Responding to the Depression Pages 81 86 Responding

Responding to the Depression Pages 81 - 86

Responding to the Depression � Prime Minister King was totally unprepared to meet the challenges and thought that the problems were temporary – like most world leaders � King told people that it was the municipalities and provinces who should help the poor ◦ Conservative Premiers criticized P. M. King (King was Liberal Party) ◦ PM King said that he wouldn’t contribute a “five cent piece” to any province with a Tory government

� The impulse remark, “five cents piece” and � Kings failure to understand that unemployment was a major issue, � This cost him the election in 1930 to Conservative Richard Bedford Bennett

Bennett’s Response � PM Bennett did not fully agree with government relief, but he promised to give the provinces $20 million for work creation programs. � Bennett also proposed to raise tariffs by 50% to protect Canadian industry

� The 50 % raise in tariffs did more harm than good in the long run because countries now put up their own trade barriers against Canada � Bennett anger. become a target for the peoples’

Depression Humour � People’s frustration with Bennett’s lack of understanding the ‘ordinary’ people, and what they were going through as the depression deepens. They were in the need of some “Depression Humour” � The “Bennett buggy” – a car pulled by a horse, since there was no money to buy gas

� "a Bennett barnyard" - an abandoned farm � "a Bennett blanket" - a newspaper � "a Bennett coffee" – boiled wheat, barley � "Eggs Benedict" - boiled chestnuts � “Bennett burgs” – Hobo jungles

Bennett Blanket Bennett Barnyard Bennett Coffee Hobos Eggs Bennett

What do you do with these men? � With the growing number of homeless men drifting across the country frightened many middle-class Canadians � PM Bennett also feared these men would come under the influence of the Communist Party � 1931, the Communist Party was banned, and several of their leaders were arrested.

Twenty Cents a Day � Work camps were created for the unemployed single men � Located deep in the woods in isolation. � Men worked on building roads, clearing land, digging drainage ditches – anything to keep them busy � They were paid twenty cents a day and given room and board. � The food was terrible and bunks were often bug infested. � Over 170, 000 men spent time in the camps. � Camps were established by the federal government between 1932 -1936.

On-to-Ottawa Trek � 1935 - over a thousand men left camps in the interior of BC to protest camp conditions. � Met in Vancouver decided to take their complaints to Ottawa � Crowded into freight cars, or on top of them, picking up supporters as they moved through the prairies. � In Regina the trekkers were stopped by the RCMP and detained in a stadium, and the leaders were allowed to continue to Ottawa.

Rioters at Regina

� The union leaders had high hopes, but the position Bennett had was made clear. � He believed the leaders to be radicals and troublemakers. � The RCMP was ordered to clear the trekkers from the stadium, but the trekkers resisted (fighting with the RCMP and local cops for two hours). � 1 man was killed and many were injured. � 130 men were arrested.

Trouble in Vancouver � The federal government closed relief camps in 1937 and the provincial government reduced relief payments. � People protested the lack of gov’t support by conducting sit-ins at various buildings until the government would respond. � April 1937 - 1600 protestors occupied the Vancouver Art Gallery, post office, and the Georgia Hotel. � At the post office the men refused to leave until they were evicted with the use of tear gas. � Resulted in battles between police and the protesters, causing damage to storefronts in the area.

President Roosevelt’s New Deal for America � PM Bennett modeled his plans after those of US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) who promised a “New Deal” to Americans to restore confidence and get America working again US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)

Roosevelt’s Philosophy ◦ Get people help with the Social Security Act – old age pension 65+, unemployment insurance, and financial assistance for mothers and children ◦ Get people working through “deficit” spending – using government spending, even in excess of revenue to pump up the economy

Bennett’s New Deal � Promised ◦ Progressive income tax – rich pay more ◦ Minimum wage ◦ Better working conditions ◦ Unemployment insurance ◦ Better Old Age Pensions ◦ Aid for farmers ◦ Sounds good but - Too Little too late