Fonds consists of papers relating to the career of H.H. Stevens, the Royal Commission on Price Spreads and Mass Buying, and the Reconstruction Party. There are also some personal papers, reference material, and sixteen taped interviews with Mr. Stevens. The records comprise correspondence; reference memoranda; speeches, 1911-1929, 1935-1936, 0.305 m; scrapbooks; Royal Commission on Price Spreads and Mass Buying; Reconstruction Party and election campaign; Correspondence with Francis Stevens; correspondence, 1930-1934, 2.470 m; speeches, 1930-1934, 0.720; reference material; memoranda, reports and clippings ; correspondence, 1935-1936, 1.750 m; reference material; newspaper clippings; East Kootenay Constituency; correspondence, 1937-1973, 1.150 m; clippings, 1937-1973, 0.175 m; speeches and reference material, 1937-1973, 0.423 m; personal finances, ; political and miscellaneous publications; scrapbooks and souvenirs; memoirs; transcripts for tape recording, transcript.
Fonds also contains photographic material depicts political events in the career of H.H. Stevens.
Stevens, H. H. (Henry Herbert), 1878-1973 : Henry Herbert Stevens, Member of Parliament, Leader of the Reconstruction Party, was born at Bristol, England, and came to Canada in 1887, settling at Peterborough. In 1894 he went to British Columbia, working as a prospector and stage-coach driver until joining the American army, to serve in the Philippines and China. Stevens returned to British Columbia as an accountant and became a prominent Vancouver businessman and broker. "Harry" Stevens began his political career as alderman for Vancouver, 1910-1911. He was elected to the House of Commons for Vancouver Centre 1911-1930, and for East Kootenay, 1930-1940. Stevens served as Minister of Trade and Commerce, 1921, 1930-1934, and Acting Minister of Customs and Excise, then Minister of Customs and Excise, 1926.
Named chairman of the Royal Commission on Price Spreads and Mass Buying, Stevens broke with R.B. Bennett over the findings of the commission. He organized and led the Reconstruction Party in the 1935 election, in which Stevens was the only elected member despite a poll of 389,708 votes.
He rejoined the Conservative party in 1938, eventually running unsuccessfully for the party leadership. Stevens remained a correspondent with Conservative M.P.'s and Cabinet Ministers until his death in 1973.
See also: "The Canadian Directory of Parliament", 1867-1967, 1968.
