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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-02-17, Page 3forsakef b z7 . .for ,, " . , BY W. Ea°ELL10T, • Proudfoot's course in, the The convention chose Hartley H. After Passcniendaele, with -its Legislature" and approved his Uewart, K. C. terrific casualities, the Canadian action in connection with the At the Centre Huron Liberal 1st Division encountered only . charges. "routine warfare" until well on in The . scene changes. 1n Seaforth, Mr. Proudfoot made his February, 1918.. Then, February, 1918, the executive sof defence,- but offered no apology • "liveliness" increased all along • the Corpsfront "! froThus, apt. :s: ,,._' William Proudfoot, of the '15th Battalion (48th !highlanders) ,' experienced only Ai. routine of shellfire, rnud and coldfor part of February, Presumablyhe Was in ands- aur4-4tUeughtt -Ii could better serve Canada on the' front line than ih a Toronto .law' office. He would not know at the' time 'that his father, a former president of his riding Liberal ' Association, had been censured .by it for doing what. in his .circumstances he thought would best serve Canada. The action lost William Proudfoot, K.C., his seat in the Legislature and also whatever his chances' may have been to' gain the provincial -leadership. William Proudfoot, Junior, survived the war and returned to . practise law in Toronto in the _.. firm whin still bears the u Senator Wim Proudfoot Proudfoot name. He died in 1964," a This narrative is concerned Centre Huron ' Liberal for his course . . solely with the • .Hon. William 'Association passed a resolution "The Conservative and Liberal Proudfoot and what happened to of censure uppn the same Mr. parties •-• had not, rip to the him for sticking to a principle. • • Proudfoot; took it to the riding formation of Union Government, ,1.tis:eonvsnient4o-.r-eproduce-at - • association--;. ,where it vias done -a11: .that- _t -hey -•-.-could in this point a sentence or two front endorsed. His offence•was that he prosecuting the war•," he said, his obituary, as published in 022 ., had co-operated with 'the Ontario and in' many quarters party in the Clinton New Era (now the ., government of Sir William Hearst " feeling had been bitter. A change News Record). . " During his .. in measures designed to. further was absolutely necessary if we sv political career, Mr. Proudfoot . the war. Specifically, he had hoped to give adequate had won a reputation of being approved prolonging the assistance. Like many others, I Invariably - •a fighter for Legislature until ' the .soldiei; , desired to see Union Government m progressive measures. Once voters returned, and he had . accomplished without friction arid, Robert Borden, head of. the Union Association convinced of the •.rightness .of ,a faavoured Union Governmen at by the united effort of all parties, Government.;Iection campaigns proved Mr•.• principle, he clung to his belief in . To a friend M Goderich, Hon.' Proudfoot a competent platform Ottawa, anciwatha special. desire that the Mr. Proudfoot wrote: "little did performer,. hut' "not a that principle with a • tenacity ' Let it be noted that the reason Liberal party should have , a Pr,eat M which on more than one occasion Mr. Proudfoot was House leader prominent place in, the nation's getting cents think that they were speaker," as recalled by .Hugh caused his opponents, political or: of the Liberal party in the work. , getting me into the Senate. Hill, former Colborne reeve; like pLegislature at this time was "Unfortunately for Liberalism ' Sinton. Proudfoot served only Graeme Cameron." He is otherwtise., to wish theyhad a� Y • more pliant personality to steal because Newton' Wesley Rowell and the country, the parties, did three years in the Upper House. remembered as a great upholder • with." Stricken with,appendicitis, he was of his home •town "the good 'old had relinquished the leadership to not fully unite and with a large admitted to Wellesley Ho sifal in tov,t.n on 1 ike.H o -n-', there"'s none Read today, the passage veils Y P go to Ottawa and become a n'urrrber of other Liberals I,found Toronto and `died after -one week, like her•, "' he said at a public the real story, 50 years ago, but member of