Evening star., 1943-07-28
Two Minority Parties
To Challenge Liberals
In Canadian Election
BY the Associated Press,

~ 1AAC AosOSldbCu TTtSS.
TORONTO, July Ontario
wealthiest and most populous prov
ince of Canada, will elect a new 90
member legislature on August 4 in
dual challenge to the Liberal party
which has been in power since 1894.
Should the Liberals be defeated,
the mandate would 60 either to the
Progressive Conservatives, new des-
ignation for the Conservative party,
or to the Cooperative Common
wealth Federation, Socialist party
which has a minority following in
the Parliament at Ottawa and a
scattering membership in provincial
legislatures.
The progressive conservatives are
traditional opponents of the Liberals
In system that has seen these two
parties competing for office in both
dominion and provincial elections
for rs years.
Led by Young Lawyer.
The Cooperative Commonwealth
Federation, which had its inception
after the first World War, is headed
by Ed Jolliffe, 34-year-old lawyer
and Rhodes Scholar and a worker
for years in party and labor union
circles.
Heading the Progressive Conser-
vatives is 1t. Col. George Drew, 49,
year-old lawyer, a war veteran and
son-in-laW of Edward Johnson, gen.
eral manager of the Metropolitan
Opera in New York.
When Mitchell F.. Hepburn re-
signed the premiership last October
his reasons never were made clear
he passed the Office along to Cor
don Conant, his attorney general,
who lost the leadership in April to
Harry Nixon. Mr.. Nixon called the
election in disregard of a vote of
the legislature extending its life for
a year, because of the war.
Former Premier Hepburn, who is
running in this election, although
not as leader, became nationally
known as head of the provincial
government, principally because of
his opposition to the parent Liberal
government at Ottawa and it's
leader, Prime Minister w. L. Mac
kenzie King.
Called a Puppet.
A national element has been in
jected into the campaign with
charges that Mr.. Nixon is merely
puppet of the Prime Minister and
that Mr.. King ordered him to call
the election to see how the wind was
blowing. Mr.. Nixon has declared in
reply that only a unanimous vote
would have obviated the necessity
of choosing a new legislature, and
the Conservatives voted against ex-
tending its life.
Mr. Nixon was never in agreement
with Mr.. Hepburn in his enmity for
Mr.. King, especially since the war
began and Mr.. Hepburn has at
tackled the Ottawa government on
its war record
The platforms of all party leaders,
who are now on speaking tours, en-
phaSiZe postwar reconstruction and
stress the war as today's first con-
Germ. Both Liberal and Progressive
Conservative programs uphold and
encourage private enterprise, en-
phasizing hydro-electric power de-
velopment. They also stress health
and education.
Asks Postwar Program.
The CCF program. :, under Mr..
Jolliffe, calls for a planning com
mission to be set up Immediately
as groundwork for postwar employ
ment and release from the grip
of the great corporations" .~..e
About 100000 Ontario citizens
are expected to vote. In 1897 the
Liberals elected 64 members with
798,716 votes and the Conserva-
tives named % with 627,740 ballots.
Two Liberal-Progressive and one
Independent won Office as we'll. The
CCF polled 77,744 votes but elect
ed no one. However, this minority
party has since organized extensive
ly and is making a definite bid for
power.
Members of the armed forces sta
toned in Ontario will vote in spe-
cial ballot boxes, while service
men and women outside the prov
ince have been asked to vote by
proxy. Forms have been provided
on which they are to designate
friends and relatives back home to
vote for them.
NJ III Ill