James Arthur Mathewson

James Arthur Mathewson (June 26th, 1890 - August 23rd, 1963) is a politician Québécois, member of the Liberal party. He was provincial treasurer (Minister for Finance) in the second government Godbout, of 1939 with 1944.

Origins

Born with Montreal, he is the son of the tradesman Samuel James Mathewson and Carrie Louise Smith. He studies initially in Montreal High School and makes his right to the Université McGill. He is allowed with the Barreau of Quebec on January 11th, 1917. Parallel to its courses, it engages in the army and becomes captain of the 42e Canadian Régiment of Royal Highlanders. It is sent in Europe and takes part inter alia in the Bataille of Vimy.

Returned in Quebec after the war, it becomes lawyer with Montreal. He exerts initially at Lafleur, MacDougall, MacFarlane, Barclay and Gregor , but is not long in founding its own cabinet with Kenneth A. Wilson and Arthur J. Smith. Later, he will only exert. Of 1920 with 1921, he becomes secretary of the Bar of Montreal. In the same years, it is named legal commentator associated with the legal reports/ratios, posts that it preserves besides until his death. October 26th, 1926, it is created council in law of the king.

Perfect bilingual, it follows, during the Années 1920, of the advanced courses in the Sorbonne of Paris. It returns graduate in political sciences.

Beginning in policy

At the end of the years 1920, Mathewson launches out in municipal policy. Of 1926 with 1930, he is alderman of the Saint-Andrew district to Montreal. In 1930, he is candidate with the town hall of Montreal against the conservative Camillien Houde, but he is easily beaten. Of 1930 with 1933, it exerts the load of president of the Commission of the Protestant schools of Montreal.

In 1939, it is approached by Adélard Godbout, chief of the Liberal party, which seeks candidates for the election which is announced. Mathewson has indeed succeeded in being made a name for a few years in the anglophone elite montréalaise and could be a personality potential minister if he were elected. It agrees to be presented in the district of Montreal-Our-Lady-of-Grace where it is easily elected with the election of October 25th, 1939.

Provincial treasurer

Specialist in the financial questions, Mathewson is named provincial treasurer by Adélard Godbout and is sworn in on November 8th, 1939. At the request of the new Prime Minister, he announces at once the formation of two parallel investigations, one public and the other deprived, on the financial position of Quebec following the three years of the government Duplessis. They come to the same conclusions and are not very eulogistic for the old government. In spite of the budgetary optimists speech of the provincial ex-treasurer, Martin Beattie Fisher, who announced surplus on surplus, the national debt had increased by 200 $ million in three years.

Godbout and Mathewson decide a cleansing of finances and the return to the surplus budgets of before the Economic crisis of the years 1930. Budget 1940-1941 results in a deficit of 15 million $ but that of 1941-1942 exceeds 2 million $ with incomes of 92 million $ and expenditure 90 million $. The surplus of that of 1942-1943 is of $870,000 and that of 1943-1944 of: 276000 $. From 1939 with 1944, the expenditure passed from 108196000 $ to: 92287000 $ and the national debt passed from 420 million $ to 378 million $.

End of a career

The budgetary cleansing does not prevent the defeat at the polls of the Liberal party at the time of the elections of 1944. Mathewson however gains that of its county and it proves to be an effective member of Parliament at the time of the debates to the legislative Assemblée vis-a-vis the National union of Maurice Duplessis. It is however not represented with the elections of 1948 and gives up the political life.

Parallel to its career of lawyer and politician, it also develops that of business man. In May 1946, he is member of the council of the Banque Dominion . Later, he will be member of the board of directors of the Canada Steamship Lines and, in 1961, president of the company Ogilvie Flow Mills .

In 1943, the Université McGill grants a doctorate to him honoris causa in right. In 1946, it is decorated with the medal of the recognition of the League of safety of Quebec. In 1954, he is president of the advisory committee of the Salvation Army.

Mathewson dies in Montreal on August 23rd, 1963.

External bond

James Arthur Mathewson - National Assembly of Quebec

Sources and references

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