The United Farmers of Ontario were one of the more interesting developments in the first two decades of the 20th century in this province.
The aim of the group was to defend agriculture and increase the economic return of farming to farmers, rather than to retailers, processors and middlemen.
The group expanded quickly. A major activity was the setting up of co-operatives to buy and sell on behalf of farmers. Despite the name, the group was far from united. Some farmers thought it was wrong to set up co-ops to compete with small-town merchants. A move into politics was even more controversial.
Many members opposed the decision to run United Farmer candidates, and some of those who favoured electing farmers to the legislature opposed the idea of acting as a political party. Those people considered that the best policy was to support any legislation that helped farmers, regardless of who was behind it.
UFO members argued whether they should seek the support of non-farmers. J.J. Morrison, the Arthur farmer and UFO leader whose name has appeared several times in this column, wanted to restrict the UFO to actual farmers, and work with other groups when their aims coincided.
Others in the movement supported a “broadening out” principle, arguing that the UFO should welcome anyone sympathetic to its aims.
To the surprise of many, including themselves, the UFO gained the most seats in the Ontario election of 1919. Their problem was leadership. None of the new members wanted to be premier. Though under much pressure, Morrison refused the position. Eventually E.C. Drury agreed to take the premier’s desk and form a cabinet.
With opinions so varied, forming a cabinet was not easy for Drury. One problem was that not a single UFO member was a lawyer. Most people, including Drury, believed that a lawyer should hold the post of Attorney General. Soon Drury found one. W.E. Raney agreed to take the cabinet post, and he ran in a by-election in Wellington East. Out of courtesy, the other parties did not run against Raney, and he took the seat by acclamation.
Raney was an outspoken temperance man. Soon, the Drury government was putting more effort into enforcing prohibition than in dealing with agricultural issues.
Internal divisions continued through the term of the UFO government. Not surprisingly, the party was virtually wiped out in the general election of 1923.
Nevertheless, there were some bright moments for Wellington’s UFO supporters. One of those was in June 1920, when organizers put on a mammoth picnic in Elora. Optimistically, they advertised the event as the “First Annual UFO Picnic.”
It was a Friday afternoon, and the weather was perfect for such an event, which they held at Elora’s Irvine Park, on David Street. Seeding was long past and haying had not yet begun, so the timing was perfect for farmers. More than 3,000 people turned up.
Critics of the UFO noted that there were more than 300 motor cars parked at the site. That showed, they argued, that farmers were well off and had no cause to be supporting a protest movement. Most came armed with large baskets overflowing with food. That showed, said the critics, that farmers were not starving.
Jim Singer, who had served four terms as reeve of Nichol Township, served as chairman of the event. Perhaps aware of the critics, he pointed out in his welcoming remarks that “there were few millionaires in the membership.” Singer and his committee members did a superb job of organizing the affair. All the events came off flawlessly.
Athletic events occupied most of the afternoon. Most popular were a couple of baseball games. Others took part in foot races, relays and high jump. Interestingly, all events had classes for men, women and children. Equality for men and women was an important principle of the UFO. Those less interested in the sports and games could relax while listening to the music supplied by the Elora Citizen’s Band.
Following the games there were several speeches, delivered by W.E. Raney, the local MPP, Mrs. Webster, head of the United Farmers women’s organization, and by W.H.E. Burnaby, president of the United Farmers.
W.E. Raney led off. He discussed some of the issues tackled by the legislature in the most recent session, arguing the measures passed surpassed most sessions in the amount and quality of legislation passed. He stated the revenue lost by the introduction of prohibition would be offset by new succession duties on large estates. There would be new taxes on horse racing, and the government would be raising much more money from timber and mining fees on crown land.
Mrs. Webster stressed the importance of events where both men and women participated. She urged women to study public questions, and men to give more attention to women’s property rights.
Burnaby followed with a stirring address, defending the right of farmers to organize in support of their own interests. He touched on the issue of rural depopulation, which was then receiving much attention at that time. His homespun style of speaking went over well with the crowd. He likened the older parties to clucking hens, “which would neither lay nor get off the nest.”
Singer insisted that the speakers wind up quickly before the crowd, which contained hundreds of children, became restive.
Interestingly, apart from Raney, none of the speakers held elective office. It is not known whether Singer invited either Morrison or Drury, but his decision to de-emphasize politics in favour of social and economic issues seems to have been a wise one.
The crowd spent a couple of hours dipping into their ample picnic hampers and socializing. Some then went home, but the majority, reinforced by Elora residents, moved on to the Armoury Hall (now the liquor store) for a dance.
The hall was so crowded that dancing was difficult. Oldtimers claimed it was the largest crowd they had ever seen at the hall. Some of those present were happy to simply listen to the music, supplied by the Elora Orchestra.
The good cheer of the afternoon continued through the evening. The post office clock had struck 2am before the last stragglers left for home.
Some of those at the dance faced a long ride home if they came by horse and carriage, but many rode by car. Automobile ownership meant that attendees could come from a greater distance than would otherwise be the case.
People came to the 1920 picnic from Belwood, Arthur, Cumnock, Alma, and all parts of Nichol and Pilkington Townships. Those with automobiles did not need to worry about feeding and watering their horses, then driving a carriage through the night. People who criticized the farmers who owned cars failed to realize the car had become a necessity for farmers to enjoy a lifestyle equal to that enjoyed by people in the towns. Automobiles, indeed, made huge events like the 1920 UFO Elora picnic possible.
Elora’s 1920 UFO picnic marked the high point of the United Farmers movement in Wellington County. The goodwill, harmony and enthusiasm evident at that event would not persist or prevail.
Divisions in the UFO government made the organization increasingly ineffective, and that resulted in much less enthusiasm among farmers. They would turn en masse against the UFO in 1923.
Never again would farmers have such a strong voice in the corridors of power in Ontario.