Evening star., 1937-06-13
Premier Hei
BY CAROLYN cox.
Wv YHAT about Mitch Hep
burn? What mark is this
" v dynamic personality likely
BY CAROLYN COZ


" v dynamic personality likely
to put on the American
continent? Like skyrocket the hon.
orable Mitchell F. Hepburn, premier
Of the Province of Ontario, Canada,
burst into the United States news
General Motors Of Canada strike at
Oshawa. Ontario. This young man,
almost unknown to the American pub
lie, landed bang in the middle of the
labor battle-ground. came down stamp!
with both feet and calculated, mol"
And he won his case
Who is this young man, and what
was his case? In what other cases of
interest to the United States is he
involved? If this gentleman, with
many years Of political activity ahead
Of him. is so amazingly effective when
he gets going, these questions are
worthy Of consideration.
When you have reported that Mr..
Hepburn is another local farm boy
who has made good-he was born on
farm four miles outside the small
Ontario town of st. Thomas. and still
calls that farm "home'-you have
covered all the conformity he has ac-
corded to the usual Canadian political
career From very early age, he
couldn't seem to help being a pro-
ducer of consternatio Ideas got into
his head. He enjoyed his ideas, pur-
sued them.
An apple has figured in history be-
fore now. 1t was when Hepburn was
somewhere around IS years of age,
just finishing his matriculation at the
st. Thomas High School, that an
apple completely altered the course
OF his life, diverting it into an ex-
perience that undoubtedly equipped
him for particularly disturbing activity
in recent provincial financial up
heavalS.
Apple and Bowler Hat.
Sir Adam Beck, distinguished father
OF the Ontario hydroelectric system,
came out to the ST. Thomas district to
celebrate with a speech the inStalla-
ton OF the first hydroelectric unit
on an individual farm. He wore
bowler hat. The high school students
turned out with the rest of the towns
folk to hear Sir Adams speech. 1t
was out of DOORS of course, on the
farm. A group of lads scrambled up
windmill for better view of-the
bowler hat From the windmill an
apple sped through the air for bulls
eye on the bowler.
1t is significant that if Mitchell Hep
burn was in a group Of boys from which
issued an apple to sock the hat off Sir
Adam Beck, teacher" didn't feel he
needed to ask who threw the apple
He merely demanded that Mitchell
confess. The lad denied the charge.
He was told to admit he did it, or tell
whom he saw do it, or leave the school.
The premier of Ontario says today
that he did not throw the apple, and
he has not yet told who did. He left
the school-needleSs to state, in no.
wise injuring his popularity with his
fellow students by his loyal stand.
L LAG bCuSAlCI III IllC SSoC WuS " n
Greer, now chief inspector Of public
schools in Ontario-a post in which
he feels quite secure from any thought
Of apple vengeance from his premier.
This episode led Mr.. Hepburn TO
take a job with the Canadian Bank
of Commerce. He dug in and liked
it. He developed his own ideas about
financial matters. In his Provincial
battles of recent times he has cut his
own swath, not followed merely ad-
vice from his friends He has stood
solidly on his own feet when batt.e
ragged.
Political Bow in Parliament.
Canada has, OF course, its provin-
cial legislatures, equivalent to the
State assemblies Of the United States
and its Dominion Parliament, equiva-
lent to Congress. Mr.. Hepburn made
his bow to politics in the Dominion
Parliament, as member for his dis
trict. That is to say, for eight and
a half years he went forth from st.
Thomas to abide. at least during par
liamentary sessions, in Ottawa, eapi-
tai of the Dominion of Canada. Ot-
tawa is essentially government town,
established deliberately to be the cap
ital. To this day it has never de-
veloped to any appreciable extent in
industry or other activity except gov
ernment.
Mr.. Hepburn makes no secret OF the
fact that he can't abide Ottawa. He
says there are too many porch
climbers" there. To Ottawa comes
the Governor General, sent out from
England Is direct representative OF
his majesty the King. Not In al his