Union Government. myself advocating a • policy I ° everyone knew what it meant. It Mr, .Rowell became President of different from that of our leader, - on Sunday; Dec.'30 1922; He was in banquet. •his 64th year, His business connections • will do, for a preamble. the Privy Council at Ottawa and a (Sir Wil. red. Laurier). Ba ieving• Y Elected as member for Centre• William' Proudfoot was. born included directorates in Goderich member •of Br-itain's War that the interests of my ountry Huron in.1908 and again in 1911, • Cabins.,, r. l ut. o_f__-1JriiQn _Nate atstak.e.,..Ldid not hesitate) Feb. 1, 1859,, in ' Colborne Elevator & Transit Co., Dominion -_---'71r: �—P765-41-661-6-a-11—.16-711-6—Government~ only when party lines follow the course dictated by my �� OyW filp' His .filth `; `�R6t1'e�fi--�R'pac3" M`ac InFi� el=y"'`C-0."`� O( erre prominence toward close, of the were resumed after the war. conscience. Indoing so, I knew it Proudfoot, was a 'native of Organ Co.. Colonial Investment Perthshire, Scotland, and his and Loan, 1913 session of the Legislature ' There is no record of the Ontario would cad'se trouble for me in the and Miller when he launched what became Liberal 'party blasting Mr. 'filture, and that I was to a certain • mother, Margaret Darlington, Lithographing Co., Toronto. e, known as the. "Proudfoot charges . Rowell, but it turned down Mr'. extent taking my political .life •in came from Wicklow, Ireland. a Senator Proudfoot was he' ' against the • Conservative Proudfoot when he offered for the my. hands." , • William Proudfoot, the Anglican and a member of the. government headed by Sir James. Goderich lawyer and M. '. A. , was 1.0: 0. F . He wa _ a member _af. f he permanent �-leader-sh-ip®at Re€er~r-ing to -the -`a ci-atron' �..--.• ' _ �,,, a ' n`epnew, (4., unief Ju Ontario; Victoria ,and - --«-Whitney-Whitney,-These-sal-leged- -that_-a.-- - stice Rosedale. t ' business firm had paid Hon. W. J. P'ro"- uHfoot; of" ` Ice once o Scarboro' Clubs. Hanna $500 for, political t"« William Proudfoot of the Ontario On Tuesday , afternoon, � t , t� . purposes.. They 'Created ky:. "Court of Chancery, and of the Rev. Decembei 5,''the funeral service 0tl` �f i�tl : �_ , famed in St. George's chur•cha �• wy considerable stir at the time, and � �� Dr. William, Proudfootg t °,t Mr. Proudfoot demanded a royal" missionary who or anrzed conducted hy,the rector. Rev. S. S. l Iix t' s I911? 1 „ commission.° In Huron, a -1ttofl"tbt R 1 Presbyterian congregations in Hardy, assisted by Rev. .Canon big- ratio Centren ,away heid-on__ I. �ondczn.,G.Qde. tch.,.and elsew-he..1T. .._111.11 and_Rev.,Cecil'tew:art,. Vi.ca.r:.._ in what is now Western of St. ,Thomas' ° chore . June 5,. to endorse Mr. ° Ontario.Afterr' passingthrough Toronto .The choir was present. Proudfoot's stand,- the Goderich.�, `` . I ' Signal said. Two special trains . ,. -r.... - 4 `i, 4., 4 public. and .high schools of and the edifice was filled. The were run, and a gathering in the — < j .' . Goderich, he began to study law county council attended in a body. g a.>wa. r�>, * ^ & ,under Mr.- Justice Garrow•, According to the. .Clinton �• West st. rink gave an ovation to ,� g " subsequently enteric Osgoode • the member, accompanied by Mr.Y~'� q Y g, g .paper's report: "A number of .„ ., Hall. He was called to the Ontario rominerit Liberals of the 'county N. W. Rowell, Liberal leader,. and P:. Bar in 1880, and in .that year were also resent." . Mr. Thomas McMillan (a future Y P ,MP for South Huron) who was _ r commenced practice as a Honorary pallbeareres mere chairman.' membr of thefirm of Garrow and Hon. N. W: Rod ell. F. W. e "'Huron' admires a s uar , Proudfoot. !Upon the -death of his Hai court Law Society treasurer. q „ g F. Well'in fighter," one banner. proclarnred. � rt 4�� � d.� '�•' ��*� '"#r�'� � <h �� ��`��� � partner, in 1916, he sou ht new gton Hay. MLA, Thomas -Another: "Centre Huron stands x,�a, " , • affiliations and eventual , Marshall, MLA. Bearers were by Mr . • Proudfoot." i . :x�". Xy became senior partner in the firm 1✓.J. B. Duncan and ,I. P. Ti.sd�i'141.,K Centre Huron • ' of Proudfoot, Killoran and ' Toronto; Wm: W. Hutchinson and ' On the same day, As .. r: x Liberals °held their an al • Holmes, of Goderich. In 1902 he W.L.. Elliott, London; .I L. Liberals at w is on otron of. Proudfoot M e''1r1or' •- ' ng, Killoran wird Judge 1 N. Lewis, h f..y« .. ...... �..