William Melville Martin

William Melville Martin (August 23, 1876 – June 22, 1970) served as the second premier of Saskatchewan from 1916 to 1922. In 1916, although not a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Martin was elected leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party, succeeding Premier Walter Scott and thus became Premier of Saskatchewan.

The Honourable William Melville Martin
2nd Premier of Saskatchewan
In office October 20, 1916 – April 5, 1922
Monarch	George V
Lieutenant Governor	Richard Stuart Lake Henry William Newlands
Preceded by	Walter Scott
Succeeded by	Charles Avery Dunning
President of the Executive Council
In office October 20, 1917 – April 5, 1922
Preceded by	James Alexander Calder
Succeeded by	Charles Avery Dunning
Minister of Education
In office October 20, 1916 – June 14, 1921
Preceded by	Walter Scott
Succeeded by	Samuel John Latta
Minister of Railways
In office February 15, 1919 – April 5, 1922
Preceded by	Charles Avery Dunning
Succeeded by	Charles Avery Dunning
Minister of Telephones and Telegraphs
In office March 1, 1921 – March 28, 1921
Preceded by	William Erskine Knowles
Succeeded by	John Archibald Maharg
Attorney General
In office March 14, 1921 – April 5, 1922
Preceded by	William F. A. Turgeon
Succeeded by	James Albert Cross
Minister of Telephones and Telegraphs
In office June 14, 1921 – April 5, 1922
Preceded by	John Archibald Maharg
Succeeded by	Archibald Peter McNab
Leader of the Liberal Party of Saskatchewan
In office October 16, 1916 – 1922
Preceded by	Walter Scott
Succeeded by	Charles Avery Dunning
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for Regina City
In office November 13, 1916 – April 22, 1922
Preceded by	James Franklin Bole
Succeeded by	James Albert Cross
Member of the Canadian Parliament for Regina
In office October 26, 1908 – November 13, 1916
Preceded by	New constituency
Succeeded by	Walter Davy Cowan
Chief Justice of Saskatchewan
In office 1941–1961
Preceded by	William F. A. Turgeon
Succeeded by	Emmett Matthew Hall
Puisne Justice of the Court of Appeal of Saskatchewan
In office 1922–1941
Personal details
Born	(1876-08-23)August 23, 1876 Norwich, Ontario, Canada
Died	June 22, 1970(1970-06-22) (aged 93) Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Resting place	Regina Cemetery, Regina
Political party	Saskatchewan Liberal Party
Other political affiliations	Liberal Party of Canada
Spouse	Violette Florence Thomason
Relations	Beattie Martin (brother) Gordon Beattie Martin (nephew)
Children	Three sons
Education	B.A. (Classics) Teacher certificate
Alma mater	University of Toronto Ontario School of Pedagogy Osgoode Hall Law School
Profession	Teacher Lawyer

Prior to entering provincial politics, Martin had been a member of the federal Parliament for two terms, as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.

On his retirement from politics, he was appointed to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, serving first as a puisne justice and then as Chief Justice of Saskatchewan.

Early life

Martin was born in Norwich, Ontario. In 1898, he earned an honours degree in Classics from the University of Toronto, and then a Teacher Certificate from the Ontario School of Pedagogy. After teaching for two years, he attended Osgoode Hall Law School and qualified as a lawyer.

In 1903, he moved to Regina and joined the law firm of his cousin, James Balfour. The Balfour and Martin families had been active in Liberal politics in Ontario, and the Balfour law firm was similarly active in Liberal politics in Saskatchewan.

In 1905, Martin married Violette Florence Thompson of Mitchell, Ontario. The couple had three sons.

Member of Parliament

Martin was elected to the House of Commons for Regina in the 1908 Canadian federal election. As a Liberal, he supported the government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. He was a strong representative for western interests, including expansion of railway infrastructure, regulation of freight rates, incorporation of grain grower associations, and other farmer interests. He also commented on law reform issues and matters related to the North-West Mounted Police.

He was re-elected in the 1911 Canadian federal election, as a strong supporter of the Liberal platform for "Unrestricted Reciprocity" (free trade) with the United States. However, the Liberal government was defeated by the Conservative Party under Robert Borden, largely on the reciprocity issue.

Premier of Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan Liberal Party had held office under Premier Walter Scott since Saskatchewan had joined Confederation in 1905. By 1916, the Liberal government was facing allegations of corruption and Premier Scott was having mental health problems. The government was also involved in a bitter dispute over funding for separate schools. Martin, as an outsider to provincial politics, was recruited by the provincial Liberals to help distance them from allegations of corruption and to respond to the school funding issue. In 1916, he was elected as leader of the provincial party, becoming premier. He resigned his seat in the House of Commons and was then acclaimed in a by-election to the Legislative Assembly, in a seat vacated by a Liberal member. Although Martin became premier in 1916, he did not become President of the Executive Council of Saskatchewan until 1917, the only premier who was not President of the Executive Council throughout his term as premier.

