| The Right Honourable Viscount Richard Bedford Bennett PC KC |
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| In office August 7, 1930 – October 23, 1935 |
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| Monarch | George V |
| Governor General | Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough |
| Preceded by | Mackenzie King |
| Succeeded by | Mackenzie King |
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| Born | July 3, 1870 Hopewell Hill, New Brunswick |
| Died | June 26, 1947 (aged 76) Mickleham, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Single; Never married |
| Alma mater | Dalhousie University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Religion | Methodist, then United Church of Canada |
Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett PC KC (July 3, 1870 – June 26, 1947) was the eleventh Prime Minister of Canada from August 7, 1930 to October 23, 1935. The Right Honourable (abbreviated as The Rt Hon) is an Honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain A viscount ( VAI-count is a member of the European Nobility whose comital title ranks usually as in the British peerage, above a The Queen's Privy Council for Canada (QPC (Conseil privé de la Reine pour le Canada (CPR sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or the Privy Council Queen's Counsel ( postnominal QC) &ndash known as King's Counsel ( KC) during the reign of a male sovereign &ndash are The Prime Minister of Canada ( French: Premier ministre du Canada) is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Captain Vere Brabazon Ponsonby 9th Earl of Bessborough GCMG PC ( October 27, 1880 &ndash March 10, William Lyon Mackenzie King PC OM CMG ( December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian William Lyon Mackenzie King PC OM CMG ( December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Hopewell Hill is a Canadian rural community in Albert County, New Brunswick. New Brunswick ( French: Nouveau-Brunswick /nuvobʁɔnzwik/ is one of Canada 's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Mickleham is a small village and Civil parish between the towns of Dorking and Leatherhead in Surrey, England covering 731 hectares England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. In relationships, a single person is one who is not married or in a romantic relationship A bachelor is a man above the Age of majority who has never been married (see single) Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval Dalhousie University is a University located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations The United Church of Canada was founded in 1925 as a merger of four Christian denominations two thirds of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (then the largest Canadian Protestant The Queen's Privy Council for Canada (QPC (Conseil privé de la Reine pour le Canada (CPR sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or the Privy Council Queen's Counsel ( postnominal QC) &ndash known as King's Counsel ( KC) during the reign of a male sovereign &ndash are Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Prime Minister of Canada ( French: Premier ministre du Canada) is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
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Early life
R. B. Bennett was born on July 3, 1870 when his mother, Henrietta Stiles, was visiting at her parent's home in Hopewell Hill, New Brunswick, Canada. Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Hopewell Hill is a Canadian rural community in Albert County, New Brunswick. New Brunswick ( French: Nouveau-Brunswick /nuvobʁɔnzwik/ is one of Canada 's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page He grew up nearby at the home of his father, Henry John Bennett, at Hopewell Cape, the shire town of Albert County, then a town of 1,800 people. Hopewell Cape is a Canadian village and Headland in Albert County, New Brunswick at the northern end of Shepody Bay and the mouth of the A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. Albert County ( 2005 population 26749 is located in southeastern New Brunswick,
His father was descended from English ancestors who emigrated to Connecticut in the 18th century. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. His great, great grandfather Bennett migrated from Connecticut to Nova Scotia c. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's 1765, before the American Revolution, taking advantage of lands vacated by the Acadians during the Great Upheaval. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" The Great Upheaval, also known as the Great Expulsion, The Deportation, the Acadian Expulsion, or to the deportees Le Grand Dérangement, was
R. B. Bennett's family was poor, subsisting mainly on the produce of a small farm. His early days inculcated a lifelong habit of thrift. The driving force in his family was his mother. She was a Wesleyan Methodist and passed this faith and the Protestant ethic on to her son. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations The Protestant work ethic, sometimes called the Puritan work ethic, is a sociological theoretical concept His principle ever after was: work as hard as you can, earn all you can, save all you can, and then give all you can. Bennett's father does not appear to have been a good provider for his family, though the reason is unclear. He operated a general store for a while and tried to develop some gypsum deposits. Gypsum is a very soft Mineral composed of Calcium sulfate dihydrate with the Chemical formula Ca[[sulfur S]] O 4·2
The Bennetts were previously a relatively prosperous family, operating a shipyard in Hopewell Cape, but the change to steam meant the end of their business. However, the household was a literate one, subscribing to three newspapers. They were strong Conservatives, indeed one of the largest and last ships launched by the Bennett shipyard (in 1869) was the Sir John A. Macdonald
Educated in the local school, Bennett was a good student, but something of a loner. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined Sir John Alexander Macdonald GCB, KCMG, PC ( January 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first Prime Minister In addition to his Protestant faith, Bennett grew up with an abiding love of the British Empire, then at its apogee. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power.
