1917 Yukon general election explained

Election Name:1917 Yukon general election
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Party Colour:no
Party Name:no
Previous Election:1915 Yukon general election
Previous Year:1915
Next Election:1920 Yukon general election
Next Year:1920
Seats For Election:All 10 seats of the Yukon Territorial Council
Election Date:March 15, 1917
Map Size:360px

The 1917 Yukon general election was held on March 15, 1917 to elect the ten members to the 4th Yukon Territorial Council. This election was contested between the Liberals and Conservatives.

The election was held using five two-member districts, where voters could cast two votes each.

Campaign

The Liberals platform was primarily focused on improving working conditions, while the Conservative platform focused on infrastructure development. Both parties pledged to allow women to vote and stayed neutral on prohibition.[1] [2]

Liberal platform

The Liberals campaigned on a platform of "progressive legislation". They pledged to introduce if elected to bring in woman's suffrage, reducing public works employee work days to 8 hours a day without reducing wages, a new workers compensation act, a pledge to experiment with farming in the Yukon and lowering the cost of medical services and legal fees.[2]

In addition to powers covered under territorial jurisdiction, the party pledged to lobby the federal government to put an exemption limit of $1000.00 for royalty payments paid by prospectors and miners. They planned to do this by establishing a memorial to send prayers to Ottawa.[2] The party also decided to take no stand on the question of liquor prohibition which had been voted on a few months prior to the election.[2]

Conservative platform

The Yukon Territorial Conservative Association pledged to bring in woman's suffrage, establish an old people's home, limit the time that mining claims can be registered under the Yukon Placer Mining Act and establish a road network, and wireless telegraph network with rural Yukon and southern Canada. The Conservatives also took a neutral stance regarding the question of prohibition.[1]

Results

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: To the Electors of Dawson. Dawson Daily News. February 21, 1917. 6.
  2. News: To the Electors of North and South Dawson. Dawson Daily News. February 21, 1917. 6.