John Williams (July 3, 1860 with "absolutely no capital." After living in Hamilton, Ontario, where he worked on a farm for a year and a half, he moved to Manitoba in November 1882 to become a farmer. He remained in this vocation until 1906 and Williams defeated new Conservative candidate Amos Lyle by a margin of three votes (536 to 533). Williams served as an opposition member for the next three years.
In the provincial election of 1910, Lyle defeated Williams by 175 votes to regain Arthur for the Conservatives. Control of the riding shifted again in the 1914 campaign when Williams defeated Lyle by sixty-six votes. He again served as an opposition member.
Early in 1915, the governing Conservative Party of Rodmond Roblin was forced from office amid a scandal. The Liberals won a landslide victory in the 1915 provincial election, and Williams was elected by an increased margin in Arthur. After this election, he supported Norris's ministry as a backbench supporter. In the 1920 election, Williams defeated Farmer candidate Duncan Lloyd McLeod by only ten votes.
Norris's Liberals were reduced to a minority government in the 1920 election and had difficulty passing legislative initiatives in the next two years. The government was defeated in the legislature in early 1922, and elections were called for later. Williams was called on to play a prominent role in the campaign and was promoted to cabinet on June 6, 1922, as Minister of Agriculture.
In 1928, Williams was named Canadian commissioner of immigration for Wales.