To deal with the school issue, Martin himself took the education portfolio. He was the Minister of Education for most of his time as premier. He was also the Minister of Railways and the Minister of Telephones and Telegraphs, reflecting the importance of infrastructure developments in the young province.

Charles Avery Dunning, appointed Provincial Treasurer in Martin's Cabinet

Martin brought farmers' advocate Charles A. Dunning into the cabinet in an attempt to revitalise the Liberals and maintain support from farmers, appointing him to the important position of Provincial Treasurer, a position Dunning was to hold for almost ten years. Dunning had been an active member of the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association, and the general manager of the highly successful Saskatchewan Co-operative Elevator Company. Martin also instituted reforms to clean up the government. These changes were successful in cleansing the government's image, and Martin led the government to re-election in the 1917 election, winning 51 of 59 seats.

That same year, there was a federal election which was fought largely on the issue of conscription to raise troops for the Canadian army fighting in France. Many federal Liberals joined in a coalition with the federal Conservatives to form a Union government. Martin supported those Liberals who joined the Union government.

The United Farmers and Progressive movements were riding a national wave of agrarian discontent which undercut the Liberals across Canada, and threatened to engulf the Saskatchewan Liberals as well. Martin successfully embraced the populist movement. In addition to bringing in Dunning in 1916, by 1920 he severed ties with the federal Liberal Party of Canada. He also recruited another farm leader into the government, federal Progressive MP John Archibald Maharg. Like Dunning, Maharg had strong roots in the farm co-operative community. He was the president of both the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association and the Saskatchewan Co-operative Elevator Company. Maharg agreed to support the government, but as an independent member, not as a Liberal. With these strong farm representatives supporting his government, Martin and the Liberals kept farm support and were able to resist the Progressive challenge in the 1921 election. The Martin government was returned to power, although with a reduced majority of 46 Liberals in the 63 seat Assembly. Martin kept Dunning on as Provincial Treasurer and appointed Maharg as Minister of Agriculture, a key position in a province with a farm-based economy.

John Archibald Maharg, whose resignation ended Martin's government

A political crisis developed, however, during the federal election of late 1921. The federal Progressives continued to oppose the federal Liberals. Premier Martin participated in the federal election at the local level, campaigning for the federal Liberals, particularly the Liberal candidate in Regina, Martin's old seat. Martin also stated that he could not personally support a number of the Progressives' policy proposals. Martin's support for the federal Liberals angered the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association, which began to explore the possibility of forming a new farmer-based party. Maharg accused Martin of acting in bad faith and resigned from Cabinet. He crossed the floor and eventually became the Leader of the Opposition.

Maharg's resignation, the threat that the Grain Growers would start a farmer party, and the issue of supporting the federal Liberals, all led to a political crisis within the provincial Liberal party. Martin lost support and eventually resigned in 1922, at the age of 46. He was replaced as party leader and as premier by Charles Dunning.

Judicial career

Martin retired from politics in 1922 and was appointed a judge of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal. In 1941 he was appointed Chief Justice of Saskatchewan, a post he held until his retirement in 1961 at the age of 84.

While on the Court of Appeal, he also served as a commissioner on the Royal Commission on Reconveyance of Land to British Columbia, which contributed to the re-transfer of the Railway Belt and Peace River Block from the federal government to the province of British Columbia.

Legacy

Martin Collegiate, a high school in Regina, is named in his honour.

Electoral record

Martin ranks tenth out of the fifteen premiers of Saskatchewan for time in office. He served one continuous term, from October 20, 1916, to April 5, 1922, and was in office for 5 years, 167 days. He was elected three times to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. Prior to entering provincial politics, Martin was elected twice to the federal House of Commons, serving for 7 years, 359 days. His total electoral service, federal and provincial, was 13 years, 161 days.

Martin led the Saskatchewan Liberals in two general elections, winning both. He stood for election at the constituency level five times, three times provincially and twice federally. He was acclaimed once and elected four times in contested elections. He was never defeated at the polls.

Saskatchewan general elections, 1917 and 1921

Martin led the Liberal Party in two general elections, winning a majority government both times (1917 and 1921).

1917 General election

For more detailed tables of election results, see Saskatchewan general election, 1917.

For information about the 4th Legislature, 1917 to 1921, see 4th Saskatchewan Legislature.

Half a year after becoming Premier, Martin led the Liberals in the general election of 1917. In spite of the corruption allegations which had dogged the Liberals, he managed to win a majority government, defeating the Conservatives led by Wellington Willoughby, as well as candidates of third parties, none of whom won a seat. One independent candidate was elected.

