John Walter Jones

For the First Chief Executive of the Welsh Language Board, see John Walter Jones (Wales).

The Honourable John Walter Jones
20th Premier of Prince Edward Island
In office May 11, 1943 – May 25, 1953
Monarchs	George VI Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor	Bradford W. LePage Joseph A. Bernard T. William L. Prowse
Preceded by	Thane A. Campbell
Succeeded by	Alex W. Matheson
Leader of the Prince Edward Island Liberal Party
In office May 11, 1943 – May 25, 1953
Preceded by	Thane Campbell
Succeeded by	Alex W. Matheson
MLA (Councillor) for District of 4th Queens
In office July 23, 1935 – May 25, 1953
Preceded by	Callum J. Bruce
Succeeded by	Harold P. Smith
Senator for Queen's, Prince Edward Island
In office May 25, 1953 – March 31, 1954
Appointed by	Louis St. Laurent
Personal details
Born	(1878-04-14)April 14, 1878 Pownal, Prince Edward Island
Died	March 31, 1954(1954-03-31) (aged 75) Ottawa, Ontario
Nationality	Canadian
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Katherine Francis Bovyer ​ ​ (m. 1909)​
Children	5
Residence	Bunbury, Prince Edward Island
Alma mater	Acadia University
Occupation	Farmer, scientist, and teacher
Profession	Politician
Cabinet	Minister of Public Welfare and Minister in Charge of Air Raid Precautions (1943–1944) Minister of Agriculture (1944–1945) Minister of Education (1945–1950) (1951–1953) Minister of Reconstruction (1945–1949) Provincial Secretary-Treasurer (1949–1950) Minister of Public Works and Highways (1950)

J. Walter Jones (3rd to the left) at the Dominion-Provincial Conference on Reconstruction

John Walter Jones (April 14, 1878 – March 31, 1954) was a politician and farmer in Prince Edward Island, Canada. An agronomist, he was instrumental in introducing the potato crop to the island, which was to become a staple of the economy. In 1935, he received the King George V medal as the best farmer in the province.

Born in Pownal, he first ran for public office in the 1921 federal election as a Farmer-Progressive candidate, but failed to win a seat in the House of Commons of Canada.

He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island as a Liberal in 1935. In 1943, he became the 20th premier of the province when Thane A. Campbell was appointed Chief Justice of the PEI Supreme Court.

The government of "Farmer Jones" repealed strict prohibition, and created the PEI Liquor Control Commission to regulate the sale of liquor. He had to proceed by order-in-council because the lieutenant governor, as a prohibitionist, refused to give Royal Assent to the necessary legislation. In 1947, his government broke a strike at Canada Packers, a meat-packing plant, by seizing the plant, employing strike-breakers and outlawing trade union affiliation with national or international unions in the name of "protect(ing) the farm interest".

He left provincial politics in 1953 to accept an appointment to the Senate of Canada.

External links

• John Walter Jones – Parliament of Canada biography
• Works by John Walter Jones at Faded Page (Canada)