James Mitchell (Australian politician)

Sir James Mitchell (* April 27, 1866 in Dardanup, Western Australia, Australia, † July 26, 1951 in Glen Mervyn, Western Australia ) was Prime Minister and Governor of the Australian state of Western Australia.

Life

Mitchell was born in 1866 on a farm in Dardanup near Bunbury. In 1885 he began an apprenticeship at the Western Australian Bank and was transferred to Geraldton. In 1888 he married Clara Robinson Spencer.

From 1890 Mitchell directed a bank branch in Northam, in addition, he worked as a farmer will soon be successful. In 1905 he was elected to the Parliament of Western Australia and was principally concerned with agricultural issues. From 1909-16 he was minister for agriculture and industry.

1919 Hal Colebatch resigned as Prime Minister and Mitchell became his successor. He also managed to prevail in the upcoming parliamentary elections of 1921. Mitchell made ​​sure that women were the passive suffrage. He also established a central authority to oversee the increasing car traffic. In addition, was his attention to the promotion of agriculture, and in particular the dairy industry. However, he was often with his ministerial colleagues and members of his coalition in the dispute; he was regarded as impatient and imperious character. 1923, the majority of the members of the Country Party from the coalition and the parliamentary elections in the following year, the Mitchell government was voted out.

1930 won the Country Party again in the elections and allowed Mitchell again a term as Premier. During his tenure, the global economic crisis in which the unemployment rate rose to 30% and a decline in wheat prices drove many farms on the edge of ruin fell. Mitchell nationalized the bankrupt State Savings Bank and passed a law that allowed debt-ridden farmers to remain on their farms to pay off the debt. By means of state employment programs he tried to reduce the number of unemployed. Meanwhile, given the populist Dominion League, which called for a secession of Western Australia from the Australian Federal Government, large inflow. In a referendum in 1933, which was held together with the parliamentary elections, the Dominion League reached a majority of 68 % for their proposal. Mitchell, however, was voted out of office and ultimately not pursued the proposal.

In July 1933 he was appointed on the proposal of the new Prime Minister Philip Collier Vice Governor of Western Australia. Since he won, especially during the Second World War again in popularity, he received the post of governor in 1948. After a few years his wife and three of his four children died, he resigned in 1951. In July of the same year Mitchell died during a train ride at Glen Mervyn.

Awards

  • Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (1917 )
  • Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George ( 1921)
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (1947 )
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