Canada Election October 14th, 1935 – Poll Instructions

$10.00 CAD

| /

Dominion GENERAL ELECTIONS
October 14th, 1935
 
Instructions to Agents at the Poll (Scrutineers)
Issued by Conservative Dominion HQ, 128 Queen St., Ottawa

 

Rules, guidelines, optimizing votes, samples of good and bad ballots, etc.

20 pages of text, 4 blank pages for notes.

Stains on back cover. Paper in general is brownish. Some crinkles in the covers, minor creases inside.

11 x 18.5 cm


The Canadian federal election of 1935 was held on October 14, 1935 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 18th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of William Lyon Mackenzie King won a majority government, defeating Prime Minister R.B. Bennett's Conservative Party.

The central issue was the economy, which was still in the depths of the Great Depression. Bennett, in office since the 1930 election, had done little to stimulate the economy during his first few years, believing that a policy of high tariffs and trade within the British Empire would correct the depression. In the last months of his time in office, he reversed his position, however, copying the popular New Deal of Franklin Roosevelt in the United States. Upset about high unemployment and inaction by the federal government, voters were unwilling to allow the Conservatives to continue to govern, despite their change of policy.

The Conservatives were also suffering severe internal divisions. During his first years in office, Bennett had alienated those in his party who supported intervention in the economy. His last minute conversion to interventionism alienated the rest of the party. Former cabinet minister H.H. Stevens left to form the Reconstruction Party. Senior minister Sir Joseph Flavelle announced he would be supporting the Liberals.

Voters opted for Mackenzie King's promise of mild reforms to restore economic health. The Liberals crushed the Tories, winning 171 seats to the Conservatives' 39, the worst ever performance by the Tories until their collapse in 1993. The Liberal Party would continue to hold power until 1957.

 WIKIPEDIA