"Peace, Progress and Prosperity": A Biography of Saskatchewan's First Premier, T Walter Scott

Paul G. Thomas is the Duff Roblin Professor of Government at the
University of Manitoba, the author of Parliamentary Reform Through
Political Parties, and the co-author of Canadian Public Administration:
Problematical Perspectives.

Biographies of provincial premiers are not plentiful, especially in
smaller provinces where the markets for political books is limited.
Gordon Barnhart has written a very comprehensive and insightful
biography of T. Walter Scott, who was the first premier of Saskatchewan
when the province was created in 1905.

An illegitimate child, Scott was beset by illness throughout his life,
suffering from asthma, pneumonia, and prolonged bouts of depression.
Born in Ontario, Scott moved to Regina in 1886 and became an influential
journalist, and then the owner of two newspapers, before gaining
election to the House of Commons in 1900 and 1904. In 1905 he was chosen
leader of the provincial Liberal Party. He led his party to election
victories in 1905, 1908, and 1912. He ran under the slogan “Peace,
Progress and Prosperity” and presided over the expansion of the
provincial economy through support to agriculture, immigration,
transportation, education, and health. While Saskatchewan later became
known for its tradition of public enterprise, Scott did not favor
government ownership, preferring to leave business to the private sector
and cooperatives.

According to Barnhart, Scott was at the height of his power during the
first seven years of his premiership (1905–12) when he was personally
popular and supported by a strong cabinet. Of necessity, he delegated
responsibility to others. Illness caused Scott to take “therapeutic”
trips to southern locales and long ocean voyages. It is estimated that
he spent nearly half of his time in office outside of the province,
causing public business to be delayed. Barnhart offers intriguing
insights into how mental illness was defined and treated at the turn of
the century. He also does an excellent job of identifying the strain on
Scott’s marriage caused by his long absences and his wife’s
understandable emotional frailties.

Scott retired from public life in 1916 and died in an Ontario
psychiatric institution in 1938, with no family or loved ones
present—hardly a fitting end for a man who had played such a pivotal
role in the emergence of a province. This book is recommended.