� _,......« r •+M,r-«r r •r°. r«...r.•,...,-....---,..,,,„..—,:,..„--.-....--r.- , _-b :r_ ,"• -. :Y+ - , ". D. - - en?++lT ,!•••«+—Mme,+.r.-.r:.. n.� was made a s Counsel. J.J. Robertson and John Fingland - :' ° ` " saw.: y a fie-"`tr rtsferfeti'"-h'M "doderich:' ; ' . it gave "warm endorsation to Mr. Provincial convention in, 1919: resolution of censure upon him . 'major activities to Toronto, , Mr. Proudfoot married, in - • , establishing the firm later known 1886, Marion F. Dickson, rinciple a r convention'of Oct. 6, 1919, `field in „ eo for voting for extension of the Legislature and favouring Udell Gpvernm ent., Mr. Proudfoot said: "On both questions; I believed 1' was .exercising my judgment strictly in accordance with tree Liberalism, which means, if it means anything, that a man hasa, right to exercise his opinion .aceoroir)g to the dictates' of his, conscience." He (leclded, ''at the sglicitaaiOn • of many' Iriends'•," to jun as. an • • election. That was the year of the U.F.Q. sweep, and there was ;a. third candidate in Centre Huron, R. Livingstone, ofGrey ,township. The Liberals nominated • J. M., Govenlock, of 'McKillop, and that township came up with 397,votes for. him. Centre - Huron Conservatives, approving Mr. Proudfoot's Unionist '•stand, did not put up -a candidate to oppose him. In Goderich he received 1126 votes; nearly twice as many as In 1914. Even in Seaforth he gained 120 votes. His total in the riding was nearly 50 per gent greater thanin 1914, but was 163 short of "Mr. Govenlock's 3193. The UFO ° candidate received 2039. Thus the Liberal candidate. won the seat, but held ,in only until the next election, when Centre Huron sent Ebon R. ' Wigle, Goderich druggist, -to stand among Howard - FerguTon's 75 Conserva xves. • few weeks after the 1919 years he .was County Crown election, • Mr. Proudfoot was Attorney. The Huron ' . Bar appointed to the Senate of :Canada. Association honored him. -with its He was given the Territorial Title, presidency over a period of 25 of Senator from Huron. The years, and for many years he was, appointment was made by Sir president of West Huron Liberal .40 Marathon 99 participants unload their machines at the Sunset Golfe and Sports Center north of Goderich Sunday in preparation for a 99 mile trek to raiseefnnds for the Goderich Kinsmen Club's Cystic F ibrosis Campaign. Despite pooh• weather- the snowrmob.i lers raised funds that il is hoped wi I l total $1600 when -all the returns are in: The Marathon 99 was originally set for ,two weeks .ago but due to poor weather that weekend was cancelled.—staff photo Home Dressed Select Meat PILLYOVR' FREEZER- WHOLESAIE PRICES We Buy Direct From The Producer — Save the Cost Of The Micicife Man - all our him' Is Goveirrroent inspected as Proudfoot, Duncan, Gilday and daughter of William Dickson, Tisdall, but now Proudfoot, Goderich. Their residence in Tisdall and Logan. , ate Goderich was at the Waterloo - At the ' provincial election of Elgin corner where the 1908, Mr. Proudfoot received the Pentecostal 'Tabernacle now -Liberal nomination and stands. They had one son. succeeded in breasting the sweep for for the' Conservatives which left -only 19 Liberals In the House. He was elected in 1911 and again in 1914. On January 3,1918, after N":' W. Rowell's elevation to the Dominion cabinet ^ under Sir Robert Borden, the Centre Huron .member was called to the. temporary - leadership of the Liberal party in the Legislature. "During the 1918 session," says the New Era obituary article, "his general policy was one of co-operation with the Conservative government for the facilitation of -wartime activities. He supported the bill to prolong 14th)" Legislature until the return of the soldier voter, and spoke in favor oft various other government ' measures. His pronounced stand. in favor or Union Government arouSed some opposition from within his own party. He • stuck to his guns, however, and in June, 1919, at the provincial Liberal convention was not successful in obtaining election as perrtlanent leader. "Mr. Proudfoot contested' Centre Huron in 191,9 as an independent. He was' defeated by John M. Govenlock bythe narrow margin of . 