John Archibald Maharg
Encyclopedia
John Archibald Maharg was a Saskatchewan
politician.
Born in Orangeville, Ontario
, Maharg moved west and settled near Moose Jaw in 1890 where he became a grain farmer and cattle breeder. He helped organize the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association becoming its first president from 1910 to 1923. The SGGA obtained loans from the government to build grain elevators and formed the Saskatchewan Co-operative Elevator Company with Maharg as founding president. He also served as president of the Canadian Council of Agriculture from 1915 to 1917.
Maharg entered politics and was elected as the Member of Parliament
representing Maple Creek
in the Canadian House of Commons
as a Unionist. In 1919 he crossed the floor to join Thomas Crerar
and other MPs to form the populist Progressive Party of Canada
.
In 1921, Meharg was recruited by Premier
William Melville Martin
to join the Liberal government of Saskatchewan as Minister of Agriculture. He did not join the Liberal Party, however, and was elected to the Saskatchewan legislature as an Independent in the 1921 general election
for the district of Morse
.
A political crisis developed, however, when Premier Martin campaigned for the federal Liberal Party of Canada
against a Progressive candidate in Regina thus angering the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association which had backed the Progressive candidate. Martin declared his opposition to a number of Progressive policies during the campaign leading Maharg, a Progressive supporter, to declare that the Premier had acted in bad faith and resign from Cabinet
in protest. The split in the Martin Cabinet led to the Premier's resignation and his replacement by Charles Dunning
. Maharg served as Leader of the Opposition
until leaving politics in 1924.
Following his political career Maharg returned to farming and also served as the Co-operative Elevator Company's representative on the provisional board of the newly formed Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
politician.
Born in Orangeville, Ontario
Orangeville, Ontario
Orangeville is a town in south-central Ontario, Canada, and the seat of Dufferin County.-History:Before European settlers, Orangeville was thought to be a native hunting ground...
, Maharg moved west and settled near Moose Jaw in 1890 where he became a grain farmer and cattle breeder. He helped organize the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association becoming its first president from 1910 to 1923. The SGGA obtained loans from the government to build grain elevators and formed the Saskatchewan Co-operative Elevator Company with Maharg as founding president. He also served as president of the Canadian Council of Agriculture from 1915 to 1917.
Maharg entered politics and was elected as the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
representing Maple Creek
Maple Creek (electoral district)
Maple Creek was a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1953. This riding was created in 1914 from parts of Moose Jaw riding....
in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as a Unionist. In 1919 he crossed the floor to join Thomas Crerar
Thomas Crerar
Thomas Alexander Crerar, was a western Canadian politician and a leader of the short-lived Progressive Party of Canada. He was born in Molesworth, Ontario, and moved to Manitoba at a young age....
and other MPs to form the populist Progressive Party of Canada
Progressive Party of Canada
The Progressive Party of Canada was a political party in Canada in the 1920s and 1930s. It was linked with the provincial United Farmers parties in several provinces and, in Manitoba, ran candidates and formed governments as the Progressive Party of Manitoba...
.
In 1921, Meharg was recruited by Premier
Premier of Saskatchewan
The Premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
William Melville Martin
William Melville Martin
William Melville Martin served as the second Premier of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan from 1916 to 1922....
to join the Liberal government of Saskatchewan as Minister of Agriculture. He did not join the Liberal Party, however, and was elected to the Saskatchewan legislature as an Independent in the 1921 general election
Saskatchewan general election, 1921
The Saskatchewan general election of 1921 was the fifth provincial election held in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was held on June 9, 1921 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....
for the district of Morse
Morse (provincial electoral district)
Morse is a former provincial electoral division for the Legislative Assembly of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, centered on the town of Morse, Saskatchewan. The district was created before the 3rd Saskatchewan general election in 1912, and abolished before the 23rd Saskatchewan general...
.
A political crisis developed, however, when Premier Martin campaigned for the federal Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
against a Progressive candidate in Regina thus angering the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association which had backed the Progressive candidate. Martin declared his opposition to a number of Progressive policies during the campaign leading Maharg, a Progressive supporter, to declare that the Premier had acted in bad faith and resign from Cabinet
Executive Council of Saskatchewan
The Executive Council of Saskatchewan is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
in protest. The split in the Martin Cabinet led to the Premier's resignation and his replacement by Charles Dunning
Charles Avery Dunning
Charles Avery Dunning, PC was born in Croft, Leicestershire, England. During his career, he was a successful businessman, a Canadian politician , and a university chancellor.-Early life:...
. Maharg served as Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Saskatchewan)
A list of parliamentary opposition leaders in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, from 1906 to the present. There was no designated Leader of the Opposition for the sessions of 1921 and 1922.In the period 1925-1929 C.E. Tran and J.T.M...
until leaving politics in 1924.
Following his political career Maharg returned to farming and also served as the Co-operative Elevator Company's representative on the provisional board of the newly formed Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool was a grain handling, agri-food processing and marketing company based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Pool created a network of marketing alliances in North America and internationally which made it the largest agricultural grain handling operation in the province of...
.
See also
- Progressive Party of SaskatchewanProgressive Party of SaskatchewanThe Progressive Party of Saskatchewan was a provincial section of the Progressive Party of Canada and was active from the 1920s to the mid-1930s...