James O. Argue

James Oswald Argue (September 12, 1888^[1] in Elgin, Manitoba^[2] – 1955^[3]) was a politician in the Canadian province of Manitoba. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as a Progressive Conservative from 1945 until his death ten years later.^[1] Argue's father, James H. Argue, was also a Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1898 to 1914.^[2]

Argue was educated at Wesley College, Winnipeg. He worked as a farmer at Elgin, Manitoba and was active in freemasonry. He was married twice: first to Christina Yuill in 1911^[2] and then to Josephine Riley in 1943.^[3]

He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1945 provincial election, winning by acclamation in the Deloraine constituency^[1] after his only opponent withdrew from the race. He was again returned by acclamation in the 1949 election, for the redistributed riding of Deloraine-Glenwood.^[1]

From 1940 to 1950, Manitoba was governed by an alliance of Liberal-Progressives and Progressive Conservatives. When the Progressive Conservatives left the coalition in 1950, Argue chose to sit as an independent Progressive Conservative.^[1]

He later rejoined the Progressive Conservative Party,^[1] and defeated Liberal-Progressive R.E. Moffat by 268 votes in the 1953 provincial election. He was still a member of the legislature when he died two years later.^[1]

References