HON. GEORGE ALEXANDER BELL.
 




	Regina is proud to number among her leading citizens Hon. George
Alexander Bell, who is chairman of the Local Government Board, with
offices in the Parliament building. He was born on the 3d of August,
1856, in Brant county, Ontario, a son of David and Agnes (Melrose)
Bell, both natives of Berwickshire, Scotland, who emigrated to Canada
in 1850 or 1851.
	In the pursuit of his education George Alexander Bell attended No.1
public school in Colborne township, Huron county, Ontario, and he
remained on the home farm until he was twenty years of age. He was
then apprenticed to learn the blacksmith trade and worked at that trade
for twelve years. From 1888 to 1892 he worked for a manufacturing
company as a farm implement salesman and in the latter year was ap-
pointed to his first public office. He became Clerk of the County Court
in the Melita district, Manitoba, and held that position until 1898, when
he resigned and resumed work for the Massey Harris Company.  In
August, 1903, he tendered his resignation to that company and was ap-
pointed Dominion Homestead Inspector for the Alameda land district.
He resigned that office in August, 1908, and on the 14th of that month
was elected to the Saskatchewan Provincial Assembly to represent the
Estevan constituency. He was reelected in 1912 and 1917. In August
of the year 1912 he was sworn in as provincial treasurer and in January
of the following year was made Minister of Telephones. He resigned the
treasury portfolio in 1917 and in May, 1918, resigned his seat in the Leg-
islature and his place in the government. In May of that year he was
appointed chairman of the Local Government Board and is now serving
in this important capacity. Mr. Bell has rendered his government val-
uable service and is widely known throughout the province and the Do-
minion. He was a member of the board administering the funds of the
Saskatoon Patriotic Fund during and for some time after the Great war
and he is at the present time a member of the board of directors of the
Anti-Tuberculosis League of Saskatoon.
	the 6th of December, 1883, Mr. Bell was married to Miss Elizabeth
Smith, the ceremony being performed in Brandon, Manitoba. Mrs. Bell's
father was Johnston Smith, a representative citizen of that community.
To Mr. and Mrs. Bell the following children have been born: George, who
is married to Edna Parkin; Ella Mabel; James Herbert, deceased; Gor-
don, who is married to Ethel Meilicke; Ethel; Grace Agnes, and Lorne
David Harold. In his political views Mr. Bell is a Liberal and he is an
influential member of his party in this city and province. Fraternally
he is identified with the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, the Indepen-
dent Order of Odd Fellows and the Canadian Order of Foresters. His
religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church and he is an attendant
at the Westminster Presbyterian church in this city. Socially Mr. Bell
is identified with the Regina Golf Club. The success he has achieved in
life is the result of his own intelligently directed efforts and he is a self-
made man in the truest sense of the word. Starting out into the world
with but little education, he devoted much of his spare time to reading
good books and talking with people of education and refinement and today
he is one of the most intellectual men of his adopted province.

Bibliography follows: