Mr. Louis Even and I have returned from a month tour of the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. During this time we held seven congresses of the Union of Electors.
Six full-time workers helped local Crediters prepare these congresses. All of the French-Canadian districts were visited; practically every house in each district was visited by an active Crediter.
In the Peace River district, in the far north of Alberta, not far from Alaska where June nights are two hours long and the sun rises at 2:00: a.m., we held a congress at Falher on June 28.
The congress proved to be something of a surprise as more than 400 people from 24 centers were present for the entire day. This was the first congress of the Union of Electors in this province. It is a most heartening experience to witness the enthusiasm of these Crediters for the formula of the Union of Electors. They have made up their minds that, somehow or other, they are going to get from Premier Manning the promised dividend of $25 a month which they should have been getting for the past 24 years; for that is how long a Social Credit government (at least so-called) has been in power in the province.
Albertans have, in fact, received dividend cheques twice. In 1957, they received from the provincial treasurer, unconditionally, the sum of $22 each. In 1958 they received $17.50 each.
These were straight dividends, dividends from the royalties paid to the government by the oil companies in Alberta.
This year, however, the Manning government which was re-elected, winning 62 out of 65 seats, declared that it would issue no further dividends; that the money would be handed over instead to the hospitals.
A friend of the Manning government whom we met and to whom we remarked that this was certainly not Social Credit, answered us quite frankly, saying that when the government spent the money for the people instead of distributing it to the people to spend on what they want, this was Socialism. But, he added; the Manning government had agreed to apply such measures. instead of Social Credit because of the heavy pressure brought to bear upon it to do so.
It has been said that a large number of associations in Alberta had requested Manning to discontinue distributing the dividends. How many of the individuals composing these associations, individuals, perhaps, who are the first to clamor for the rights and liberty of the indi., vidual, are aware of how dangerous it is for the government to take over the functions proper to the individual, specifically the function of spending their own money as they choose. For any usurpation of the individual's activities by the state is contrary to the natural rights of the citizen. It is statism, Socialism — Communism. However there are in Alberta, as there are elsewhere, adversaries who think that Social Credit is nothing more than a political party.
Among these are the Liberals who are heartily fed-up with being in the opposition for so many years. They have reached the point where they would be quite willing to sacrifice the common welfare in order to take over power. This group was not at all happy to see Manning distribute dividends, which measure was likely to guarantee him greater popularity and a longer tenure of office.
They are ready throw overboard the public good, the rights and interests of each individual in order to become the government; they are not remotely interested in protecting the individual against the dėpredations of the government.
Manning fell into the trap. He gave in to the anti-democratic pressure brought to bear. upon him. He surrendered to the big daily newspapers of Alberta which, like big publications everywhere, are the chore-boys of the financiers.
There is not a newspaper anywhere in Alberta which is truly Social Credit for the people. This, then, is what the Albertans need most if they are to get Social Credit from their government — a newspaper which is of and for the people. Vers Demain and The Union of Electors are two papers which fill this need. And they are coming to be more and more known and read out there. Our Crediters, such as those who gathered at the congress in Falher, understand the importance of these publications and they have committed themselves to the task of seeing to it that, ultimately, one or other of them gets into every home in Alberta. This was the solemn resolution they took last June - 28th, and they are already organizing for the job. For the moment, then, the Manning government will hand the dividend money over to the hospitals, so it says. Thus it is completing the federal hospital insurance plan - a truly communistic measure which forces the provinces in turn to Commun-ize if they wish a share of federal funds.
The federal government promises to pay half the cost of hospital insurance on the condition that the provinces set up the state hospital insurance system. The provinces of New Brunswick and Manitoba have gone all the way in setting up this Communist-type system. For make no mistake about it, this is a page out of the Communist text book; the obligatorý registration of all citizens, without exception, under pain of a $200 fine; the obligatory holding back in advance of money out of the workers' pay; an obligatory annual tax of $24.60 on every citizen, 18 years and up to be collected by employers and municipal authorities. Mr. Manning decided not to slap his fellow citizens in the face with such outrageous conditions; instead he is going to turn the dividend money over to the hospital plan. All very admirable indeed! But the fact remains that the dividend money, which in all justice should be distributed to the citizens to spend as they wish, still remains in the hands of the government. This is 50 percent Socialism; whereas the measures taken in New Brunswick and Manitoba constitute 100 percent Communism. It is Socialism because the government spends for the citizen, plans for the citizen and makes decisions for the citizen.