Teacher, school principal, and lawyer
At the age of 15, Bennett had learned all the local school could teach him, and he enrolled in the New Brunswick Department of Education's teacher training school in Fredericton, getting his second class teaching certificate. Fredericton (pronounced ˈfrɛdrɨktɨn is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial He then taught the elementary grades at a small village called Irishtown, just north of Moncton, New Brunswick. Moncton ( is a Canadian city located in Westmorland County, New Brunswick. He campaigned vigorously in the Conservative interest in the 1887 federal election, at 17 years of age taking the floor at public meetings in rural areas, well able to handle hecklers. Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He earned the gratitude of the local candidate, Dr. R. C. Weldon, a co-founder of the Dalhousie Law School. The Dalhousie Law School, part of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada was established in 1883, making it the
In 1888 Bennett obtained his first-class teaching certificate and received an appointment as principal of the 159 student Douglastown school. Douglastown is a Canadian suburban neighbourhood in the city of Miramichi, New Brunswick. Though only 18 years old, Bennett was a success. He was 6' tall and his serious demeanour enabled him to control his pupils. Sundays were spent across the Miramichi River in the larger community of Chatham, New Brunswick, where he attended the Methodist Church twice and taught Sunday School. This article is about the river in New Brunswick For more information about the communities which comprise the Miramichi region see the separate article on the Miramichi Chatham is a Canadian urban neighbourhood in the city of Miramichi, New Brunswick. " Sunday school " is the generic name for many different types of Religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations He also joined the Chatham branch of the Conservative party and spoke whenever he could. He became a polished speaker. During this time he formed several female friendships, but none blossomed into marriage.
One day, while Bennett was crossing the Miramichi on the ferry boat, a well dressed lad about nine years younger came over to him and struck up a conversation. This was the beginning of an improbable but important friendship with Max Aitken, later the industrialist and British press baron, Lord Beaverbrook . William Maxwell "Max" Aitken 1st Baron Beaverbrook Bt William Maxwell "Max" Aitken 1st Baron Beaverbrook Bt The agnostic Aitken liked to tease the Methodist Bennett whose fiery temper contrasted with Aitken's ability to turn away wrath with a joke. This friendship would become important to his success later in life, as would a few others such as his friendship with the Chatham lawyer, Lemuel J. Tweedie, a prominent Conservative politician. Lemuel John Tweedie ( November 30, 1849 &ndash July 15, 1917) was a politician from Chatham New Brunswick. He began to study law with Tweedie on weekends and during summer holidays. Another important friendship was with the prominent Shirreff family of Chatham, the father being High Sheriff of Northumberland County for 25 years. The High Sheriff is or was a law enforcement position in Anglosphere countries Northumberland County ( 2001 population 50817 having the largest area of any county in the province The son, Harry, joined the E.B. Eddy Company, a large pulp and paper industrial concern, and was transferred to Halifax. The EB Eddy Company was a Canadian pulp and paper company now a division of Domtar Inc The global pulp and paper industry is dominated by North American ( United States, Canada) Northern European ( Finland, Sweden The City of Halifax (est 1841 is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County His sister moved there to study nursing and soon Bennett joined them to study law at Dalhousie University. Dalhousie University is a University located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Their friendship was renewed here and became crucial to his later life when Jennie Sherreff married the head of the Eddy Company. She later made Bennett the lawyer for her extensive interests.
Bennett started at Dalhousie University in 1890, graduating in 1893 with a law degree. Dalhousie University is a University located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He worked his way through with a job as assistant in the library, being recommended by Dr. R. C. Weldon.
