John Milne (politician)
Encyclopedia
John Milne was a Canadian
iron moulder, businessman and Senator
.
Milne was president and managing director of Burrow, Stewart and Milne, a Hamilton, Ontario
foundry
company that manufactured stove
s and was also president or director of several other Hamilton area concerns. He was also involved with municipal governance as one of the city's first hydro commissioners and also served as an appointee on various other municipal boards.
He was appointed to the Senate in 1915 by Sir Robert Borden
and sat as a Conservative.
After attempting to establish his own business, he joined Hamilton Malleable Iron Works in 1867 as a moulder and became partner in 1872 in what became Burrow, Stewart, and Milne. In the early years the company made castings for harness equipment and saddlery gear such as curry-combs, but soon shifted focus shifted to scales and stoves producing the Jewel and Victory lines of stoves and ranges which were sold across Canada.
In order to support his business, he became involved with the steel industry and is credited with bringing about the merger of several steel companies to found the Steel Company of Canada (Stelco).
Milne also supported the construction of public libraries
in Hamilton serving on the library board from 1903 to 1921 and as chairman of the building and finance committee from 1911 to 1912.
Milne was a supporter of Sir John A. Macdonald
's National Policy
, believing in protectionism
for Canadian industries, and joined the Conservative Party in 1876 and served as president of Hamilton's Conservative Association for 23 years.
During his seven years in the Senate, Milne spoke on the issues of manufacturing, supported tariff
s against foreign imports, and spoke against trade unionism.
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...
iron moulder, businessman and Senator
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
.
Milne was president and managing director of Burrow, Stewart and Milne, a Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
company that manufactured stove
Stove
A stove is an enclosed heated space. The term is commonly taken to mean an enclosed space in which fuel is burned to provide heating, either to heat the space in which the stove is situated or to heat the stove itself, and items placed on it...
s and was also president or director of several other Hamilton area concerns. He was also involved with municipal governance as one of the city's first hydro commissioners and also served as an appointee on various other municipal boards.
He was appointed to the Senate in 1915 by Sir 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...
and sat as a Conservative.
Background
Milne was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. He left school at the age of 14 to apprentice as an iron moulder. In 1854, he immigrated with his family to Ontario and Milne joined Gurneys and Carpenter where he continued his training.After attempting to establish his own business, he joined Hamilton Malleable Iron Works in 1867 as a moulder and became partner in 1872 in what became Burrow, Stewart, and Milne. In the early years the company made castings for harness equipment and saddlery gear such as curry-combs, but soon shifted focus shifted to scales and stoves producing the Jewel and Victory lines of stoves and ranges which were sold across Canada.
In order to support his business, he became involved with the steel industry and is credited with bringing about the merger of several steel companies to found the Steel Company of Canada (Stelco).
Milne also supported the construction of public libraries
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
in Hamilton serving on the library board from 1903 to 1921 and as chairman of the building and finance committee from 1911 to 1912.
Milne was a supporter of Sir John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
's National Policy
National Policy
The National Policy was a Canadian economic program introduced by John A. Macdonald's Conservative Party in 1876 and put into action in 1879. It called for high tariffs on imported manufactured items to protect the manufacturing industry...
, believing in protectionism
Protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow "fair competition" between imports and goods and services produced domestically.This...
for Canadian industries, and joined the Conservative Party in 1876 and served as president of Hamilton's Conservative Association for 23 years.
During his seven years in the Senate, Milne spoke on the issues of manufacturing, supported tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s against foreign imports, and spoke against trade unionism.