political reactions. liberal prime minister during most of the 20s believed the depression was a...
TRANSCRIPT
Canada and the Great Depression
Political Reactions
Liberal Prime Minister during most of the 20s
Believed the Depression was a “temporary slump” and that the economy would correct itself if left alone
He did Balance the Budget, Lower Taxes, increase trade with England and Decrease Tariffs
Lost the 1930 election mainly due to the “5 cent speech”
William Lyon McKenzie King
Won the election of 1930 (Conservative) on the promise of “solving” the Depression with government intervention
Rich and Successful business man
Raised taxes and provided subsidies (money) for small business
Bennett also gave out his own money to assist needy families
R.B. Bennett
A tariff is a tax on imported goods By highly taxing foreign products, Canadians
would be forced to buy Canadian products For example:
- Company A (from Canada) makes Product X and sells it for $110- Company B (from USA) makes Product X and sells it for $100.- Without Tariffs, most Canadians will buy from Company B- With a 15% Tariff on US products, Company B will be forced to sell their product at $115- Canadians will then buy from Company A and the money will stay in Canada
Overall, the plan failed to achieve any real results
Bennett’s Government Part 1:Raising Tariffs
The Unemployment Relief Act set aside $20 million for the unemployed
To qualify a person must be: - a man - unemployed - no car - no radio - no telephone - no alcohol
Also, you had to stand in public lines to receive your money; it was very embarrassing
Bennett’s Government Part 2:Unemployment Relief
The “Dole” system was full of problems
It was too little for a family to live on
Also, the money was given to each municipality
Therefore, each city was responsible for taking care of its own people
Major confusion and disorganization, (especially with all the drifters and hobos around)
The “Dole” was one of the biggest reasons why hobos were treated so badly when they entered a town
Finally, no money was given to Farmers because they had a job (even if they couldn’t grow any crops)
Bennett’s Government Part 2:Unemployment Relief con’t
The Bennett Buggy
Bennett Buggy: A horse-drawn car named after Bennett because he did little to help farmers
Bennett was concerned about the amount of young men “riding the rods”
Communist ideas were becoming popular again as more people became frustrated with the lack of jobs and opportunity
The “Red Scare” was back! To combat this problem,
Bennett created relief camps; a place where men could work and stay out of trouble
Bennett’s Government Part 3:Relief Camps
The relief camps did more harm than good
They were organized by the military in isolated locations
Back-breaking work Poor food Inadequate clothing Harsh conditions Only 20 cents a day Almost like a prison! These camps created
even more unrest and resentment among workers
Bennett’s Government Part 3:Relief Camps con’t
In April 1935, Relief Camp workers in BC struck their camp and began a long march to Ottawa to demand better conditions in the camps
As they crossed the country, thousand of men joined them
When they reached Regina, Bennett sent for the leaders of the movement and demanded that they break up the rally (he didn’t listen to any of their demands)
Bennett then used the police and RCMP to break up the Trek
So began the Regina Riots, one policeman died and hundreds of workers were arrested and beaten
The On-to-Ottawa Trek
The Regina Riots
Bennett was extremely unpopular during his time as Prime Minister
The Regina Riots were simply the last straw for Canadians
Bennett was crushed in the 1935 election and McKenzie King took over again
Bennett was heart broken by the election and his unpopularity
He left Canada and never returned (only 3 people went to say goodbye!)
The End of R.B. Bennett
It’s King or Chaos!
To combat the depression Bennett:1. Donated his own money2. Raised Tariffs3. Gave Relief Money (the Dole)4. Created Relief Camps
The On-To-Ottawa trek was crushed (The Red Scare)
All Bennett’s ideas failed and the depression only worsened
Question: Did Bennett deserve the hatred he received from Canadians?
Key Points