He was then a partner in the Chatham law firm of Tweedie and Bennett. Max Aitken (later known as Lord Beaverbrook) was his office boy, while articling as a lawyer, acting as a stringer for the Montreal Gazette and selling life insurance. William Maxwell "Max" Aitken 1st Baron Beaverbrook Bt Aitken persuaded him to run for alderman in the first Town Council of Chatham, and managed his campaign. An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions Bennett was elected by one vote and was later furious with Aitken when he heard all the promises he had made on Bennett's behalf.
Despite his election to the Chatham town council, Bennett's days in the town were numbered. He was ambitious and saw that the small community was too narrow a field for him. He was already negotiating with Sir James Lougheed to move to Calgary and become his law partner. Sir James Alexander Lougheed KCMG, PC ( 1 September, 1854 – 2 November, 1925) was a businessman and politician from Calgary (ˈkælgəriː is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, Canada Lougheed was Calgary's richest man and most successful lawyer.
Bennett moved to Alberta in 1897. A lifelong bachelor and teetotaler, he led a rather lonely life in a hotel and later, in a boarding house. See also Prohibition, Temperance movement Teetotalism (or T-total is the practice and promotion of complete Abstinence from Alcoholic beverages For a while a younger brother roomed with him. He ate his noon meal on workdays at the Alberta Hotel. Social life, such as it was, centered on church. There was, however, no scandal attached to his personal life. Bennett worked hard and gradually built up his legal practice.
Politics
He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in the 1898 general election representing the riding of West Calgary, he would be re-elected to a second term in office in 1902 Independent from the parties in the Northwest Territories legislature. The Calgary Stampede, which bills itself as The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, is a large Festival, exhibition, and Rodeo held in The Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories or Legislative Council of the Northwest Territories, Canada, is located in Yellowknife. The Northwest Territories general election of 1898 took place on November 4 1898
In 1905, when Alberta was carved out of the territories and made a province, Bennett became the first leader of the Alberta Conservative Party and, in 1909, won a seat in the provincial legislature before switching to federal politics. Alberta (ælˈbɝtə is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1 1905 The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country in total area. The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial right-of-centre party in the Canadian province of Alberta. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation
Elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1911, Bennett returned to the provincial scene to again lead the Alberta Tories in the 1913 provincial election but kept his seat in Ottawa when his Tories failed to take power in the province. The House of Commons (Chambre des communes is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and The Canadian federal election of 1911 was held on September 21 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 12th Parliament of Canada. The Alberta general election of 1913 was the third general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. He was appointed Minister of Justice in 1921 shortly before the federal Tory government of Arthur Meighen was defeated. The Minister of Justice (Ministre de la Justice is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Department of Justice Arthur Meighen (ˈmiən PC, QC ( June 16, 1874 – August 5, 1960) was the ninth Prime Minister of Canada Bennett returned to government as Minister of Finance in 1926 and became Conservative leader in 1927 at the first Conservative leadership convention. The Minister of Finance (Ministre des Finances is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible each year for presenting the federal government's The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. The first Progressive Conservative Party of Canada Leadership convention was held in 1927 when the party was called the Conservative Party.
Prime Minister
Confronting the depression
By defeating William Lyon Mackenzie King in the 1930 federal election, Bennett became the first Prime Minister of Canada to have been elected from a Calgary riding, a distinction he held until Stephen Harper's 2006 election. William Lyon Mackenzie King PC OM CMG ( December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian The Canadian federal election of 1930 was held on July 28, 1930 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 17th Parliament The Prime Minister of Canada ( French: Premier ministre du Canada) is the primary Minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus Calgary (ˈkælgəriː is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, Canada WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Honorific prefixes --> Stephen Joseph Harper PC The 2006 Canadian federal election (more formally the 39th General Election) was held on January 23 2006 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the But he also had the misfortune of taking office during the worst depression of the century for the country and the rest of the world. Bennett tried to combat the depression by increasing trade within the British Empire and imposing tariffs for imports from outside the Empire, promising that his measures would blast Canadian exports into world markets. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. For other uses of this word see Tariff (disambiguation. A tariff is a tax imposed on goods when they are moved across a political boundary His success was limited however, and his own wealth and impersonal style alienated many struggling Canadians.
