thecanadianencyclopedia
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I read this story in regards to relief camps during the Great Depression in Canada
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Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett of Mickleham, Calgary and Hopewell, businessman, lawyer, politician, philanthropist, prime minister of Canada 7 August 1930 to 23 October 1935 (born 3 July 1870 in Hopewell Hill, NB; died 26 June 1947 in Mickleham, England). R.B. Bennett is perhaps best remembered for his highly criticized response to the Great Depression, as well as the subsequent unemployment relief camps and the On to Ottawa Trek and Regina Riot.
Bennett promised to fight vigorously to create jobs, help the millions of unemployed and “blast” Canada back into world markets. In July 1930, the Conservatives won a commanding majority and Bennett became prime minister.
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Unemployment Relief Camps and Regina Riot
In 1932, various Western mayors and premiers demanded that Bennett do something about the thousands of unemployed young men who were loitering in cities and towns. In October, Bennett created unemployment relief camps. They offered young men food and housing while working to cut trees, build roads and perform other manual labour. However, workers at the camps were given a stipend of $0.20 per day for a 44-hour workweek, which was largely seen as insufficient.
In spring 1935, strikes at many of the camps turned into a months-long protest in Vancouver. On 3 June, around 1,000 men left British Columbia aboard trains on their way to negotiate directly with Bennett. Bennett believed this On to Ottawa Trek was organized by communists (the Workers’ Unity League, which organized the protests, was affiliated with the international Communist movement) and therefore threatened law and order. He directed that it be stopped. On 1 July, the RCMP moved on the trekkers in Regina, even though the leaders had decided to end the trek. The ensuing riot injured many and killed a police officer and a protester. Bennett was harshly criticized for his reaction to the Trek.
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On 1 July, the RCMP moved on the trekkers in Regina, even though the leaders had decided to end the trek. The ensuing riot injured many and killed a police officer and a protester. Bennett was harshly criticized for his reaction to the Trek.
I am not an historian and expert on this event and so my comments are non-exhaustive, brief and philosophical.
As a moderate conservative with some libertarian leanings, this is an interesting true story that a Canadian Conservative Prime Minister ended through force, perceived, intellectual, physical, non-compliance in regards to law and order, perhaps justly or unjustly from a group of workers influenced by communistic ideals. A riot occurred when the RCMP moved in. This story played out in a similar way, where today, numerous conservatives and libertarians reason that many liberal, social-democratic and socialist governments could/would do to through force, to those that are perceived as non-compliant, both intellectually and physically, in regards to law and order, on certain key issues within western jurisdictions.
At times, forced compliance by the state, could be more about maintaining political power, and the perceived need for maintaining law and order, than political ideology.
