Joseph-Edouard Charon

Joseph-Edouard Charon (1866-1930) is a Québécois politician who, inter alia, was Minister for Agriculture during twenty years, of 1909 with 1929, under the governments of Lomer Gouin and of Louis-Alexandre Taschereau.

Origins

Joseph-Edouard Charon was born with Saint-Roch-of-Alder plantations the January 10th 1866. Wire of the farmer Edouard Charon and Marie-of-Angels Nailsmith, his parents are established soon in the parish close to Holy-Louise.

His/her father sends it to perfect his studies with the College Holy-Anne of Pocatière where the students often make fun of him of treating it of " small inhabitant in ox shoe ". This event seems to have encouraged it to make of the policy, even if it means show that a son of farmer could succeed as well as a townsman. In addition to succeeding his father with the family farm, he becomes soon secretary-treasurer of the company of pulp of Metabetchouan. Of 1893 with 1910, it also exerts the load of secretary-treasurer at the municipal council of Holy-Louise.

In 1900, it is presented in the form of an independent candidate in the county of Islet to the federal election. It is beaten by the liberal candidate Arthur Mivile Dechêne, but of very little. The January 15th 1902, with died of the deputy, it is represented in the same county but is again made beat this time by Onésiphore Carbonneau. A few months later, the September 26th, it is presented for the Liberal party of Quebec to a by-election in the same county and it is elected without opposition. The liberals of Simon-Napoleon Parent decided to engage it in their rows because they need the support of the farmers, who take traditionally party for the Conservative party.

Minister for Agriculture

After having been a few months Minister without portfolio, Joseph-Edouard Charon is named Minister for Agriculture by the Prime Minister Lomer Gouin the November 18th 1909. He is the first farmer with being promoted at this station since 1867, and the first also to establish an agricultural policy of importance. Before him, the former ministers all for Agriculture were of the townsmen who had not given to this ministry all the attention which it would have been necessary.

The objective of Charon is of obtenier a better output of the agricultural productivity. In 1910, it makes adopt a law ensuring a better control of the Milk industry by the government. The same year, he encourages the foundation of the Cooperative society of the cheesemongers of Quebec from which the goal is to defend the interests of its members but also to encourage the Inhabitants of Quebec with more consuming cheese of the province. This creation sounds the beginning of the large co-operatives of Quebec. Already, in 1911, is setting-up the Coopérative growers of tobacco of the valley of Yamaska . Another co-operative is founded in the area of Montreal, aiming at protecting the Québécois agricultural produce from the product imports, wished by the very anglophone Chamber of commerce of Montreal.

In 1913, Charon creates a body of agronomists of which the goal is to educate the farmers on the way of obtaining a better output of their grounds.

Of 1912 with 1914, Charon also takes the responsability for the ministry for Voierie. It inaugurates with Gouin the " political of the good ways for the farmers ". A budget of $10 million is allotted to the creation and the improvement of these ways. During these two years, the first roads for cars are built, leading of Montreal to Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke to Quebec and Sherbrooke at the American border.

At the time of the general election of 1912, Charon is the only minister to be lost in his county. It seems that its voters of Islet did not like the imposition of the inspection of the dairy products, a measurement which they considered vexatious. By chance for him, it was also presented in the county of the Iles-de-la-Madeleine, where it is elected.

In general, however, he is well appreciated farmers. According to Robert Rumilly, " Charon did not pay a mine with its bowler hat which had crossed several seasons, its jacket out of shape, its deformed pockets, its bottoms of pants in accordion. But, in the agricultural shows, no one did not show again any to him. Remained " habitant" , he thought like the inhabitants, defended them and was made like them ".

Charon and the war

At the beginning of the First World War, in 1914, Charon charges the Coopérative with the Cheesemongers with joining together the 4 million cheese pounds that Gouin promised in Great Britain. However, the Minister for Québécois Agriculture is rather hostile at the entry of Canada in the conflict and this hostility increases during the years. He is opposed to intensive recruitment in the campaigns because he sees an obstacle with the agricultural development there. Moreover, the program of voiery must be stopped at the beginning of the war, for lack of funds.

In 1917, it opens labor exchanges agricultural but openly predicted the ruin of agriculture if Ottawa continues to enlist the young farmers. At the summer 1917, he does not hesitate to write anti-conscriptionnistes leading articles in the Sun . The May 14th, 1918, it is even one of the leaders of a demonstration in Ottawa coming to ask for the exemption of enrôlement for the agricultural class.

Under Taschereau

In 1920, Charon seems to be tried by the succession of Gouin but does not dispute however the place with Taschereau which, when he becomes Prime Minister, confirms it as Minister for Agriculture. Its goal is then to fulfill the promises which it had made in 1915 but that it did not have Pu to hold because of the war: the creation of schools of agriculture and establishment of farms of experimentation in the agricultural areas. A school of agriculture is founded with Pocatière and the first farms of experimentation are installation in 1921.

But agriculture has misery to start again in the Années 1920. Charon seems to become less effective. The Union of the Catholic Farmers (the UCC, ancestor of current the Union of the agricultural producers of Quebec), founded in 1924, request of the subsidies for a better mechanization and claims a modernization of the Québécois agriculture which remains, according to it, too family and not extensive enough. Charon sees there only one critical its policy and shows the Union to have dependant part with the conservatives.

Nevertheless at the end of the years 1920, agriculture does not manage even any more to answer the interior market. Taschereau realizes some. In 1927, it starts by naming Charon legislative adviser of division of Kennebec but by leaving him its ministry. In 1929, the Prime Minister persuades it to resign. Charon then becomes vice-president of the Commission of liquors but on little time since he dies the July 16th 1930. It is buried with Holy-Louise.

In 1918, it had received a doctorate honoris causa in agricultural sciences with the Université Laval.

References

Robert Rumilly, History of the province of Quebec .

Bernard Vigot, Taschereau . North. 1996.

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