Charles Rhodes Smith
Encyclopedia
Charles Rhodes Smith (March 20, 1896 – September 30, 1993) was a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
from 1941 to 1952 as a Liberal-Progressive
, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Stuart Garson
and Douglas Campbell
.
, Manitoba, Smith was educated at the University of Manitoba
and Oxford University, receiving M.A.
, LL.B. and B.C.L. degrees. He worked as a barrister, and was also a lecturer at the Manitoba Law School. From 1935 to 1941, he served as an alderman
in the City of Winnipeg. Smith was also a member of the O.C. 104th Company, and received the rank of Major in 1941.
In the 1941 provincial election
, Smith was a star candidate for the Liberal-Progressives in the Winnipeg constituency. During this period, Winnipeg elected ten members via a single transferable ballot. Smith finished third on the first count with 4,955 votes, and was declared elected on the second count following transfers from fellow Liberal-Progressive J.S. McDiarmid. He served as a government backbencher in the parliament which followed.
. He fell to fifth place on the first count, but was elected on the eleventh count following transfers from Paul Bardal
, another Liberal-Progressive. On February 15, 1946, he was appointed Minister of Labour in the government of Stuart Garson. When Douglas Campbell became Premier
on December 14, 1948, promoted Smith to Minister of Education.
Winnipeg's electoral map was redrawn before the 1949 provincial election
, with the single ten-member constituency replaced by three four-member constituencies. Smith ran for re-election in Winnipeg Centre, and was elected on the first count following a first-place finish. On August 16, 1950, he was promoted again to Attorney General of Manitoba.
Despite the party's name, the Liberal-Progressives were further to the right than the other major political parties in Manitoba. CCF leader Lloyd Stinson
once described Smith as "the only genuine liberal in the Campbell cabinet". There are rumours that Smith came within one vote of defeating Campbell to become leader of the Liberal-Progressive Party, at a private caucus vote held in late 1948.
He was considered to be a gentlemanly and dignified figure, and as one of the most intelligent members of the house.
. Named to the Manitoba Court of Appeal
in 1966, he became its chief justice
the following year.
In 1971, he began working on a comprehensive inquiry for the provincial government of Edward Schreyer
, examining the legal and financial development of the Churchill Forest Industries in The Pas
. Later in the decade, he chaired a separate inquiry into flooding policies and aboriginal rights in northern Manitoba.
Smith was the father-in-law of Muriel Smith
, who was a provincial cabinet minister in the government of Howard Pawley
.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
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...
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
from 1941 to 1952 as a Liberal-Progressive
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Stuart Garson
Stuart Garson
Stuart Sinclair Garson, was a Canadian politician and lawyer. He served as the 12th Premier of Manitoba from 1943 to 1948, and later became a federal cabinet minister....
and Douglas Campbell
Douglas Lloyd Campbell
Douglas Lloyd Campbell, OC was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as the 13th Premier of Manitoba from 1948 to 1958...
.
Education and early career
Born in Portage la PrairiePortage la Prairie, Manitoba
-Transportation:Portage la Prairie railway station is served by Via Rail with both The Canadian and Winnipeg – Churchill trains calling at the station....
, Manitoba, Smith was educated at the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
and Oxford University, receiving M.A.
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, LL.B. and B.C.L. degrees. He worked as a barrister, and was also a lecturer at the Manitoba Law School. From 1935 to 1941, he served as an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in the City of Winnipeg. Smith was also a member of the O.C. 104th Company, and received the rank of Major in 1941.
In the 1941 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1941
Manitoba's general election of April 22, 1941 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was held shortly after the formation of a coalition government in December 1940...
, Smith was a star candidate for the Liberal-Progressives in the Winnipeg constituency. During this period, Winnipeg elected ten members via a single transferable ballot. Smith finished third on the first count with 4,955 votes, and was declared elected on the second count following transfers from fellow Liberal-Progressive J.S. McDiarmid. He served as a government backbencher in the parliament which followed.
Political success
Smith was re-elected in the 1945 provincial electionManitoba general election, 1945
Manitoba's general election of October 15, 1945 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The 1945 provincial election was extremely different from the previous election, which was held in 1941...
. He fell to fifth place on the first count, but was elected on the eleventh count following transfers from Paul Bardal
Paul Bardal
Paul Bardal was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as a Liberal-Progressive MLA from 1941 to 1945, and again from 1949 to 1953....
, another Liberal-Progressive. On February 15, 1946, he was appointed Minister of Labour in the government of Stuart Garson. When Douglas Campbell became Premier
Premier of Manitoba
The Premier of Manitoba is the first minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. Until the early 1970s, the title "Prime Minister of Manitoba" was used frequently. Afterwards, the word Premier, derived from the French...
on December 14, 1948, promoted Smith to Minister of Education.
Winnipeg's electoral map was redrawn before the 1949 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1949
Manitoba's general election of November 10, 1949 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election pitted the province's coalition government, made up of the Liberal-Progressive Party and the Progressive Conservative Party, against a variety of...
, with the single ten-member constituency replaced by three four-member constituencies. Smith ran for re-election in Winnipeg Centre, and was elected on the first count following a first-place finish. On August 16, 1950, he was promoted again to Attorney General of Manitoba.
Despite the party's name, the Liberal-Progressives were further to the right than the other major political parties in Manitoba. CCF leader Lloyd Stinson
Lloyd Stinson
Lloyd Stinson was a politician in Manitoba, Canada, and the leader of that province's Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1953 to 1959. Although widely regarded as a capable leader, he was unable to achieve a major electoral breakthrough for his party.Stinson was born in Treherne,...
once described Smith as "the only genuine liberal in the Campbell cabinet". There are rumours that Smith came within one vote of defeating Campbell to become leader of the Liberal-Progressive Party, at a private caucus vote held in late 1948.
He was considered to be a gentlemanly and dignified figure, and as one of the most intelligent members of the house.
Later career
He resigned from the legislature in 1952 to become chair of the Federal Restrictive Trade Practices Commission. A year later, he was named chair of the Canada Labor Relations Board. In 1963, he was appointed Judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of ManitobaCourt of Queen's Bench of Manitoba
The Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba is the superior court of the Canadian province of Manitoba...
. Named to the Manitoba Court of Appeal
Manitoba Court of Appeal
The Manitoba Court of Appeal is the highest Court of Appeal in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was established in 1906. It is located in the Old Law Courts building at 408 York Avenue in Winnipeg, the capital city of Manitoba...
in 1966, he became its chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
the following year.
In 1971, he began working on a comprehensive inquiry for the provincial government of Edward Schreyer
Edward Schreyer
Edward Richard Schreyer , commonly known as Ed Schreyer, is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 22nd since Canadian Confederation....
, examining the legal and financial development of the Churchill Forest Industries in The Pas
The Pas, Manitoba
The Pas is a town in Manitoba, Canada, located in Division No. 21, Manitoba in the Northern Region, some 630 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, near the border of Saskatchewan. It is sometimes still called Paskoyac by locals as the first trading post was called Fort Paskoyac...
. Later in the decade, he chaired a separate inquiry into flooding policies and aboriginal rights in northern Manitoba.
Smith was the father-in-law of Muriel Smith
Muriel Smith
Muriel Smith, OC is a Manitoba politician. She ran for the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba in 1979, and subsequently served in the cabinet of NDP Premier Howard Pawley....
, who was a provincial cabinet minister in the government of Howard Pawley
Howard Pawley
Howard Russell Pawley, PC, OC, OM is a Canadian politician and professor who was the 18th Premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988.-Personal life:...
.