Rodmond Roblin

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Rodmond Palen Roblin

Sir Rodmond Palen Roblin , KCMG (born February 15, 1853 in Sophiasburgh , Upper Canada , † February 16, 1937 in Hot Springs , Arkansas ) was a Canadian politician and businessman . From 1888 to 1892 and from 1896 to 1915 he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba . In October 1900 he took up the office of Prime Minister and held this office until May 1915. During this time he was also the chairman of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba . A corruption scandal in the construction of the parliament building in Winnipeg forced him to resign. His nephew Dufferin Roblin ruled the province from 1958 to 1967.

biography

Palen's family came from Orange County, New York, Dutch loyalists who moved to Upper Canada (now Ontario ) in the late 18th century . After finishing his education at Albert College in Belleville , Palen moved to Manitoba. In Winnipeg and later in Carman he pursued various business activities, including as a grain dealer and owner of a department store. For five years he was mayor of the rural community of Dufferin . As a member of the Manitoba Liberal Party , he ran for election to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in December 1886 , but was defeated. He eventually won a by-election in the North Dufferin constituency in May 1888 .

Dissatisfied with the railway policy of the liberal Prime Minister Thomas Greenway , Palen switched to the opposition Conservatives in July 1889, where he quickly assumed a leading role. But in the new election in July 1892 he lost his seat in parliament. In January 1896 he moved back to Parliament, this time for the Woodlands constituency. In the December 1899 election, the Conservatives narrowly won a majority and Hugh John Macdonald became the new Prime Minister. Only eleven months later, Macdonald resigned to run (ultimately unsuccessfully) in the 1900 general election. Roblin took over the post of Prime Minister of Manitoba from Macdonald on October 29, 1900. He also chaired the Railway Commission and appointed himself Minister of Agriculture. He then held the three most influential positions in the cabinet.

Roblin ruled at a time of social and economic upheaval. The large population growth required new government services such as hospitals and schools; there was also a massive expansion of the traffic and communication infrastructure. In 1908, given the high cost and inefficiency of the telephone system, the Bell Telephone Company's facilities were nationalized, creating the first province-run company in Canada. Two years later, the government began building dozens of new grain elevators to meet demand for storage capacity.

The Conservative government was progressive economically, but not socially. Roblin spoke out strongly against women's suffrage and had violent public arguments with the prominent suffragette Nellie McClung . With regard to labor law, he also spoke out against improvements and even took steps to undermine existing laws. His predecessor Macdonald had passed a prohibition law, but Roblin was reluctant to enforce it consistently, as alcohol sales made up a significant portion of the provincial government's revenue. A referendum to abolish Prohibition in 1902 was narrowly in his favor.

In 1914, the Conservatives could barely win the election. A year earlier it had been decided to build a new parliament building, but the costs soon got out of hand. After unsuccessful requests for an investigation, the opposition turned to Lieutenant Governor Douglas Colin Cameron . This set up a commission of inquiry, which after a short time found numerous indications of corrupt machinations. Under public pressure, Roblin had to resign from all political offices on May 12, 1915. Tobias Norris formed a transitional government and led the Liberals to an overwhelming victory in an early election. Roblin was charged but later acquitted.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Sir Rodmond Palen ROBLIN, KCMG Ryeland Family Tree, accessed July 14, 2012 .
  2. ^ A b The Government of Sir Rodmond Roblin. Manitoba Historical Society, accessed July 14, 2012 .
  3. ^ Legislature Scandal. Manitoba Historical Society, accessed July 14, 2012 .
personal data
SURNAME Roblin, Rodmond
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Roblin, Rodmond Palen
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian politician and entrepreneur
DATE OF BIRTH February 15, 1853
PLACE OF BIRTH Sophiasburgh , Upper Canada
DATE OF DEATH February 16, 1937
Place of death Hot Springs, Arkansas