When his Imperial Preference policy failed to generate the desired result, Bennett's government had no real contingency plan. The party's pro-business and pro-banking inclinations provided little relief to the millions of increasingly desperate and agitated unemployed. Despite the economic crisis, Laissez-faire persisted as the guiding economic principle of Conservative Party ideology. Laissez-faire ( pronunciation: French,; English,) is a French phrase literally meaning Let do (“allow to do” Government relief to the unemployed was considered a disincentive to individual initiative and was therefore only granted in the most minimal amounts and attached to work programs. An additional concern of the federal government was that large numbers of disaffected unemployed men concentrating in urban centres created a volatile situation. As an "alternative to bloodshed on the streets," the stop-gap solution for unemployment chosen by the Bennett government was to establish military-run and -styled relief camps in remote areas throughout the country, where single unemployed men toiled for twenty cents a day. [1] Any relief beyond this was left to provincial and municipal governments, many of which were either insolvent or on the brink of bankruptcy, and which railed against the inaction of other levels of government. Partisan differences began to sharpen on the question of government intervention in the economy, since lower levels of government were largely in Liberal hands, and protest movements were beginning to send their own parties into the political mainstream, notably the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation and William Aberhart's Social Credit Party in Alberta. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF (French Fédération du commonwealth coopératif, then Parti social démocratique du Canada) was a Canadian William Aberhart ( December 30, 1878 &ndash May 23, 1943) also known as Bible Bill for his religious preaching was a Canadian The Social Credit Party of Alberta is a provincial Political party in Alberta, Canada, that was founded on the Social credit monetary policy Alberta (ælˈbɝtə is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1 1905
Anticommunism
A nickname that would stick with Bennett for the remainder of his political career, "Iron Heel Bennett," came from a 1932 speech he gave in Toronto that ironically, if unintentionally, alluded to Jack London's socialist novel:
What do they offer you in exchange for the present order? Socialism, Communism, dictatorship. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Jack London (January 12 1876 &ndash November 22 1916 was an American author who wrote The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and The The Iron Heel is a Dystopian Novel by American writer Jack London, first published in 1908 They are sowing the seeds of unrest everywhere. Right in this city such propaganda is being carried on and in the little out of the way places as well. And we know that throughout Canada this propaganda is being put forward by organizations from foreign lands that seek to destroy our institutions. And we ask that every man and woman put the iron heel of ruthlessness against a thing of that kind. [2]
Reacting to fears of Communist subversion, Bennett invoked the controversial Section 98 of the Criminal Code of Canada. Section 98 (s 98 of the Criminal Code of Canada was a law enacted after the Winnipeg General Strike banning "unlawful associations The Criminal Code of Canada (long title An Act respecting the criminal law, R Enacted in the aftermath of the Winnipeg General Strike, Section 98 dispensed with the presumption of innocence in outlawing potential threats to the state, specifically, anyone belonging to an organisation that officially advocated the violent overthrow of the government. The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 was one of the most influential strikes in Canadian history The presumption of innocence being innocent until proven guilty is a legal Right that the Accused in Criminal trials has Even if the accused had never committed an act of violence or personally supported such an action, they could be incarcerated merely for attending meetings of such an organization, publicly speaking in its defense, or distributing its literature. [3] Despite the broad power authorized under Section 98, its targeted specifically the Communist Party of Canada. History Origins The Communist Party was organized with great secrecy in a barn near the city of Guelph Ontario, on May 28 and 29 1921 Eight of the top party leaders, including Tim Buck, were arrested and convicted under Section 98 in 1931. Timothy "Tim" Buck ( January 6, 1891 – March 11, 1973) was a long-time leader of the Communist Party of Canada (known This plan to stamp out communism however, backfired and proved to be a damaging embarrassment for the government, especially after Buck was the target of an apparent assassination attempt. AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media. While confined to his cell during a prison riot, despite not participating in the riot, shots were fired into his cell. A prison riot is a type of incident that occurs in the Prison environment When an agit-prop play depicting these events, Eight Men Speak, was suppressed by the Toronto police, a protest meeting was held where activist A.E. Smith repeated the play's allegations and was consequently arrested for sedition. Agitprop (агитпроп is a contraction of " agit ation and prop aganda" A play, or stageplay, is a form of Literature written by a Playwright, almost always consisting of Dialogue between Fictional characters Eight Men Speak is a Canadian play written in 1933 by a committee of Oscar Ryan, E Rev Albert Edward Smith ( October 20, 1871 —1947 was a Canadian religious leader and politician This is about the law term For other uses see Sedition (disambiguation Sedition is a term of Law which refers to covert conduct This created a storm of public protest compounded with Buck being called as a witness to the trial and repeating the allegations in open court. Although the remarks were striken from the record, they still discredited the prosecution's case and Smith was acquitted. As a result, the government's case against Buck lost any credibility and Buck and his comrades were released early and fêted as heroic champions of civil liberties. thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government.
