RICHARD EDWARD ALBERT LEECH. 


	Richard Edward Albert Leech has held his present position as chair-
man of the Saskatchewan Liquor Commission since 1920.  Immediately
prior to this he had been engaged in business in Regina, but his suitability
for this important office was established by his record as inspector of
Dominion land agencies for the Dominion government for a number of
years in the last two decades.
	A long residence in western Canada and intimate knowledge of its
conditions, especially along the lines of agricultural development, have
well qualified Mr. Leech for public service. He was born in Leeds county,
Ontario, on the 25th of January, 1859, son of John and Sarah (Moles)
Leech, also natives of that county. On both sides of the house he is of
Irish descent, both the paternal and maternal grandfathers having been
among the early settlers of Ontario from the Emerald Isle. Long before
the day of railroads they crossed the Atlantic and ascended the St. Law-
rence river in a sailing vessel, taking six weeks for the voyage. John
Leech was a pioneer in the cheese and grain exporting trade in Ontario
and operated one of the first cheese factories in that province. Later in
life he moved west to Manitoba, where he took up a homestead and
farmed until he moved to Brandon to spend his declining years. A Con-
servative in his political affiliations he held, at various times, offices in
the local government. He was a deep student of public affairs and well
read, and kept thoroughly informed as to what was taking place in the
world, to the end of his life. Both he and his wife were members of the
Methodist church and active in its work, while he was identified frater-
nally with the Orangemen and Foresters. Five of the six children born
to this couple are living, of whom R. E. A. Leech is the oldest. He was
educated at Belleville, Ontario, and graduated from college in 1874. His
first employment after leaving college was with his father in the export
trade and when the family moved to Manitoba he went with them, tak-
ing up the occupation of a farmer.  For twenty years he remained in
this agricultural work, during which he became immensely interested in
the problems of the western farmer and took a leading part in the farmer
movement. As a pioneer in the work of organizing the agricultural in-
terests, he was provincial secretary of the Manitoba Farmers' Institute
and did much to promote its growth and helpfulness.
	This period of Mr. Leech's career came to an end in 1900 when, after
twenty years of farm life, he moved to Brandon. Five years later he was
appointed Dominion government inspector of land agencies, with super-
vision of the government land business in the four western provinces.
The years he held this position were among the most active this phase
of the government work ever experienced. Following the division of the
Northwest Territories into provinces and the rapid expansion of rail-
roads and other means of communication, people flocked into the western
part of Canada in even greater numbers than they had done before. At
one time when Mr. Leech went to Moose Jaw to take charge of the dis-
tribution of thirty-three million acres of government land, he found a
crowd of two thousand people in front of the land office, trying to get
in to get a piece of this land. In order to manage this throng with some
degree of order and fairness he had to put out numbered cards showing
the time at which each one was to call at the office. Ordinarily he was
able to take care of about two hundred men a day; toward the close of the
time seven hundred and fifty-three men and their land entries were put
through in a single day. This work continued for an entire month and
was concluded with such general satisfaction to all concerned as to win
for Mr. Leech the commendation of the Hon. Frank Oliver, who was the
minister in charge of his department. An even greater test of Mr. Leech's
administrative and organizing ability came when as superintendent of
land agencies he was called upon to manage the first seed grain distribu-
tion in the western provinces. An appropriation of three million dollars
was made to provide seed for spring sowing in 1908, the previous crop
being generally frozen. As this was the first time such a distribution
was ever made Mr. Leech had to devise a plan of procedure as well as
carry it out. So great was his success in this task that his plan has been
followed in similar work ever since and he was, of course, very highly
complimented for his achievements. In 1912 Mr. Leech left the govern-
ment service and came to Regina, where he was manager of the Regina
Cartage Company until he was appointed chairman of the Saskatchewan
Liquor Commission in 1920. He has charge of the enforcement of the
Saskatchewan temperance act and supervision of all medical liquor sup-
plies and is assisted by a staff of twenty-five people.
	Mr. Leech was married in 1892 to Miss Jennie Hall, daughter of Henry
Hall, one of the old school shoe merchants of Woodstock, Ontario. Mrs.
Leech was born and educated there. Mr. and Mrs. Leech have two chil-
dren: Vera, a teacher of modern languages in the Regina Collegiate In-
stitute, who holds a Master of Arts degree from McMaster University,
Toronto; and Beverley C., a veteran of the Great war and a medical stu-
dent at McGill University. He entered the military service as a private
in 1916 and was sent overseas a year later. He was promoted to the rank
of captain and a month before the signing of the armistice was severely
wounded. After three years of service ~n the army he returned home and
was discharged before he had reached his twenty-first birthday.
	Mr. Leech's experience in military affairs occurred during the Rebellion
of 1885, when he served as a transport officer. He was in the Fish Creek
and Batoche engagements and was present at Batoche when Riel was cap-
tured. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Metho-
dist church, in whose work he has taken an active part, serving as a mem-
ber of the official board. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Ancient
Order of United Workmen. A Liberal in his political views, he has always
sought to promote the welfare of the community in which he lived and has
taken an active interest in public affairs. As a government official his
career has been exemplary, while his high character and pleasing person-
ality have won him many personal friends in private life.




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