inister of Railways and Telephones. Here
was a department of utility administration in which he shone. He had
great political executive ability. When Scott was absent more than
half his time through illness, Calder was Premier. There was no other
man to choose. The liquor problem was more his to handle than the
Premier's. Calder did not share the popular enthusiasm for
Government-dispensed liquor. He knew the weaknesses of officials and
the historic thirst of the prairie. The Opposition constantly accused
him of being in league with the liquor men. Calder made no denial or
affirmation. He was Mephisto enough to let people wonder whether he
was one thing or the opposite.

A man who knew Calder twenty-two years ago gave, not long ago, some
impressions of the Minister in connections with the liquor
administration.

"About two weeks after Saskatchewan went dry," he said, "I was spending
a night in one of the larger towns in the Province. Among the other
guests at the hotel was a member of the Government. In the lobby an
interesting argument waged throughout the evening, the Minister of
course, defending the action of the Government in closing the bars.
Among other things he told us about the relief work carried on by the
Dominion and Provincial Governments in certain districts where there
had been crop failures, in order that the destitute settlers might earn
or borrow enough to keep themselves and their families through the
winter. He emphasized one mistake the Government had made in not first
closing every bar in the districts affected, because there were many
instances where every dollar that had been earned or borrowed had been
spent in the bars on the very day that it was received, by the men
whose families it was intended to save from freezing and starvation.

"I was telling this afterwards to one of the leading social reformers
of Saskatchewan, and a smile played over his face as I was speaking.
When I had finished he said:

"'He didn't tell you the whole story. We recognized the necessity of
closing those bars before that relief work was started, and urged it so
strongly on the Government that they agreed to do it. The
Orders-in-Council were drawn up and ready to be signed when Calder, who
had been absent from the Province on business, returned and immediately
it was all off.'"

Calder has a sister who is one of the leading social workers in Regina.
She has a profound regard for her talented bro