Relief camp protest
Having survived Section 98, and benefiting from the public sympathy wrought by persecution, Communist Party members set out to organize workers in the relief camps. Camp workers laboured on a variety of infrastructure projects, including such things as municipal airports, roads, and park facilities, along with a number of make-work schemes. Conditions in the camps were abhorrent, not only because of the low pay, but the lack of recreational facilities, isolation from family and friends, poor quality food, and the use of military discipline, which made the camps feel like penal colonies. Military courtesy is one of the defining features of a professional Military force Communists thus had ample grounds on which to organize camp inmates. The Relief Camp Workers' Union was formed and affiliated with the Workers' Unity League, the trade union umbrella of the Communist Party. The Relief Camp Workers' Union (RCWU was the union into which the inmates of the Canadian government relief camps were organized in the early 1930s The Workers' Unity League ( WUL) was created in 1929 as a labour central operated by the Communist Party of Canada on the instructions of the Communist Camp workers in BC struck on 4 April 1935 and, after two months of protesting in Vancouver, began the On-to-Ottawa Trek to bring their grievances to Bennett's doorstep. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal The On-to-Ottawa Trek was a 1935 social movement of Unemployed men protesting the dismal conditions in federal relief camps scattered in remote areas across Western Canada The Prime Minister and his Minister of Justice, Hugh Guthrie, treated the trek as an attempted insurrection, and ordered it to be stopped. Hugh Guthrie PC ( 13 August, 1866 &ndash 3 November, 1939) was a Canadian politician and Cabinet The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) halted the Trek in Regina on 1 July 1935 by attacking a crowd of 3,000 strikers and their supporters, resulting in two deaths and dozens of injured. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. All told, Bennett's communist policy would not bode well for his political career.
Bennett's New Deal
Following the lead of President Roosevelt's New Deal in the United States, Bennett eventually followed suit as even mainstream economic thinking was changing in order to better cope with the global depression. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The New Deal was the name that United States President Franklin D The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Bennett government introduced a Canadian version of the "New Deal," involving unprecedented public spending and federal intervention in the economy. Progressive income taxation, a minimum wage, a maximum number of working hours per week, unemployment insurance, health insurance, an expanded pension programme, and grants to farmers were all included in the plan. On January 2, 1935, Bennett shocked the nation in a coast-to-coast radio broadcast in which he stated:
"I am for reform, and to my mind, reform means government intervention, it means government control and regulation, it means the end of laissez-faire. Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Laissez-faire ( pronunciation: French,; English,) is a French phrase literally meaning Let do (“allow to do” "
Bennett's conversion, however, was seen as too little too late, and he faced criticism that his reforms either did not go far enough, or that they encroached on provincial jurisdictions laid out in Section 92 of the British North America Act. The British North America Acts 1867&ndash1975 are the original names of a series of Acts at the core of the Constitution of Canada. The courts, including the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, agreed and eventually struck down virtually all of Bennett's reforms. However some of Bennett's initiatives last to this day, including the Bank of Canada (which is responsible for the money supply and monetary policy), and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Defeat
Although there was no unity among the motley political groups that constituted Bennett's opposition, a consensus emerged that his handling of the economic crisis was insufficient and inappropriate, even from Conservative quarters, Bennett personally became a symbol of the political failings underscoring the depression. Car owners, for example, who could no longer afford gasoline, had horses pull their vehicles, named them Bennett Buggies. A Bennett buggy was a term used in Canada during the Great Depression to describe a car which had its engine and windows taken out and was pulled by a Unity in his own administration suffered, notably by the defection of his trade minister, Henry Herbert Stevens. Henry Herbert Stevens, PC ( December 8, 1878 &ndash June 14, 1973) was a Canadian politician and businessman Stevens left the Conservatives and formed the Reconstruction Party of Canada after Bennett refused to implement Stevens' plan for drastic economic reform to deal with the economic crisis. The Reconstruction Party was a Canadian political party founded by Henry Herbert Stevens, a long-time Conservative Member of Parliament (MP
