Seymour J. Farmer
Encyclopedia
Seymour James Farmer was a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served as the 30th mayor
of Winnipeg from 1923 to 1924, and was later the leader of the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
from 1935 to 1947. In the latter capacity, he became the first socialist
politician in Canada
to receive a cabinet
post.
Farmer was born in Cardiff, Wales. He moved to Canada in 1901, and worked as a railway clerk. In 1910, he was Fred Dixon
's campaign manager in the latter's unsuccessful bid for election to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
. He became an accountant for the International Grain Company in 1913, and retained this position until 1927.
Along with Dixon, Farmer opposed conscription
during the First World War
. During the Conscription Crisis of 1917
, he was nominated by the Anti-Conscription League to contest the federal riding of Winnipeg Centre
in the 1917 federal election
; he resigned in favour of another labour candidate, however.
Farmer supported the Winnipeg General Strike, and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1919 and 1920. In December 1920, he was one of the founding members of Manitoba's Independent Labour Party
. He considered running for the federal riding of Winnipeg Centre
in the 1921 election
, but withdrew in favour of J.S. Woodsworth.
Farmer was elected mayor of Winnipeg in 1922 and 1923, although he could not command majority support from the city's councillors on either occasion. He was defeated by Ralph Webb in 1924, though he subsequently served as a councillor in 1928 and 1929, and again in the 1930s.
Farmer was also elected to the provincial legislature for Winnipeg in the 1922 election
, along with fellow ILP members Fred Dixon
, John Queen
and William Ivens
. He was re-elected in the 1927
and 1932 elections
, and replaced Queen as party leader in 1935.
Farmer's early years as party leader were marked by conflict between the ILP and the newly formed Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
. In 1933, the ILP agreed to affiliate with the CCF and support the latter party's skeletal network in the province. By 1936, the CCF had grown into a more powerful organization, and many ILP members were concerned about their autonomy. There were ideological differences between the two groups: the ILP was exclusively a labour party, whereas the CCF wanted to reach out to farmers as well.
For the provincial election of 1936
, the party campaigned under the "ILP-CCF" banner and increased their standing to seven seats. After the election, a group of disgruntled ILP members forced a temporarily disaffiliation from the CCF. Pressure from David Lewis
and J.S. Woodsworth brought the two parties back in alignment, but their relationship remained tenuous.
At the start of World War II
, Farmer approved of J.S. Woodsworth's pacifist stance in the Canadian House of Commons
and endorsed the CCF's call to conscript "wealth rather than men" for the war effort. Most in the ILP supported an all-out war effort, however, which further exacerbated tensions between the groups. The ILP finally dissolved in 1943, after its internal operations were taken over by CCF loyalists.
Throughout the 1930s, Manitoba Premier
John Bracken
had attempted to bring the province's opposition parties into a "non-partisan" coalition government
. Bracken's Progressives
absorbed the provincial Liberals in 1932, but the other parties turned down his requests on two separate occasions. With the start of the war, however, "non-party" government became a more viable option. The Conservative
s and Social Credit
joined the government in 1940; despite opposition from David Lewis
, Farmer was able to convince the CCF to do the same.
Farmer argued (somewhat dubiously) that Bracken was willing to adopt labour-friendly policies, and that the CCF would benefit more from joining government than from being the sole group in opposition. He also argued that an all-party government would defer the next provincial election for a year, and allow the CCF more time to organize. Lewis eventually resigned himself to the alliance, and the CCF entered Manitoba's government in late 1940. Farmer became the first socialist politician in Canada to receive a cabinet portfolio, being sworn in as Minister of Labour on 4 November.
By any measurement, the CCF's tenure in government was a disaster for the party. While the Conservatives were fully integrated into the management of the province, Social Credit and the CCF were marginalized. Bracken forced Farmer's labour legislation to face free votes in the legislature; these soon took the form of party votes, with the CCF invariably on the losing side.
The Manitoba CCF
was demoralized in the election of 1941
. Keeping an earlier pledge, it only contested ten ridings, and fell from seven to three members.
