Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-11
ELECTION ISSUES
| SEETHE IN CANADA
Byng's Act in Refusing Dis
solution to King Is Made
Main Factor.
BY Consolidated Press.


political pot is boiling furiously in the
Dominion Of Canada today and the
explosion when it bubbles over with
The announcement of the date OF the
general elections--to be some time in
/. Septemberw win be heard not only in
every province but throughout the
British Empire.
One of the main issues to be dis
cussed will be the constitutionality OF
the action of the governor general
Baron Byng OF Vimy-in refusing dis
solution to w. L. Mackenzie King, the
liberal premier of the last year, and
granting it a few days later to Arthur
Meighen, who has undertaken to
form government but who was de.
3eated by one vote on an accidental
decision.
Status of Dominion Involved.
The raising of the constitutional is
5 sue makes the forthcoming election
I the most important in Canadian his
tory, for 1t raises, according to the
Liberal ideas, the question of the
status of the Dominion---whether it
has q right to conduct its own affairs
without the interference of Downing
Street--on the assumption that Baron
Byng was influenced by the British
government.
The Conservative party claims that
WAAdI WcbS sOOliC WIS dbssOtuSSty SoAA-
etitutional, inasmuch as Mackenzie
King sought to avoid vote OF CEN
sure for maladministration in connec-
ton with the customs depar .ment,
particularly in reference to SNUG
Cling, by getting dissolution beso.'e
the vote was taken,
Lord Byng refused and King acr
cordingly resigned.
The governor general then sent for
"A HIIA nfr Iosa1 nY.n 80 khxasf NrNVa.
servative> opposition, which actually
outnumbered the Liberal members in
the House but had been unable to de-
feat them before because they had,
through special legislation promised,
allied the Progressiyes to them.
Mr.. Meighen thought he could COM
plete the work of Parliament and in
three votes gained sufficient Progress
sive support to justify his belief to
some extent. Then came the vote
which put the new government in a
minority of one. and next day. with
out any prorofation Parliament was
dissolved.
The situation now stands that Pre-
mier Meighen, who for political rea-
sons will replace the acting cabinet
with properly accredited ministers.
will proceed to hold general elections
throughout the country and attempt
to secure a majority to carry on a
new Parliament next Fall.
How Defeat Followed.
One of the unusual incidents con-
Z nected with the breaking up of the
last Parliament was that Immediately
after he had voted against the gov
eminent, the Rev. T. w. Bird, Pro.
gressive member, declared that he had
! forgotten he had paired with G. w.
Kennedy of Peace River, another
Progressive, who was supporting the
Conservative side and wanted to
withdraw his vote. AS the speaker
cannot take official cognizance OF
pairs, the vote had to stand and so
the government was defeated.
Now both sides are preparing for
the elections The Conservative party
viii fight it on the smuggling dis
closures which revealed that millions
OF dollars had been lost to the public
treasury, while Canadian marlufac-
turers were ruined by foreign Snug
gled goods.
The Liberals will talk constitutional
Jaw in most provinces. In Quebec,
however, where they gained their
largest support, they have already
given indications that they will again
seek to frighten the French Can
atives by pointing out that the new
premier is the man who put into force
the conscription law in 1917, and that
they will be in danger once more of
having their sons sent to some for
eign battlefield to be slaughtered
the cry that defeated the Conserv,
alive candidates in 1926.
The province is strongly protec-
ZIONIST in provincial matters,l such as
pulpwood and power exports. but al
ways votes for free trade Liberals
In the federal elections, Premier
(. Meighen has learned French in the
last two or three years, and this will
help him, as will also the desire of
the business men of the commercial
metropolis to have some represent.
alive in the cabinet.
Premier Meighen is a cool, calculat-
ing, statisttcally minded lawyer, with
q remarkable ability, for marshaling
facts and figures and presenting them.
He consistently advocates protec-
ZIONIST policy. His opponent. William
Lyon Mackenzie King, is the grand
son of the famous rebel An appeal
ing orator, he is considered an author
ity on industrial trade disputes and
during the war was with the Rookie
Teller Institute, returning to succeed
Sir Wilfrid Laurier In the leadership
Of the liberal party.
Progressive Leader Scotsman.
Robert Forke, the leader of the pro-
gressive party up to q few days ago,
when he resigned because Of a division,
is dour Scotsman, representing Bran
don. His political life has been a hard
one, for in the last parliament he had
. 4 tough job to keep the farmer MEM
bers together and this parliament, dur