The beneficiary of the overwhelming opposition during Bennett's tenure was the Liberal Party. The Tories were decimated in the October 1935 general election, winning only 40 seats to 173 for Mackenzie King's Liberals. The Canadian federal election of 1935 was held on October 14, 1935 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 18th Parliament King's government implemented its own moderate reforms, including the replacement of relief camps with a scaled down provincial relief project scheme and the repeal of Section 98. Many of King's other reforms continue today, including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Bank of Canada, versions of minimum wage, maximum hours of work, pension, unemployment insurance legislation. For the defunct commercial bank see Bank of Canada (commercial. But ultimately, Canada pulled out of the depression not as a result of government programs, but because of jobs created by the industrialization and onset of the Second World War. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including
While Bennett was, and is still, often criticized for lack of compassion for the impoverished masses, he stayed up through many nights reading and responding to personal letters from ordinary citizens asking for his help and often dipped into his personal fortune to send a five dollar bill to a starving family. The total amount he gave personally is uncertain, although he personally estimated that between the years of 1927-37 he spent well over 2. 3 million dollars. [4] Bennett was a controlling owner of the E.B. Eddy match company, which was the largest safety match manufacturer in Canada, and one of the richest Canadians at that time. The Eddy Match Company is a Canadian company whose main product was originally wooden Matches The company began manufacturing matches in Hull Quebec in 1851 as
Retirement and death
Richard Bennett retired to Britain in 1938, and, on 12 June 1941, became the first and only former Canadian Prime Minister elevated to the British House of Lords as Viscount Bennett of Mickleham in the County of Surrey and of Calgary and Hopewell in the Dominion of Canada. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" Mickleham is a small village and Civil parish between the towns of Dorking and Leatherhead in Surrey, England covering 731 hectares Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. Calgary (ˈkælgəriː is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, Canada Hopewell Hill is a Canadian rural community in Albert County, New Brunswick. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page [5]
He died after suffering a heart attack while taking a bath on 26 June 1947 at Mickleham, and is buried there in St. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Michael's Churchyard. He is the only former Prime Minister not buried in Canada. Unmarried, Bennett is survived by nephew William Herridge.
Controversy
Published in 2001 by Québécois investigative journalist Normand Lester (himself part Jewish), Le Livre noir du Canada anglais (later translated as The Black Book of English Canada) first reported a relationship between R. A Québécois or Quebecois (pronounced) or in the feminine Québécoise (pronounced) (plural Québécoises) is a native or resident of the Investigative journalism is a type of reporting in which reporters deeply investigate a topic of interest often involving crime Political corruption, or some other Scandal Normand Lester (born July 10, 1945) is a Quebec investigative journalist Le Livre noir du Canada Anglais ( The Black Book of English Canada) is a series of three polemic books written by former Quebec journalist Normand Lester B. Bennett and fascist Adrien Arcand. Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology Adrien Arcand (1899 &ndash August 2, 1967) was a Montreal Journalist who led a series of fascist political The book tells that, before the 1930 federal election campaign, Adrien Arcand and his associate Joseph Ménard were secretly approached by then-senator Joseph H. The Canadian federal election of 1930 was held on July 28, 1930 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 17th Parliament Rainville, in the name of Conservative leader in opposition Richard Bedford Bennett.