1S3._... votes— His appointment to the Senate by the n Union Government~ was Announced a few weeks later, "Prior to coming to Toronto Mr. Proudfoot had served for nine years, (1889.1907inclusive) as reeve of Goderich. For some •4,. William, and one daughter. Isobel. William died in Toronto in ., 1964. Isobel was married to Ernest Hastings Jordan. sort of Francis Jordan. Ernest was a chemical engineer at Sulphide and Sudbury. He died in Toronto in 1951, - Mrs. Jordan in 1970. Two memorj,a1 windows in St. George's are dedicated to Hon. William and Mrs. Proudfoot. The body of the latesenator was interred Maitland Cemetery.. Upon the memorial stone 'there are carved certain words found in the Gospel of St. Luke. This passage, in part, as follows: - "Behold, there was a man, a counsellor, and he was a good man and a just." SERY10E would like to call on you with r f ousewar men btifts" td information, about, you're new !citation. The Hostess will be glad to arrange your subscription to the SIGNAL -STAR. Call her at 624-9620 b Just before taking off on their 99 mile trip snowmobilers discuss last minute details with a "Marathon 99" organi,zer,t'egarding the route and snow conditions. Although the weather was far from ideal -for snowmobil iling 16 of the 17 contesthnts to startfinishedthefu,Il'tht1eetircuits of the 33 mile route and raised about $1600 for. Goderich Kinsmen Club's Cystic F ibrosis 'campaign.;—,staff photo •° ° M1 Keeping it clean A western Ontario college student wrote the. Department of the Environment the other day raving about --the wonderful pollution study and control system they have in Japan. He wanted to know when Ontario was going to do something about pollution. He thought we should follow Japan's lead We Thought you knew. That's what .-fhe Department of the Environment is all about. We,run Ontario's pollution cbntt'ol system and it's probably the hest in the world. At least that's what all the touring government people from the United States, Europe arid Asia keep telling us. Pollution, conservation, noise, waste...these are the things that worry us. We're working on them • . •We take F•ou-r, order%_ -from George Kerr, the Minister of the Environment -in Prime Minister William Davis's s's Government. Our Air Management Branch tracks down funny smells in the air and some things you can't smell - and gets rid of- them if r� 4 with Bill Dodds they are dangerous. They even -do things about the harmless odors that just, make breathing disagreeable. As far as we know, air pollutio n hasn't killed or injured anyone in Ontario. And we are making sure that it never does. ` It has happened in other places — London, Tokyo and New York --- and we're not going to let it happen here. The Environmental Protection Aet gives us the authority to see that it doesn't. OurWaste Management Brandi worries about ea rb-ase— industrial waste, farm waste, radioactive waste, sewage sludge and the cans you put out for' the garbage collector every week. Did you .-know• the average person in Ontario's cities and towns throws away half a ton of ---garbage a year? Uwe .don't do something, we'll be up to Our ears in the stuff. That's what waste ntanagenient is all about. The Branch controls how waste is carried away and disposed of( The Branch sets the standards, with provincial legislation to back them up -- and the operators of disposal systems follow the rules or else... The c onservhtion Authorities, Branch gives advice, money and know-how to.local groups interested in keeping green places with trees and clean, clear water for us and our children. We're helping 37 local groups who _fun Conservation Authorities in their watersheds` and we are always ready to help a new authority get started, The Ontario Water Resources Commission, also a part of the • Department of the Environment, does the same thing for our rivers and lakes that the Air Management people do ;for our air. And theytoo have the legal muscle to keep things clean. 'two new services ret entl Y. Ioibbd the-detiarttrl ft -One-deals with pesticides and the other with private sewage disposal. Well. have MOO to, say about them latera„ ,.• That's what is °All -bout, Now y• ou know..