Echoes of the Nova Scotia Mission

From Bernard Gaouette:

Dec. 10^th - Wherever we go there is quite a stir. People stop us and ask: "What is this? A new party? We need a change. We have been exploited by the Liberal Party for 30 years". This paper will evidently teach them where the real exploiter is and where the remedy lies; and where the first change should take place.

The day before yesterday we were coming back from a tour. Along the way a poor man, 62 years old, stopped us and said: "'This afternoon a French-speaking man from Quebec came to see us. I would like him to come back because I wasn't there when he called. I was out getting some wood. I would like him to explain his system to me... Oh, you are the ones? From what I see you are the only ones who are working for the poor. I am not rich, but I am going to risk $2.00 so as to learn all about it. Take down my name...

From Elie-Ange Fortin, December 9^th:

There is a storm here this morning and our car refuses to go. But we are at Mr. Boudreau's and we feel quite at home. The Nova Scotia Acadians like to meet the French from Quebec. And their English-speaking neighbours are no less anxioux to learn about the message they are bringing to Nova Scotia.

In Nova Scotia the people are taxed — and overtaxed. They can no longer live on fishing. Wood is scarce. They work a day here and a day there. The earth is very acid so they grow very little.

The people want Social Credit: they want a system under which one can live with a certain amount of security, in a country that is said to be the second richest in the world. The Acadians are hospitable. We are received by them and given board and room just as in the province of Quebec.

From Bernard Gaouette, December 15^th:

After having heard the Social Credit message, the mayor of Port Royal, Mr. John Doiron, age 75 years, said: "For thirty years I have been telling people that money has, of itself, no value; it is simply a receipt given to you for your goods and you, in your turn, can give it to another in return for his goods. You are just the people whose thoughts I have always been partaking. How very true are those words of yours: "Money to kill, but no money to help the world to live"! He repeated these words several times, for to him they were striking.

From Urbain Lajeunesse, December 13^th:

We have just finished Petit-Gras parish (lle Madame, Cape Breton), in two days: 42 subscriptions on a Sunday afternoon; 44 subscriptions on Monday; and this morning, Tuesday, 22 subscriptions. Total: 108.

Yesterday, at the request, very likely, of some small, ambitious people, displeased over the success of the Social Credit movement, the R.C.M.P. appeared. They took Elie-Ange Fortin to the police station. Then they came for me at Petite-Anse. Big stir. People began to wonder what was going on. l explained. The police know nothing about Social Credit. They took the trouble to phone Sydney for information. I gave them "Vers Demain" and "Social Credit". They said that they would examine them to see whether or not they contained anything objectionable. They let us go. They even brought Elie-Ange Fortin back to his territory. As for myself, I am working further away. But some people circulated the report that we were in jail. When we arrived at Larry Boudreau's to say hello to the family, they were quite surprised: "'They told us that the police took you to jail and we were preparing to bring you some cigarettes.".

The Social Credit torch is lit here and the wind is strong.

After dinner at Mr. Landry's we went to see two old-timers, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Boudreau. They paid a subscription for for thirty years. Mrs. Boudreau has just received her first old-age pension cheque for those between 65 and 70. Amount of cheque: $4.60! I said to her: "Madam you should get a medal for the smallest old-age pension cheque ever issued." — "Yes", said she, "the smallest pension cheque for the biggest family of the district". Mr. and Mrs. Boudreau have 16 children and have adopted two others.

It is the same here as in the rest of Canada. More consideration is shown for the welfare of dogs than for humans. We meet painful situations every day. There are numerous instances of pensions being refused to invalids and infirm people.

In one place a mother has been ill for nine years, has not left the house for six years and has been confined to bed for two years. But Inspector Samson finds that she is not a needy Mother, in so far as her husband works in the fishing industry — when there are any fish.

An old lady, paralyzed for two years, had to wait until she was 70 before drawing any pension. She was 70 on Nov, 1^st but she died on the 21^st of the same month. Thus she didn't cost any social security commission a cent. I wonder if inspector Samson kept an eye on the gates of Paradise that day to prevent the old lady from finding security at last!