Political Responses to the Great Depression

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Political Responses to the Great Depression
Maurice Duplessis
J.S. Woodsworth
Bible Bill Aberhart
R.B. Bennett
The Politicians offer their Solutions
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Political Responses to the Great Depression

• The effect of the Great Depression
• Prime Minister Bennetts response
• The On to Ottawa Trek
• William Woodsworth and the CCF
• Bill Aberhart and the Social Credit Party
• Maurice Duplessis and The Union Nationale

Homeless Canadian family in Western Canada during
the heart of the Depression
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The Effect of the Great Depression

• In Saskatchewan, over 200,000 people are forced
  to leave their farms. 70 of their population was
  dependent upon social assistance (very basic).
• Overall in Canada, the incomes of families fell
  by over 50
• Imports fell by 55 exports by 25.
• Out of a total population of 10 Million, 2
  million Canadians were living off relief handouts
  (e.g. soup kitchens).
• Canadas unemployment rate went from 4 to 27 (1
  in 4 Canadians were out of work)

A Soup Kitchen during the Depression What do
you think about when you see this picture?
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How did the Government Respond?

• At this point in Canadian History, the social
  programs that we know of today such as Employment
  Insurance and Welfare did not exist.
• How will those Canadians most seriously affected
  by the Great Depression make ends meet?
• What would the government of Prime Minister
  MacKenzie King do?

27 Unemployment
MacKenzie King
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Kings Response to the Depression

• MacKenzie King thought that it was the
  responsibility of the provinces to aid their own
  citizens.
• He wasnt prepared for the depression (not many
  political leaders were) and so he didnt take an
  interventionist approach to the Economy.
• King was eventually openly criticized for his
  controversial comment that he wouldnt give a
  five cent piece of relief money to any province
  that had a Conservative Government

He wont give a five cent piece
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Enter Bonfire Bennett

• R.B. Bennett was Leader of the Conservative Party
  of Canada
• He had the nickname bonfire because of his
  bombastic (loud) speaking style.
• On July 28th, 1930 R.B. Bennett became Prime
  Minister of Canada.
• Originally from New Brunswick, grew up to be a
  self-made millionaire as a corporate lawyer and
  businessman in Calgary.
• Given his rags to riches humble beginnings, he
  believed in capitalism and the free-enterprise
  system (i.e. leave the government out of the
  economy alone and everything will work out in the
  end)

Prime Minister R.B. Bennett
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Bennetts Response to the Depression

• He put 20 Million dollars towards emergency
  relief
• He raised the tariffs on imports to 50 in order
  to protect Canadas industries from foreign
  competition and end the trade deficit.
• This plan did not work as Canada lost trade
  partners and nations created trade barriers
  against Canada as a response

Bonfire Bennett
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Canadas Reaction

• R.B. Bennetts plans made the depression worse as
  his protectionism cut off Canadian exports.
• Many Canadians could not afford to put gasoline
  in their cars. Instead, their cars were pulled
  by horses!
• Canadians called these cars Bennett Buggies

The Bennett Buggy
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Relief Camps

• The country was filled with young, jobless,
  homeless men drifting from one place to another
  looking for work.
• The frightened middle-class Canadians and they
  were often arrested as vagrants.
• The federal government eventually set up
  Unemployment Relief Camps that would provide
  work, food, and shelter to the homeless men.

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Terrible Conditions

• Camps were more like prisons.
• Paid 20 cents a day
• Terrible food
• Bug infested beds
• Located deep in the woods so men were isolated
• Cleared land for highways and airports.

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The On to Ottawa Trek

• Many workers began to ride the rails in order to
  find work in other parts of Canada.
• 1000 relief camp workers climbed aboard freight
  trains and headed for Ottawa to protest their
  working conditions

Riding the rails The On to Ottawa Trek
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The Regina Riot

• When the train reached Regina, Saskatchewan, the
  number of protesters had doubled.
• Fearing a huge protest in Ottawa, R.B. Bennett
  stopped the train in Regina and tried to
  negotiate with the protestors.
• On July 1st, 1935 a riot broke out as the RCMP
  tried to arrest the organizers of the protest.
• A Regina police officer was killed and 130
  protesters were arrested.
• The On to Ottawa trek was officially over.

A riot breaks out in Regina as the Government
tries to stop the On to Ottawa Trek
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The Return of King

• In 1935, the Canadian people had enough of
  Bennett who they blamed for prolonging the
  Depression.
• Running under the slogan King or Chaos, King
  won the election.
• Bennett ended his final days in Great Britain and
  remains the only Canadian prime minister to be
  buried outside of Canada.

Hes Back Again
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Other Political Parties offer their solutions

• Bill Aberhart was a preacher and school teacher
  from Alberta
• He thought that the Depression was caused by
  people not having enough money to buy goods and
  services especially farmers.
• His idea? Give every citizen 25 per month
  prosperity certificate so people could buy more
  products and help the economy.
• His party was called the Social Credit Party.
• His party was elected in 1935 in Alberta, but
  they never paid out the certificates. The party
  was a major force in the west and stayed in power
  until the 1970s in Alberta. It was also a major
  force in BC politics

Social Credit Party leader Bible Bill Aberhart
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The CCF

• He was a conscientious objector during WW1 and
  worked as a minister in Winnipeg helping the
  homeless.
• He believed that the free enterprise system had
  failed the people during the depression and that
  the government needed to take a greater role
  during the depression.
• He proposed Unemployment insurance, free medical
  care, family allowances and old age pensions.
• Many of his ideas have been adopted in Canada.
• His Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF)
  Party later was renamed the NDP in 1961.

J.S. Woodsworth
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The Union Nationale

• Maurice Duplessis blamed the existence of the
  Depression on the fact that many of Quebecs
  industries were owned by Americans and English
  speaking Canadians.
• He formed the Union Nationale so that Quebeckers
  would have more control over their economy.
• The Union Nationale won the Quebec election in
  1936 and remained a force in Quebec politics for
  the next 22 years

Maurice Duplessis of the Union Nationale