Archie Matheson

Archibald Malcolm Matheson
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office
July 18, 1921  August 22, 1935
Preceded by Joseph S. McCallum
Succeeded by James McPherson
Constituency Vegreville
Personal details
Born 31 March 1891
Glenlivet, Banffshire, Scotland[1]
Died 30 September 1978 (aged 87)
Political party United Farmers of Alberta
Occupation Farmer

Archibald Malcolm (Archie) Matheson was a Canadian politician who represented Vegreville in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1921 until 1935.[2] He was elected in the 1921 election and re-elected in 1926 and 1930 as a member of the United Farmers of Alberta (UFA), which was the governing party of his entire time in office.

Despite this, Matheson frequently opposed government policy. In January 1923 he objected to Herbert Greenfield's government's continued support of prohibition, remarking "This government has acted as philosopher, guide, and God to the people long enough."[3] In 1926, he expressed frustration with the John Brownlee government's delay in providing a new police station for his riding, going so far as to threaten to raise the matter in the legislature.[4] In February 1928, he led the opposition to Brownlee's proposal to exempt lawyers and trust companies wishing to act as real estate agents from the new $1,000 bond required of others wishing to do so. Matheson proposed eliminating this exemption and raising the amount of the bond to $5,000. He was partially successful: the bond remained at $1,000 and trust companies remained exempt, but lawyers were barred from the real estate business all together.[5] Matheson was also an active opponent of the Sexual Sterilization Act of Alberta, and attempted to adjourn debate before it came to a vote. When he failed, he absented himself from the final vote as a sign of protest.[6] He was a vocal advocate for farmers and in the 1930s proposed unsuccessfully that the government declare a moratorium on the collection of debts from them.[7]

His aggressive approach to the government sometimes paid off, as in his lobbying for the construction of a courthouse in Vegreville. In 1929 Vegreville was designated as a judicial subdistrict, which entitled it to court offices, a deputy sheriff, and a clerk of court. The following year it was awarded a full courthouse.[8]

Matheson sought re-election in the 1935 election, but finished a distant third, joining every UFA candidate in the province in defeat, as William Aberhart's new Social Credit League achieved a large majority.

Electoral record

1935 Alberta general election results (Vegreville)[9] Turnout 82.5%
Affiliation Candidate Votes %
Second count
     Social Credit James McPherson 3,047 59.60%
     Liberal Charles Gordon 2,065 40.40%
First count
     Social Credit James McPherson 2,817 50.29%
     Liberal Charles Gordon 1,681 30.01%
     United Farmers of Alberta Archie Matheson 995 17.76%
     Conservative M. H. Penish 109 1.95%
1930 Alberta general election results (Vegreville)[10] Turnout 72.9%
Affiliation Candidate Votes %
     United Farmers of Alberta Archie Matheson 2,364 57.36%
     Liberal Harry A. White 1,757 42.64%
1926 Alberta general election results (Vegreville)[11] Turnout 71.1%
Second count
     United Farmers of Alberta Archie Matheson 2,217 56.57%
     Liberal J. D. Hannan 1,702 43.43%
First count
     United Farmers of Alberta Archie Matheson 1,986 45.09%
     Liberal J. D. Hannan 1,395 31.67%
     Conservative A. W. Fraser 687 15.60%
     Independent United Farmers of Alberta P. Bahry 337 7.65%
1921 Alberta general election results (Vegreville)[12] Turnout 98.0%
Affiliation Candidate Votes %
     United Farmers of Alberta Archie Matheson 3,047 69.69%
     Liberal Joseph S. McCallum 1,325 30.31%

Notes

  1. "Members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta 1905-2006". Legislative Assembly of Alberta. 2006. p. 41. Retrieved 2009-09-28.
  2. Jones 68
  3. Foster 131
  4. Gilpin, John (1997). "Responsible Enterprise: A History of Edmonton Real Estate & the Edmonton Real Estate Board". Edmonton Real Estate Board. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  5. Foster 149
  6. Caldarola 25–26
  7. Mittelstadt 310–318
  8. "Election results for Vegreville, 1935". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  9. "Election results for Vegreville, 1930". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  10. "Election results for Vegreville, 1926". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  11. "Election results for Vegreville, 1921". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2009-09-30.

References