Fred Dixon (politician)
Fred Dixon | |
---|---|
Leader of the Independent Labour Party of Manitoba | |
In office December 1920 – 1923 | |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | John Queen |
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Winnipeg | |
In office June 29, 1920 – 1923 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Winona Margaret Flett | January 20, 1881
Frederick John (Fred) Dixon (January 20, 1881 – March 18, 1931) was a
Biography
Born in 1881 at Englefield in the English county of Berkshire,[4] Dixon was influenced by the reformist labour politics of his home country, and also favoured the single tax ideas of Henry George.
He apprenticed as a gardener in England.[5]
Dixon arrived in Manitoba in 1903, settling in
He became a member of the
Dixon and his friend, Seymour Farmer, who was later mayor of Winnipeg, became involved with the League for Taxation of Land Values (the Single Tax programme) and the League for Direct Legislation, under which people would have the right of referendum, initiative and recall.[2]
Dixon first ran for the provincial legislature in the
After the defeat, he again devoted himself to the cause of Direct Legislation. A respected speaker for the Direct Legislation League, he moved to Moose Jaw and worked for the Saskatchewan Direct Legislation League.[2]
In 1914, he married Winona Margaret Flett, a suffragist.[9]
The SPC's actions provoked a backlash among Winnipeg trade unionists. That and his high profile among farmers due to his Direct Legislation League work increased his popularity. He ran as an independent in the
In the Legislative Assembly, Dixon helped force an investigation into corruption associated with the construction of new Manitoba legislative buildings. This led to the downfall of the Robson government in 1915.[5]
He was re-elected in the 1915 election, as an Independent Progressive.[4]
During
In March 1918, Dixon helped to found the first branch of the
Dixon supported the strikers during the
In the
In Winnipeg, Dixon and another DLP candidate, Rev. William Ivens, were elected alongside four Liberals, two Conservatives, a Social Democratic Party candidate and a Socialist Party of Canada candidate.
Nine DLP MLAs, along with one member apiece from the SPC and SDPC, were elected to the Manitoba legislature in 1920. Dixon was the unquestioned leader of the labour parliamentary caucus. He cooperated with more left-wing figures, and kept the group reasonably united through to the election of 1922, although having to establish a new party to do so.
In late 1920, the DLP in Winnipeg was taken over by rightist labourites who had opposed the General Strike. Dixon led a walkout of DLP members, and was involved in founding the province's new
Dixon again topped the Winnipeg list in 1922,[4] albeit by the reduced margin of almost 4,000 votes over the nearest Liberal. The total labour caucus was reduced to six members, although Ivens and Dixon were both re-elected.
In 1923, Dixon resigned as a Member of the Legislative Assembly following the death of his wife and two of his children; he was also diagnosed with cancer.[4] John Queen, formerly of the SDPC, became ILP leader in his place.[7]
As his health problems grew more serious, Dixon spent the next few years working as a part-time insurance salesman.[3]
In 1927, he was appointed to a provincial commission investigating the causes of unemployment, in which capacity he co-authored the report, "Seasonal Unemployment in Manitoba."[11]
Fred Dixon died of cancer on March 18, 1931.[9] His close friend J.S. Woodsworth gave the eulogy at his funeral.[3]
References
- ^ a b Naylor, James. "Dixon, Frederick John". Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
- ^ JSTOR 25139947.
- ^ ISBN 9781896300085. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
- ^ a b c d e f g "MLA Biographies - Deceased". Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Archived from the original on 2014-03-30.
- ^ ISBN 0887551696. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
- ^ JSTOR 25139947. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
- ^ a b "F. J. Dixon". TimeLinks. Manitoba Historical Society. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
- ISBN 978-0887557040. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
- ^ a b "Frederick John Dixon (1881-1931)". Memorable Manitobans. Manitoba Historical Society. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
- ^ Chambers, Ernest J (1921). Canadian Parliamentary Guide.
- ^ Murchie, R. W. (Robert Welch); Dixon, F. J. (Frederick J.); Carter, W.H. (1928). "Seasonal Unemployment in Canada, a Report". Peel's Prairie Provinces (University of Alberta Libraries). Retrieved 2023-08-05.