Saskatchewan General Election: June 26, 1917

Party		Leaders	Candidates	Seats Won	Popular Vote	Popular Vote Percentage
	Liberal	William Melville Martin1	58	51	106,552	56.68%
	Conservative	Wellington Willoughby2	53	7	68,243	36.30%
	Nonpartisan League	–	7	0	7,267	3.87%
	Independent	–	10	1	4,440	2.36%
	Labour	–	2	0	1,474	0.79%
Total			130	593	187,976	100.00%
Source: Elections Saskatchewan – Elections Results – 1917

¹ Premier when election was called; Premier after the election.
² Leader of the Opposition when the election was called; Leader of the Opposition after the election.
³After the general election was held, there were special elections amongst Saskatchewanians serving overseas in the Great War. Three additional members were elected: one from Saskatchewanians serving in Great Britain, one from Saskatchewanians serving in France, and one from Saskatchewanians serving in Belgium, for a total of 62 members in the 4th Legislative Assembly.

1921 General election

For more detailed tables of election results, see Saskatchewan general election, 1921.

For information about the 5th Legislature, 1921 to 1925, see 5th Saskatchewan Legislature.

In 1921, Martin led the Liberals into a second general election and again won a majority government, albeit with a smaller share of the popular vote and a reduction in the number of seats in the Assembly. The political opponents of the government fractured badly, leading to Saskatchewan's first major multi-party election. The Conservative Party entered the election without a formal leader, as the previous leader, Donald Maclean, had accepted a federal judicial appointment just two months before the election.

Saskatchewan General Election: June 9, 1921

Party		Leaders	Candidates	Seats Won	Popular Vote	Popular Vote Percentage
	Liberal	William Melville Martin1	60	46	92,983	51.39%
	Independent	–	35	7	46,556	25.73%
	Progressive	–	7	6	13,613	7.52%
	Conservative	–	4	2	7,133	3.94%
	Independent Conservative	–	3	1	6,295	3.48%
	Independent Pro-Government	–	1	1	Acclaimed	–
	Labour	–	3	0	6,034	3.34%
	Nonpartisan League	–	3	0	3,735	2.06%
	Independent Labour	–	1	0	1,690	0.93%
	Government	–	1	0	1,510	0.84%
	Independent Non-partisan	–	1	0	1,400	0.77%
Total			119	63	180,949	100.00%
Source: Elections Saskatchewan – Elections Results – 1921

¹ Premier when election was called; Premier after the election.

Saskatchewan constituency elections, 1916 to 1921

Martin stood for election to the Legislative Assembly three times, once in a by-election and in two general elections, all in the riding of Regina City. He was acclaimed in the by-election, and won the next two elections, which were contested.

1916 By-election: Regina City

Provincial By-Election, November 13, 1916: Regina City

Party		Candidate	Popular Vote	%
	Liberal	E William Melville Martin	Acclaimed	–
Total			–	–
Source: Saskatchewan Archives – Election Results by Electoral Division

The by-election was called on the resignation of the sitting Liberal member, James Franklin Bole, to allow Premier Martin to win a seat in the Assembly.

E Elected.

1917 General election: Regina City

Provincial General Election, June 26, 1917: Regina City

Party		Candidate	Popular Vote	%
	Liberal	E X William Melville Martin	3,420	57.15%
	Conservative	John Fletcher Leopold Embury	2,564	42.85%
Total			5,984	100.00%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives – Election Results by Electoral Division

E Elected.
X Incumbent.

1921 General election: Regina City

Provincial General Election, June 9, 1921: Regina City - Two Members

Party		Candidate	Popular Vote	%
	Liberal	E X William Melville Martin	7,540	35.56%
	Liberal	E X James Albert Cross	5,952	28.07%
	Independent	X Frederick Bagshaw	3,500	16.50%
	Labour	Harry Perry	2,413	11.38%
	Independent	Henry Black	1,801	8.49%
Total			21,206	100.00%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives – Election Results by Electoral Division

E Elected. The constituency returned two members at that time.
X Incumbents. Cross and Bagshaw had both been soldier-members of the Legislative Assembly from 1917 to 1921. Cross was elected by Canadian soldiers in Great Britain, while Bagshaw was elected by Canadian soldiers in Belgium. Since they were both members at large they are listed as incumbents, although neither had held the Regina seat prior to the 1921 election.

Federal constituency elections, 1908 and 1911

Martin stood for election to the House of Commons twice, in the riding of Regina, Saskatchewan. He was elected both times.

1908 General election: Regina

Federal Election, 1908: Regina, Saskatchewan

Party		Candidate	Popular Vote	%
	Liberal	E William Melville Martin	4,304	54.84%
	Conservative	Thomas Wilkinson	3,544	45.16%
Total			7,848	100.00%
Source: Library of Parliament

E Elected.

1911 General election: Regina

Federal Election, 1911: Regina, Saskatchewan

Party		Candidate	Popular Vote	%
	Liberal	E X William Melville Martin	5,811	54.63%
	Conservative	Walter Davy Cowan	4,081	38.37%
	Independent	Richard Fletcher	745	7.00%
Total			10,637	100.00%
Source: Library of Parliament

E Elected.
X Incumbent.

External links

• University of Regina Archer Library — Saskatchewan Politics Research Guide: William Melville Martin