William J. Short
William John Short (September 22, 1865 [1] – September 7, 1939[2]) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1922 to 1927.[3]
He was born in Wellington County, Ontario, the son of William J. Short and Margaret Oakmen, and was educated in Grey County. After leaving school at sixteen, Short worked as a farm labourer until 1888, when he travelled west to Manitoba, settling on a homestead near Shoal Lake, Manitoba. In 1885, he married Matilda Bumpstead. He operated a butcher shop for five years and then became a livestock dealer. Short subsequently purchased a farm, where he grew grain and raised cattle and horses.[1] He served on the council for the Rural Municipality of Shoal Lake and was reeve from 1907 to 1922.[4]
He ran for the Manitoba legislature in the 1922 provincial election as a candidate of the United Farmers of Manitoba (UFM),[3] and defeated Liberal candidate William Iverach by 597 votes in the Birtle constituency.
The UFM unexpectedly formed government following the election. Short served as a backbench supporter of John Bracken's administration for the next five years. He did not run for re-election in 1927.
Short died in Shoal Lake.[2]