Arcand and Ménard were offered an initial guaranteed funding of 25,000 CAD dollars (equivalent to 268,577 CAD dollars at time of publication, according to the book) and promise of further financial support for their newspapers, now known for their anti-semitic content. Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility In return, their publications (at the time, Le Miroir and Le Goglu; Le Chameau would soon follow) and Arcand's movement l'Ordre patriotique des Goglus would need to help the Conservative Party of Canada to win at least 12 seats in the upcoming election. In a May 22, 1930 letter marked "confidential", Adrien Arcand refers to Bennett and him meeting each other and the exposition of the plan to the future Canadian PM:
- Last week, my partner Jos. Ménard and I were honored and favored with an interview with you. Our plan of procedure and propaganda was exposed to you as well as our program of meetings throughout this province. [6]
After the Conservative win in the 1930 election, on January 28, 1931, upon another letter marked confidential, Arcand and Ménard detailed their expenses. They asked to be reimbursed 52,000 dollars ($627,752 at publication) for their electoral help, including organizing 104 electoral assemblies having gathered 400,000 people. The two also recognized having already received 18,000 dollars ($193,376 at publication) in 1930, right in the Great Depression. As the papers struggled, other letters pleading for financial help would follow. A January 2, 1932 letter of Adrien Arcand and Joseph Ménard to R. B. Bennett shows the loyalty they professed towards the latter:
- We will be no! glad and proud in our misfortune to have loyally served our ideal, our country, the doctrin (sic) of our Party and the Godsent man who leads our country so wisely in this hour of great distress and who has all our admiration and confidence. […] If God permits that, by one way or the other, we survive for one week or one year, you may rest assured that we will be during that time as we have been since our first interview, Your loyal and faithful Soldiers, Adrien Arcand Joseph Ménard[7]
Arcand accumulated defamation cases against him and, in May 1932, asked again the Conservatives for help. On June 7, 1932, Conservative MP Leslie G. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. Bell wrote to Bennett that Le Goglu, "as you are aware, rendered us efficient and valuable service during the last election campaign. On every occasion when it was necessary to call upon their services, they responded most effectively. " Later in the letter, he would note that "I am quite thoroughly convinced that the proprietors of 'The Goglu' are conservative in their politics and are prepared to back the Federal interests with all their strength. " Another conservative, John A. Sullivan, would intervene and write about Le Goglu that "It would be a pity to see it fall, and you alone can help it in the present circumstances. John A Sullivan (born January 1 1965 is an American Politician. "[8] Unable to face the financial hardships brought on by the legal cases against them, Arcand and Ménard would fall into bankruptcy.
Arcand knew the British fascist Arnold Spencer Leese and would even once send to Bennett a copy of Leese's paper The Fascist. Arnold Spencer Leese (1877–1956 was a British Fascist politician [9] On January 4, 1933, Arcand wrote to Bennett's secretary to inform him that Adolf Hitler's Washington representative, Kurt Ludecke, wished to meet with him in the second half of January. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Ludecke was the Nazi representative in charge of gathering funds and support in America. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German No trace is to be found of Bennett either attending the meeting or refusing it. [10]
After the end of the three papers, the new middleman between Bennett and Arcand, Pierre Édouard Blondin, leader of the government in senate, recommended Arcand to "turn a new sheet" and start a new newspaper. Pierre Édouard Blondin PC ( December 14 1874 &ndash October 29 1943) was a Canadian politician Le Patriote would be launched on May 4, 1934. In the beginning of 1934, senator Blondin confided to Bennett that "[…] he [Arcand] has launched a movement which (under the name of The Christian national party) aims simply at the debunking of all the rot of the old parties, which, when the end comes, will be found to be 'a regenerated Conservative party' in Quebec, which I think we need. "[11]
Arcand would once again be commissioned to help the Conservative Party for the 1935 federal election campaign. The Canadian federal election of 1935 was held on October 14, 1935 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 18th Parliament He and his paper Le Fasciste canadien campaigned for the Conservatives and attacked Mackenzie King, who would win the election. William Lyon Mackenzie King PC OM CMG ( December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian In 1936, in a letter to Bennett, a Conservative organizer, A. W. Reid, estimated that the Conservative Party gave Arcand 27,000 dollars ($359,284 at publication) in total. The author Lester notes that all the light may not have been shed on the relationship between the Conservative Party of Canada and Arcand: the Arcand archives from before the war have disappeared while in the care of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. [12]