Support for the CCF rose nationally throughout 1942, and there was a growing desire among many in the Manitoba party to leave the coalition. Farmer resigned from cabinet in December 1942, and the CCF formally left the government the following year.
Farmer continued as party leader through the election of 1945
. This campaign was a disappointment to the party—although it received more votes than the governing Liberal-Progressives
(35% to 33%), it won only ten seats in the legislature. Farmer resigned as party leader in June 1947, and was replaced the following year by E.A. Hansford.
Farmer did not contest the election of 1949. He died on January 16, 1951.
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 as the 30th mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Winnipeg from 1923 to 1924, and was later the leader of the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Cooperative Commonwealth Federation , known informally as the Manitoba CCF, was a provincial branch of the national Canadian party by the same name. The national CCF was the dominant social-democratic party in Canada from the 1930s to the early 1960s, when it merged with the labour movement...
from 1935 to 1947. In the latter capacity, he became the first socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
politician in 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...
to receive a cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
post.
Farmer was born in Cardiff, Wales. He moved to Canada in 1901, and worked as a railway clerk. In 1910, he was Fred Dixon
Fred Dixon
Fred Dixon was a Manitoba politician, and was for several years the dominant figure in the province's mainstream labour movement.Born in Englefield, England, Dixon was not a socialist...
's campaign manager in the latter's unsuccessful bid for election to 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...
. He became an accountant for the International Grain Company in 1913, and retained this position until 1927.
Along with Dixon, Farmer opposed conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. During the Conscription Crisis of 1917
Conscription Crisis of 1917
The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War I.-Background:...
, he was nominated by the Anti-Conscription League to contest the federal riding of Winnipeg Centre
Winnipeg Centre
Winnipeg Centre is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1925 and since 1997...
in the 1917 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1917
The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...
; he resigned in favour of another labour candidate, however.
Farmer supported the Winnipeg General Strike, and ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1919 and 1920. In December 1920, he was one of the founding members of Manitoba's Independent Labour Party
Independent Labour Party (in Manitoba) (II)
Prior to 1920, there were a number of groups in Winnipeg which called themselves the "Independent Labour Party". For information on these groups, see Independent Labour Party ....
. He considered running for the federal riding of Winnipeg Centre
Winnipeg Centre
Winnipeg Centre is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1925 and since 1997...
in the 1921 election
Canadian federal election, 1921
The Canadian federal election of 1921 was held on December 6, 1921 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 14th Parliament of Canada. The Union government that had governed Canada through the First World War was defeated, and replaced by a Liberal government under the young leader...
, but withdrew in favour of J.S. Woodsworth.
Farmer was elected mayor of Winnipeg in 1922 and 1923, although he could not command majority support from the city's councillors on either occasion. He was defeated by Ralph Webb in 1924, though he subsequently served as a councillor in 1928 and 1929, and again in the 1930s.
Farmer was also elected to the provincial legislature for Winnipeg in the 1922 election
Manitoba general election, 1922
Manitoba's general election of July 18, 1922 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.As in the previous election of 1920, the city of Winnipeg elected ten members by the single transferable ballot...
, along with fellow ILP members Fred Dixon
Fred Dixon
Fred Dixon was a Manitoba politician, and was for several years the dominant figure in the province's mainstream labour movement.Born in Englefield, England, Dixon was not a socialist...
, John Queen
John Queen
John Queen was a Manitoba politician, and the second parliamentary leader of that province's Independent Labour Party...
and William Ivens
William Ivens
William Ivens was a religious and political figure in Manitoba, Canada. He was a leading figure in the Winnipeg General Strike, and subsequently served as a Labour member of the Manitoba legislature from 1920 to 1936....
. He was re-elected in the 1927
Manitoba general election, 1927
Manitoba's general election of 28 June 1927 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This was the first election in Manitoba history to elect members through a single transferable ballot in all constituencies...
and 1932 elections
Manitoba general election, 1932
Manitoba's general election of June 16, 1932 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This was the second election in Manitoba where the single transferable ballot was used in all electoral divisions...
, and replaced Queen as party leader in 1935.
