=White, Rt. Hon. Sir William Thomas, P.C., M.P.=, Finance Minister of Canada, is a Canadian statesman whose meteoric rise to fame during less than a decade, has attracted more than national attention. He was born at Bronte, Ont., November 13, 1866, the son of James and Elizabeth (Graham) White. His father was a farmer and his early education was obtained at Oakville public school and Brampton High School. Later he entered Toronto University and graduated in 1895 with the degree of B.A. and honors in classics. During his university career he won two first-class scholarships and a gold medal. Subsequently he took up a course of law at Osgoode Hall, Toronto and was called to the Bar of the province in 1899, but never practised. During his period as an arts and law student he supported himself, first as a reporter on the Toronto “Telegram,” where his writings showed singular eloquence and ability; and later, as one of the assessors of the Civic Assessment Department. The knowledge of real estate values and of financial questions which he had gained in the latter capacity, as well as his general abilities, led a group of Toronto capitalists to tender him in 1900, the General Managership of the National Trust Company, which they had recently formed. This post he held for nearly eleven years and during that interval attained a high status in the financial community. Though a Liberal in politics, he had never been known as an active politician. In the summer of 1911, when Sir Wilfrid Laurier, then Prime Minister, appealed to the country to ratify the Knox-Fielding pact calling for reciprocity in natural products between Canada and the United States, Mr. W. T. White, as he was then known, was one of eighteen prominent Toronto Liberals who issued a manifesto against the proposals of their former political chieftain and decided to support Mr. Robert Borden. He himself took the platform against the pact as liable to disturb the equilibrium of trade at a time when Canada was enjoying unexampled prosperity. The result of this and other appeals was that many thousands of voters, previously Liberal, abandoned the party lines and defeated the Laurier administration by a large majority. When called upon to form a government in the latter part of September, 1911, Mr. Borden felt that it was due to the large number of Liberals who had supported him, that they should be represented in the Cabinet. On consultation with the leaders of the group, known as “Borden Liberals,” they were unanimously of the opinion that Mr. White was the best available choice. Despite the fact that he was without previous political experience, the Conservative Leader decided to offer him the most important portfolio in the Cabinet, that of the Ministry of Finance. On Mr. White’s accepting the office, a seat was found for him in the House of Commons by the elevation of Mr. George Taylor, M.P. for Leeds, and formerly Conservative whip, to the Senate.