moved Saskatchewan to a more forward and prosperous state. In his first year alone, he introduced 72 bills that were aimed at social or economic changes. After only two years, he had reduced provincial deficit by $20 million.Some of Tommy Douglass greatest accomplishments were pensioner benefits and universal hospitilization. In 1944, he introduced pensioners to free medical, dental, and hospital services, as well as free treatment of cancer, mental illness, tuberculosis, and venereal diseases. During his campaining for the Humanity First, 70% of the CCF budget went into health, welfare, and education. In 1947, universal hospitilation was introduced. For five dollars per annum per person, the cost of medical treatment for the sick was spread to the entire population. As the provinces finances became more stable, within 12 year he announced the medicare plan. The medicare plan was an upgrade of the previous universal hospilitation program. Tommy Douglas also brought in many other non-health related changes. For example, his Crown Corporation Act allowed provincial air and bus lines. The Timber borad allowed the preservation of precious lumber resources. Also, SaskTel, or Saskatchewan Telephone, gave cheap, high quality telephone access to mos tof the people in the country. Douglas CCF then introduced the Trade Union Act, requiring collective bargaining to be mandatory and extending the rights of civil servants. Workers compensation, mandatory minimum wages, and paid holidays were set. In a mere four years, union membership rose 118 percent. To show the commiutment Douglas government had to its constituents, each CCF cabinet member took a 28% pay cut to pay for any new departments created.However, perhaps Douglas greatest crown corporation accomplishment was Saskatchewan Power Corporation. Before the power grid had been hooked up, about 300 rural buildings had electricity. After, over 65,000 farmhouses had been connected.For all Tommy Do...