Farmer's early years as party leader were marked by conflict between the ILP and the newly formed Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
. In 1933, the ILP agreed to affiliate with the CCF and support the latter party's skeletal network in the province. By 1936, the CCF had grown into a more powerful organization, and many ILP members were concerned about their autonomy. There were ideological differences between the two groups: the ILP was exclusively a labour party, whereas the CCF wanted to reach out to farmers as well.
For the provincial election of 1936
Manitoba general election, 1936
Manitoba's general election of July 27, 1936 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The was the second election in Manitoba after the formation of a Liberal-Progressive alliance in 1932...
, the party campaigned under the "ILP-CCF" banner and increased their standing to seven seats. After the election, a group of disgruntled ILP members forced a temporarily disaffiliation from the CCF. Pressure from David Lewis
David Lewis (politician)
David Lewis, CC was a Russian-born Canadian labour lawyer and social democratic politician. He was national secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1936 to 1950, and one of the key architects of the New Democratic Party in 1961...
and J.S. Woodsworth brought the two parties back in alignment, but their relationship remained tenuous.
At the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Farmer approved of J.S. Woodsworth's pacifist stance 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...
and endorsed the CCF's call to conscript "wealth rather than men" for the war effort. Most in the ILP supported an all-out war effort, however, which further exacerbated tensions between the groups. The ILP finally dissolved in 1943, after its internal operations were taken over by CCF loyalists.
Throughout the 1930s, Manitoba Premier
Premier (Canada)
In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. There are currently ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers in Canada....
John Bracken
John Bracken
John Bracken, PC was an agronomist, the 11th Premier of Manitoba and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ....
had attempted to bring the province's opposition parties into a "non-partisan" coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
. Bracken's Progressives
Progressive Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Party of Manitoba, Canada, was a political party that developed from the United Farmers of Manitoba, an agrarian movement that became politically active following World War I...
absorbed the provincial Liberals in 1932, but the other parties turned down his requests on two separate occasions. With the start of the war, however, "non-party" government became a more viable option. The Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
s and Social Credit
Manitoba Social Credit Party
The Manitoba Social Credit Party was a political party in the Canadian province of Manitoba. In its early years, it espoused the monetary reform theories of social credit....
joined the government in 1940; despite opposition from David Lewis
David Lewis (politician)
David Lewis, CC was a Russian-born Canadian labour lawyer and social democratic politician. He was national secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1936 to 1950, and one of the key architects of the New Democratic Party in 1961...
, Farmer was able to convince the CCF to do the same.
Farmer argued (somewhat dubiously) that Bracken was willing to adopt labour-friendly policies, and that the CCF would benefit more from joining government than from being the sole group in opposition. He also argued that an all-party government would defer the next provincial election for a year, and allow the CCF more time to organize. Lewis eventually resigned himself to the alliance, and the CCF entered Manitoba's government in late 1940. Farmer became the first socialist politician in Canada to receive a cabinet portfolio, being sworn in as Minister of Labour on 4 November.
By any measurement, the CCF's tenure in government was a disaster for the party. While the Conservatives were fully integrated into the management of the province, Social Credit and the CCF were marginalized. Bracken forced Farmer's labour legislation to face free votes in the legislature; these soon took the form of party votes, with the CCF invariably on the losing side.
The Manitoba CCF
Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Cooperative Commonwealth Federation , known informally as the Manitoba CCF, was a provincial branch of the national Canadian party by the same name. The national CCF was the dominant social-democratic party in Canada from the 1930s to the early 1960s, when it merged with the labour movement...
was demoralized in the election of 1941
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...
. Keeping an earlier pledge, it only contested ten ridings, and fell from seven to three members.
Support for the CCF rose nationally throughout 1942, and there was a growing desire among many in the Manitoba party to leave the coalition. Farmer resigned from cabinet in December 1942, and the CCF formally left the government the following year.
Farmer continued as party leader through the election of 1945
Manitoba 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...
. This campaign was a disappointment to the party—although it received more votes than the governing Liberal-Progressives
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 :...
(35% to 33%), it won only ten seats in the legislature. Farmer resigned as party leader in June 1947, and was replaced the following year by E.A. Hansford.
Farmer did not contest the election of 1949. He died on January 16, 1951.