John Galbraith 1861?-1931
author of a Utopian novel In the New Capital, or the City of Ottawa in 1999
lawyer (in 1897 he was barrister-at-law, Osgoode Hall (according to his book In the New Capital) As a Toronto lawyer, he achieved successes over corporate greed and political corruption.
Candidate in two Edmonton city elections and the December 1907 aldermanic by-election
There is some uncertainly as the identity of the author of In the New Capital but the Edmonton Bulletin (Dec. 7, 1907) states the Edmonton municipal candidate was the author of the book. (That article is quoted below.)
Candidate in the 1909 provincial election as an Independent. (No connection was documented but it seems certain the provincial candidate was the same as the author and same as the aldermanic candidate.)
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Author of 1897 book In the New Capital, or the City of Ottawa in 1999
In this Canadian Utopian novel, the writer "reveals' what life in the future (1999!) will be like after labour reform and Henry George-style Single tax brings about a better econo-social system.
Unemployment was a serious problem in 1896, when he wrote the book. As was social inequality and economic inequality.
By the year 1999, the setting for much of the book, unemployment and resulting poverty had been addressed by the benefits of technology being shared among workers as well as captured by capitalist and businessman.
Poverty was also addressed by gvoernment assistance programs financed by new and imaginative forms of revenue for the government. Increased value of land was captured through Henry George Single Tax. Speculation was penalized by the Single Tax.
But as well Galbraith described the sexist and misogynist attitudes of the time. Part of the book is about how male lust was slaked but at the expense of a women's dignity, a loss that drove her to poverty, debauchment and further degradation. Galbraith noted that while churches and charities adressed poverty of men, a fallen woman had no friends or protectors.
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Edmonton Bulletin, Dec. 7, 1907 (p. 10) gave his biography:
He was born on a farm in Russell County, Ontario (near Ottawa) [perhaps 1860?]
after graduating from Normal school, he taught school in Chesterville, Markham and Toronto.
Articled, then in 1895 graduated from Ontario Law School.
Practiced law in Toronto.
An active member of the Northwest Taxpayer's Association, which opened the civic investigation of the Puddy Brothers abbatoir matter, which caused disaster for a Toronto alderman.
On behalf of a client, he prodded into the machinations of the York Loan Company, whose president ended up in Kingston penitentiary.
In 1905, he came west to Strathcona. first working the Land Titles office then opening his own legal practice.
The newspaper described Galbraith as being on the watch "for civic or financial irregularities in any form."
"He takes a keen interest in labor problems.
He has been a frequent contributor to the press on trades and labor questions.
He is the author of the social reform novel entitled In the New Capital, which had for its theme the shortening of the hours of labor to counteract new machinery and the taxing of land values, instead of capital, (single tax) for municipal purposes."
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In the New Capital was reprinted by Penumbra Press. (A copy of the reprint is available from Alhambra Books.)
In the Introduction to the reissue, historian R. Douglas Francis considers the identity of the author but comes to no concrete decision. This blog is in part an attempt to solve this puzzle. (see below)
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The author of In the New Capital was in Edmonton, Alberta 1905-1909, when he pushed for social reform.
He ran as aldermanic candidate in Edmonton city elections in 1907 and 1908, unsuccessfully. Both times he was candidate for the reform-minded East End Ratepayer's Association. (The East End at that time was the old downtown at about 97th Street.)
His reform-minded sentiments were noted in the pages of the Edmonton Bulletin,
Nov. 19, 1908, p. 3:
"He advised the wage-earners to stick together and elect their men [representatives of their own kind], being proud of the fact that he himself had once carried the hod."
The hod was a kind of carrying shovel.
The times when he would have done manual labour is not clear from the life-story sketched out above.
(also see EB, Nov. 28, 1908, p. 8; Dec. 2, 1908, p. 3; Dec. 4, 1908, p. 1)
Oct. 4, 1908 he spoke at a gathering at Poplar Lake, endorsing Frank Oliver, who was running as a Liberal in 1908 federal election. (EB, Oct. 15, 1908, p. 10)
As well, he ran in one of Edmonton's few municipal by-elections in December 1907, to replace James Walker who resigned. D.R. Fraser took the seat. (EB, Dec. 23, 1907; Dec. 31, 1907)
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1909 Provincial election
John Galbraith announced his candidacy as a "George Brown" Liberal. (Edmonton Bulletin, March 3, 1909) I assume this means a socially progressive Liberal with an interest in labour and social concerns.
March 22, 1909 John Galbraith candidate listed in Edmonton -- in Independent column -- identified with L (perhaps for Labour?)
in 1909 John Galbraith ran as an Independent against a Conservative and two Liberals. Edmonton was a two-seat district at that time. Each voter had two votes.
The Edmonton Bulletin of March 11, 1909, being of strong Liberal sentiment, posited that Gailbraith would withdraw from the race and thus a Liberal would get one seat by acclamation - and perhaps the other Liberal would win the other seat against the lone remaining opponent. But Galbraith stayed in. In the event, he came in a distant fourth with 348 votes. The two Liberals received votes from the 3000 or so Liberal supporters and won the seats.
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Who was John Galbraith, author of In the New Capital?
Some biographical information is revealed in the Penumbra Press's reprint in the "Introduction" written by historian R. Douglas Francis, but Francis leaves it open as to which of two different John Galbraiths might have been the author, with no mention that either ran for Edmonton city council. But I beleive, as mentioned above, that the Galbraith who joined the Bar in 1895 is the author, not the other lawyer John Galbraith and not Dean John Galbraith, of the U of Toronto, who certainly never spent any considerable time in Edmonton.