Since the Autumn of 1958 when obligatory health insurance became law in Manitoba, there has been little but general discontentment and complaining throughout the length and breadth of this province. Those who previously clamored so loudly for obligatory state health insurance are now tearing their hair out over it. "It's just a new form of taxation;" they are screaming. "When the government needs more money it will only have to raise hospital insurance contributions. And, in fact, it's already doing just that - 8 months after the plan started. They've managed a deficit in that short time!!".
So the people have obligatory registration. And if they don't register, it's $200 or jail. Employers who are already acting as collectors of income tax for the federal government are now being called upon to collect provincial hospital insurance dues. The premium is taken out of the employee's pay envelope seven months in advance. The people are now saying, in Manitoba: "We had the Blue Cross and were quite satisfied with it. Now we pay the same amount we paid the Blue Cross; but what a fight we have to put up if we want to get into the hospital. As far as the government is concerned there is never any case meriting admittance to the hospital. And the government has the last say! And if, on the advice of my doctor, I go into the hospital and the government decides to was not a genuine hospital case, I'm stuck with paying the full cost of my hospitalization. The government won't pay a cent. It was never like that with private insurance companies!"
Some poor souls have been registered in two different places and must pay twice. What job they have trying to get justice and paying. lawyers! This is the most crushing form of bureaucracy; it is typical of pure Socialism under which the individual is sacrificed to the tyrant, the state.
Only the province of Quebec has not yet embarked upon this regime of oppression: Let us hope that one provincial government at least will resist the pressure of socialists, syndicalists and other such groups which are clamoring for this choice bit of Socialism. It is understood of course that Ottawa will continue to rob Quebeckers of their money and will not return it because they refuse to put on the yoke of state: hospital insurance. But the matter shouldn't be left there. Quebec should be given back the monies due to it along with the liberty for its citizens to choose whatever form of medical and hospital insurance they may desire — if they so desire! We demand that the government abolish at once this piece of Communism called state health insurance. We ask that the Bank of Canada issue a monthly dividend, a "liberating" dividend, to each and every Canadian. We request an issuance of $25 a month for every individual. With this money we shall be quite capable of looking after ourselves as we see fit individually, and taking out insurance with the private insurance company of our choice. It is time that we began to pull the reins on Communism among us. If the Social Credit dividend, as a means of distributing the fruits of progress, is not acceptable, then progress itself will bring disaster upon the individual in the form of Communism - which is inevitable unless the dividend becomes a reality.
Those who don't believe that the CCF is Communist have only to visit Saskatchewan. where the CCF has been in power for 15 years: Measure by measure the government there has taken over all sorts of properties and enterprises. It has seized all farms whose owners could not show papers of ownership. These farms have become the property of the government which does not sell them but rents them for a period not exceeding 33 years. At the end of 33 years the government can do what it pleases with these farms. Electricity, telephones and the fur business have all been nationalized, that is, made government businesses. The government, likewise, has gone into the sand and gravel business. The Saskatchewan Timber Board, a government enterprise, controls the lumber industry. No permits are issued for the exploitation of forest resources; government trading stores are simply general stores owned and operated by the government. Autobuses, trucking lines, provincial air lines all belong to the government. Garage co-operatives and all other forms of cooperatives are owned and exploited by the government. Socialism becomes more solidly established there every day. It has a stranglehold on the people.
And, as in Russia, this Saskatchewan Communist government keeps itself in power, not because it has the support of the people, for it has not, but because of its powerful electoral machine and the multitude of functionaries and officials of all sorts who support it to their own interest.
The people of Saskatchewan are saying quite openly (and they should know for they have to live there): "We aren't governed by Socialists; we're being run by Communists, same as in Russia!".
Let's not be too polite about calling a spade a spade; let's call the Socialist's what they really are Communists! For any individual or group of individuals which calls for ever-increasing powers for the state, and which by this fact, works for the oppression and enslavement of the human individual, is a Communist, regardless of what he or they may call themselves.
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