Supreme Court appointments
Bennett chose the following jurists to be appointed as justices of the Supreme Court of Canada by the Governor General:
- Oswald Smith Crocket (September 21, 1932 – April 13, 1943)
- Frank Joseph Hughes (March 17, 1933 – February 13, 1935)
- Sir Lyman Poore Duff (as Chief Justice, (March 17, 1933 – January 2, 1944; appointed a Puisne Justice under Prime Minister Laurier, June 4, 1906)
- Henry Hague Davis (January 31, 1935 – June 30, 1944)
- Patrick Kerwin (July 20, 1935 – February 2, 1963)
Other appointments
Bennett was the Honorary Colonel of The Calgary Highlanders from the year of their designation as such in 1921 to his death in 1947. The Supreme Court of Canada ( French: Cour suprême du Canada) is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeal in the Canadian The Governor General of Canada ( French: Gouverneure générale du Canada, or: Gouverneur général du Canada) is the vice-regal representative Oswald Smith Crocket ( April 13, 1868 &ndash March 2, 1945 was a Canadian lawyer politician and Puisne Justice of the Supreme Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Frank Joseph Hughes ( November 26, 1883 &ndash April 14, 1967) was a Canadian lawyer and Judge of the Supreme Court of Canada Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sir Lyman Poore Duff, PC, GCMG ( Ontario, January 7, 1865 &ndash April 26, 1955) was Chief Justice Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A Puisne Justice or Puisne Judge (pronounced puny, and derived from the obsolete French puisné, modern French puîné, "junior" is Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Henry Hague Davis ( September 10, 1885 – June 30, 1944) was a Canadian lawyer and Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Patrick Kerwin PC ( October 25, 1889 &ndash February 2, 1963) was a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Calgary Highlanders is a Canadian Forces Land Force Primary Reserve Infantry Regiment, headquartered at Mewata Armouries He visited the Regiment in England during the war, and always ensured the 1st Battalion had a turkey dinner at Christmas every year they were overseas, including the Christmas of 1944 when the battalion was holding front line positions in the Nijmegen Salient.
Bibliography
- H. Blair Neatby; The Politics of Chaos: Canada in the Thirties, 1972 ch 4 on Bennett, pp 51-72 online version
References
- ^ Waiser, Bill (2003). All Hell Can't Stop Us: The On-to-Ottawa Trek and Regina Riot. Calgary: Fifth House, 37. ISBN 1-894004-88-4.
- ^ The quote is from: Penner, Norman (1988). Canadian Communism: The Stalin Years and Beyond. Toronto: Methuen, 117. ISBN 0-458812-00-5. ; the irony of the allusion is noted in Thompson, John Herd; Allan Seager (1985). Canada, 1922-1939: Decades of Discord. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 226. ISBN 0-771085-64-8.
- ^ Brown, Lorne (1987). When Freedom was Lost: The Unemployed, the Agitator, and the State. Montreal: Black Rose, 42. ISBN 0-920057-77-2.
- ^ Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online- http://www.biographi.ca/EN/ShowBio.asp?BioId=42132&query=Bennett
- ^ Prime Ministers of Canada: The Rt. Hon. Richard Bedford Bennett
- ^ Lester, Normand (2001) Le Livre noir du Canada anglais; Montreal: Les Éditions des Intouchables, p. 255. The letter is conserved at the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa. A photocopy can be found at the archives of the Canadian Jewish Council in Montreal, under P0005 ARCAND, Adrien (collection).
- ^ Lester, Normand (2001) Le Livre noir du Canada anglais; Montreal: Les Éditions des Intouchables, pp. 257-258. Can also be found at the archives of the Canadian Jewish Council in Montreal, under P0005 ARCAND, Adrien (collection).
- ^ Lester, Normand (2001) Le Livre noir du Canada anglais; Montreal: Les Éditions des Intouchables, p. 259.
- ^ Lester, Normand (2001) Le Livre noir du Canada anglais; Montreal: Les Éditions des Intouchables, p. 258. Originally from Robin, Martin (1992) Shades of Right:Nativist and Fascist Politics in Canada, 1920-1940; Toronto: University of Toronto Press, p. 118.
- ^ Lester, Normand (2001) Le Livre noir du Canada anglais; Montreal: Les Éditions des Intouchables, p. 259.
- ^ Ibid. , p. 260.
- ^ Ibid. , p. 261.
External links
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- Silver and Gold: Bennett and the Great Depression — Historical essay, illustrated with photographs
- Synopsis of federal political experience from the Library of Parliament
- R.B. Bennett at Find A Grave
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Bennett, Richard Bedford |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | 11th Prime Minister of Canada (1930-1935) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 3, 1870 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Hopewell Hill, New Brunswick |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 26, 1947 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Mickleham, Surrey |
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