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PAGE THREE In another short while Mr. Bracken's retire- ment was announced and Mr. Drew confirmed thot he would be seeking to replace him, Mr. Blackwell then announced that he wruld be a candidate for the Ontario leadership. The national convention was in early October, ending on a Saturday. The following Tuesday morning Mr. Black- well released a harsh statement from his office saying that there were rumors in the press that Mr, Drew would attempt to name his successor as premier and condemning the possi- bility. Mr. Drew actually had by this time indicated his preference that Col. T. L. Kennedy should succeed him. And some weeks later a caucus of the Conservative MPPs elected Mr. Ken- nedy as acting premier. HE story behind the story on this I don't think has been written before. What actually happened was that during July and August Mr. Blackwell had been after Mr. Drew to find out first what the then premier intended to do about continuing in George Drew. the leadership and then what procedure would be adopted to name his successor. Mr. Drew, however, ducked him. At the three-day national convention Mr. Blackwell again approached Mr. Drew. and the leader told him he would talk to him in his room at the Chateau Laurier on the Satur- day afternoon or evening following the vote. He did not show up, however. And on the Monday morning Mr. Blackwell, still in Ot- tawa, saw a photograph on the front page of the Toronto Globe and Mail. In it Mr. Drew, the new national PC leader, was shaking the hand of Col. Kennedy, whom he was naming to succeed him in Ontario. As soon as he got back to Queen's Park Mr, Blackwell let loose his blast. From then on it was he against the machine. And he learned what it can be like to try and buck an organization that doesn't want you. R. Blackwell personally was both tremen- dously popular and respected. He entered the contest with very wide assurances of support. Most of his cabinet colleagues said they were behind him. But then the campaign started. The rumors went around. Mr, Blackwell was not to be relied upon. He could get the party into trouble. The original Drew plan, it was said, was to put. the then Hydro Chairman, Robert Saunders, in as his successor. When it was apparent Mr. Blackwell would crucify this (he had practically the entire press of the province behind him loudly in his demand that there must be a convention) the then Treasurer, Hon. Leslie Frost was chosen as the standard-bearer. "The word got around quickly -- Frost was the man, Private members, dependent an the Leslie Blackwell. ONTARIO TODAY central office for their election funds and other assistance got the message quickly. Staunch members of the cabinet began to change their: minds. : . In the rural ridings the tip was dropped that Mr. Blackwell could never get the farm vote as he was the father of cocktail-bar legis- lation (Mr. Frost was the second member of a three-man committee of cabinet that drew the law). Mr. Drew came down from Ottawa and used his influence. HEN Highways Minister George Doucett held the balance of power, It was conceded Mr. Doucett probably could have been elected himself if he wanted the job. He threw in with Mr. Frost. (And after the convention he was named to the newly-created post of "Deputy" Premier.) The machine won on the first ballot. Mr. Frost got 842 votes, Mr. Blackwell 442, Kelso Roberts 121 and Hon. Dana Porter 65. (There was, of course, an unusual twist. Mr. Drew was the key figure behind the scenes. T. L. Kennedy. He supposedly wanted to take control of the Ontario PC machine to Ottawa with him and knew he couldn't control Mr. Blackwell. He soon found he couldn't control Mr. Frost either. The new premier made extensive changes in the party organization and took over personal control. It didn't operate, except incidentally, in Mr. Drew's federal campaigns.) HAT will the machine do this time? Well there are variations. The most per- tinent one is that the PC organization itself is in just as mixed-up a state as is the political end of the party. A. D. MacKenzie the long-time active head died a year ago and since then nobody has been able to step into his shoes. Elmer Bell of Exeter is president of the On- tario association -- a post Mr. MacKenzie used to occupy -- but he has shown no signs of trying to fill a role as important as his predecessor. More ambitious are some younger men in the party. E. A. Goodman, Q.C, first vice- president is one of them.Mr. Goodman's law firm hac long been active before the Liquor Licence Board, the Highway Transport Board and other government agencies. Another is George Hogan, Jr., secretary of the provincial association. Mr. Hogan is a young Toronto car dealer who long was prominent in the Young PCs and who travelled across Canada as an executive assistant to Prime Minister Diefenbaker in both his campaigns. There also, at time of writing, is some sign that a group in western Ontario, headed by Ernest Jackson, former MPP for London South and president of the Western Ontario PC as- George Doucett, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1961 sociation may have ambitions to be the powers behind the scenes. At this stage -- and it is written some weeks ahead of the convention -- the western Ontario group is firmly behind the candidacy of Hon. John Robarts, Minister of Education. It appears that Mr. Hogan also might line up with this group. HERE seems to be some possibility that Mr, Goodman might try and throw in with the Minister of Highways, Hon. Fred Cass. Almost certain to be the man "agin" is the Minister of Energy, Hon. Robert Macaulay. While a strong party man the brilliant young' Mr. Macaulay is an individualist, It is unlikely anybody could "control" him. And those seeking the control well know this. °° In the very early weeks of the campaign the rumors had started about him. One of the first 'was that he would fire all of the existing. cabinet if he were elected. (Cabinet ministers usually control a good number of votes at conventions.) Ei John P. Robarts. Robert Macaulay. Fred Cass. \