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1914 Manitoba general election

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The 1914 Manitoba general election was held on July 10, 1914 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.

The result was a fifth consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party, led by premier Rodmond Roblin. The result, however, was much closer than in the previous general elections of 1903, 1907 and 1910.

Former Conservative leader Hugh John Macdonald believed that the party was hurt by its 1912 amendments to the Manitoba education code. Although Education Minister George R. Coldwell insisted the amendments were only meant to clarify existing provisions, many voters believed the Roblin government wanted to re-introduce funding for separate Roman Catholic schools.[1] The government was also weakened by a corruption scandal involving the construction of new legislative buildings.

The Conservatives won twenty-eight seats, against twenty for the Liberal Party under Tobias Norris. Independent candidate Fred Dixon was also elected, with support from both the Liberals and the Labour Representation Committee. This election re-established the Liberals as a credible government-in-waiting.

Early in 1915, Roblin's administration was forced to resign from office after a report commissioned by the Lieutenant Governor found his government guilty of corruption in the awarding of contracts for new legislative buildings. Norris's Liberals were called to form a new administration, although they did not hold a majority of seats in the legislature. A new election was held, which the Liberals won in a landslide.

Electoral system

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In this election Manitoba used a mixture of multi-member districts and single-member districts. In the multi-member districts - Winnipeg North, Winnipeg South and Winnipeg Centre - each member was elected in a separate contest through First past the post.

In each single-member district the member was elected through First past the post.

Results

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Party Party leader # of
candidates 		Seats Popular vote
1910 Elected % Change # % % Change
  Conservative Rodmond Roblin   28 28 - 68434 46.9  
  Liberal Tobias Norris   13 20 +53.8% 61797 42.36  
  Independent   - 1        
Total   41 49 +19.5% 145885 100%  

The appearance of "third party" candidates presaged later developments when farmers and workers in such bodies as Independent Labour Party, the CCF and the NDP would play larger role in elections. Note two Labour Representation League candidates, in Assiniboia and Elmwood, and candidacy of Ferley (later ILP councillor on Winnipeg city council) in Mountain,[2] as well as the successful campaign of Independent (Labour) candidate Fred Dixon, who would serve nine years as MLA.

Popular vote
Conservative
 
 46.91%
Liberal
 
 42.36%
Others
 
 10.73%
Seats summary
Conservative
 
 57.14%
Liberal
 
 40.82%
Others
 
 2.04%

Riding results

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Arthur:

Assiniboia:

Beautiful Plains:

Birtle:

Brandon City:

Carillon:

Churchill and Nelson:

Cypress:

Dauphin:

Deloraine:

Dufferin:

Elmwood:

Emerson:

Gilbert Plains:

  • (incumbent)Sam Hughes (C) 1471
  • G.D. Shortreed (L) 996

Gimli:

Gladstone:

Glenwood:

Grand Rapids (17 August):

Hamiota:

Iberville:

Kildonan & St. Andrews:

Killarney:

La Verendrye:

Lakeside:

Lansdowne:

Manitou:

Minnedosa:

Morden and Rhineland:

Morris:

Mountain:

  • (incumbent)James Baird (L) 1200
  • John T. Dale (C) 598
  • A.D. Craig (Ind) 306 (His grass-roots platform, which included Direct Legislation and Proportional representation, described in Grain Growers Guide, May 4, 1914, p. 27)

Norfolk:

Portage la Prairie:

Roblin:

Rockwood:

Russell:

St. Boniface:

St. Clements:

St. George:

Ste. Rose:

Swan River:

The Pas (27 July):

Turtle Mountain:

Virden:

Winnipeg Centre "A":

Winnipeg Centre "B":

Winnipeg North "A":

Winnipeg North "B":

Winnipeg South "A":

Winnipeg South "B":

Post-election changes

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Dufferin (res. Rodmond Roblin, May 12, 1915)

Further reading

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  • Hopkins, J. Castell (1915). The Canadian Annual Review of Public Affairs, 1914. Toronto: The Annual Review Publishing Company.

References

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  1. ^ "Manitoba Pageant: My Dear Campbell".
  2. ^ Grain Growers Guide, March 4, 1914
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