THE ONTARIO ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15650, 2 July 1914, Page 6

THE ONTARIO ELECTIONS.

Ontario is one of the most consistently Conservative of the Canadian provinces, and it is no surprise that the elections for the provincial Legislature resulted in confirming the Conservative Government In office by a very substantial majority, in spite of the fact that the illness of the Premier, Sir James Whitney, prevented him taking a very active part in the campaign. The naval question is. a very live .one in Ontario, which is the most British of all the provinces, and is more j demonstratively patriotic than London itself. As the Liberals oppose the Conservative proposal to give three Dreadnoughts to the Admiralty, without suggesting aif alternative policy that would allow Canada to take its part in Empire defence, the Liberal following is comparatively small in Ontario. Provincial politics have been embittered by charges of corrupt administration, but the purely provincial questions have been overshadowed by the naval issue. The Conservative Government of Ontario, though it has avoided many legislative experiments to which Australasia has grown accustomed., has to its credit the bold and successful enterprise of harnessing the Niagara Falls to supply light and power throughout the province, with the result that cheap current aids industry in town and country. It also owns one of the few State railway lines in Canada. As party lines in provincial politics follow those of Dominion politics, it would appear that the Borden Government has not lost ground in one of its main strongholds.