An enquiry to the Ontario Law Association gave Douglas info on two Ontario lawyers of that name:
-John Galbraith called to Bar in 1862
-John Galbraith called to Bar in 1895. This was undoubtedly the author of In the New Capital.
(A later enquiry by me also received the same two choices.)
Historian R. Douglas Francis investigated the life of the John Galbraith who was called to the Bar in 1895.
Much of it lines up with the information provided in the 1907 Edmonton Bulletin quoted above.
born around 1861 in Metcalf Village, Osgoode Township, Carleton County, Ontario.
received a teaching certificate in 1880. taught at Chesterville.
Attended Toronto Normal School. graduating with teaching certificate (second-grade) in 1884.
headmaster (and the only teacher) at MArkham Village SChool 1885-1886.
married in 1886, moved to Toronto where worked as clerk
studying to be lawyer in odd hours articled.
called to the Bar in 1895.
practiced law 1900 to 1910 [apparently operating as lawyer in Alberta 1906 to 1909]
1910 became druggist and manufacturer of patent medicines
died in 1931. (no date given for his death, which might have been useful to find his obituary)
my notes tell me:
that he was before the Liberal executive for the Liberal nomination in West York (Toronto) in 1911 but he was passed over. He proposed a novel remedy for the liquor problem -- make each drinker take out a licence. This, he predicted, would lessen drinking to the vanishing point. (Edmonton Bulletin Nov. 30, 1911)
in 1906 he was a believer in the Anglo-Israel theory which believed in the Egyptian pyramids as prophecy. In letter to editor, Edmonton Bulletin, May 15, 1906, "John Galbraith, Strathcona" described how he, "as a believer in the Anglo-Israel theory", saw that 1906 was "the first year of danger." The next seven years, he predicted, were to be full of war. [Actually, 1913, at the end of the seven years, was when the First World War began.]
He closed, saying "Considering the recent volcanic eruptions and the San Francisco earthquakes, there is a certain amount of significance in the theory to give it some consideration even if it be for mental relaxation."
[nothing else in Edmonton Bulletin, in 1906 on the "Anglo-Israel theory"]
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An enquiry to the Ontario Law Association gave me info on two Ontario lawyers of that name:
-John Galbraith called to Bar in 1862
-John Galbraith called to Bar in 1895. This was undoubtedly the author of In the New Capital, and whose life is sketched out above.
Unfortunately it looks like the Bar Assoc. has very little info on the lawyer who worked 1895-1910.
A John Galbraith ran in 1920 Ontario provincal election, in the Toronto Northeast district as an Independent. (It is possible this is the same person who had run in the Edmonton city elections, but no Alberta newspaper publishing info on that election apparently made mention of that fact.)
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Hathi Trust online (Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproduction) has In the New Capital and gives these dates for the author:
born 1846, died 1914.
But it seems clear (and Douglas Francis states it baldly) that this is referring to a UofT professor of the same name who wrote books about the same time the ITNC was published.
Dean John Galbraith, whose life was bracketed by those dates, was the author of two books on mathematics and engineering.
Dean John Galbraith (1846-1914) was an engineer and surveyor, later professor at UofT.
Author of Technical education [electronic resource] : address delivered at the opening of the School of Practical Science, Toronto, February 24th, 1892. "by Professor Galbraith." Published 1892.
The book In the New Capital says it is written by John Galbraith, "barrister-at-law Osgoode Hall."
Dean Galbraith was never a lawyer,
Even though Douglas Francis points this out, he still insists that a possibility exists that the Dean was the author. (p. 25)
it seems clear that the Dean was not the author of ITNC, and the biographical info in the 1907 Edmonton Bulletin (quoted above) confirms that.
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A search for John Galbraith in the pages of Alberta newspaper in the Peel's Prairie Province website yielded no reference to the book In the New Capital, (other than the Dec. 7, 1907 and Dec. 12, 1908 issues of the Edmonton Bulletin) and precious little other mention.
The 1907 Edmonton Bulletin article is only one to connect the dots.
Until his obituary is found in the pages of a Toronto newspaper, there seems little more to add.
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other notes
Edmonton Bulletin Aug. 8, 1907, p. 6 letter to editor
speaking as one born in Ontario, he said he knew that the soil and climate in Alberta were superior to those in Ontario.
But he said Ontario was actively seeking immigrants from the United Kingdom while Alberta was not. even though its soil and climate were such that labour spent in Alberta was doubly or trebly rewarded compared to labour spent in Ontario.
Edmonton Bulletin Dec. 12, 1908 gave his bio same as given in 1907 except clarified that he studied law in Denison and Macklem (Toronto legal firm) and then practiced law.
Coming west about 1905, eventually opening a legal practice in Edmonton. [eventualy might mean he tried farming first then returned to legal practice]
"author of the social reform novel entitled In the New Capital, which deals with the economic problems of the day."
Edmonton Bulletin Nov. 30, 1911 he was running for Liberal nomination in West York. described him as "ex-Edmontonian"
apparently passed over. [The Edm. Bulletin never again mentioned his name that I could see]
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perhaps no connection -- Cyrus Rutherford married Annie Russell Galbraith (Edmonton Bulletin Sept. 24, 1912)
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In The New Capital has no index so here are some notes in that direction
[based on pagination of the 2000 reprint, which may or may not be common to the original edition]
[the reprint has 172 pages, if that helps]
Anarchism versus socialism 95
Depression (economic recession) 29
Liquor (alcohol) 127, 138
Monopoly 93
Organized marketing (farm products?) 89
"Ottawa in the Year 1999" 121-169
Private ownership of land 95
Prohibition 94
Senate about page 93
Socialism versus anarchism 95
Socialism 96
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