that
has been thus far produced And In these
days, when public service is 80 often the
subject of sneers and when cynics would
have It that every man has his price. II
Is worthy of note that Sir Henry Dray-
ton returned to the Government the
check for SIS, 900 sent him for his SER
vices, preferring that his efforts be
looked upon merely as contribution
ITO the public good.
Throughout the war. but more particu-
larry during the winter of 19l7-1e1s.
the transport OF war supplies, whether Of
food OF munitions, was directed prac-
tically single handel by him. In the
same manner as the McAdoo board
dealt with a similar situation in the
United States Shipments were diverted
from one road to the other and routings
were changed from railway TO railway as
the exigencies of the several cases re-
Quired.
When the United States ports were
closed during the winter months OF 1917
1918 tho Canadian roads absorbed as