Scandal and shame in New Brunswick

From a broadcast over 23 radio stations, by Mrs. Côté-Mercier

The day of catastrophe

On the 10th of December last, one of our directors, Hervé Provencher, witnessed the sale of some sixty houses, sold for taxes, at Richibouctou, Kent county in New Brunswick.

When we complained to members of parliament that the families were chased from these dwellings after this confiscation for taxes; when we carried our complaints to municipal authorities, to the tax collectors, to the bailiffs, we invariably got the answer: "But these are vacant houses and farms which are being sold. They've been abandoned!" - "Are there any families in these houses, Mr. Bailiff?"

"Certainly not! These are empty houses", comes the reply.

But long experience has taught us not to put too much trust in the answers given as justifications by those enforcing taxation. So Mr. Provencher, J. P. Gallant of Moncton, Raymond Albert of College Bridge and Alban Chevarie of St. Ignace, took the trouble of visiting the houses which were on the sheriff's list of sales for December 10. There were families in every one of these houses. And all of these families, too poor to pay the taxes imposed upon them, were about to be robbed of the one thing left to them: a roof over their heads.

Their poor homes, without luxury, even without the bare necessities in many cases, cold, the snow filtering in through cracks, these poor homes are still very dear to the poor. It is their only refuge from the hard looks of the cold world, it is their only shelter from the full force of the elements. It is the family hearth, about which cling all the fond memories of their life together — a life which, despite hardships, insecurity, gnawing worry, is still a life replete with family love; for the poor, stripped of everything else, still have it within them, to love one another ardently, parents their children, children their parents, with a love which very often the rich can never achieve.

These poor families, which I shall describe to you shortly, and others of whom I shall speak at another time, saw themselves thrown out of their homes on December 10, 1960. These unfortunate families seemed already to have been marked for deportation, for their ancestors, the Acadians, had been chased from their homes 200 years ago. Where were these 20th century Acadians to go? Into the highways with their few pitiful belongings? Or perhaps the forests, which would give them far more shelter than the cold hearts of men? These unfortunate people represent the ultimate victims of the hungry, rapacious monster which our financial system has become a monster controled by a few cold, dispassionate men, far removed from the men and women who are victimized by their greed for wealth and power.

This day of December 10th, was the day of catastrophe for these poor people: mothers, with their little children who had to be kept warm and fed, fathers who had to keep alive their families. What were they to do? Until the very last minute they kept a spark of hope that maybe the court could be persuaded to hold its hand and leave them their little homes for a while longer. But this was not to be. Sadly, Mr. Provencher and others had to tell them that nothing could be accomplished, that the law of man was to take precedence over the law of God, that the little ones of God were to be thrown from their only shelters in winter so that a law could be upheld, a law that was a very mockery of the love and charity commanded by God.

I would like here, to put before you the reports which Mr. Provencher was able to compile on some of the families by going from house to house speaking with the fathers and mothers of the evicted families.

The Arthur Boucher family

Cocagne, rural-route 1, county Kent. Nine children, of whom 4 attend school. The little one of six years cannot go to school because the school bus, which is supposed to pick up the children at their homes, won't take the trouble to go to the end of the road where the Boucher family live. The children are obliged, winter and summer, to walk all along this road to arrive at the point where the bus will pick them up for school. And being poor, they have no means of protecting their interests.

The older children of 16 and 17 years, would like very much to work, but there is no employment for them. The father himself cannot find work. All he has done recently was ten days on the roads. Last summer he worked as a logger in the woods. But after he had paid all he was obliged to pay for the right to work and to be able to work, he found himself with no more than $2.00 a week to send home. He could cut about a cord of wood a day. At $4.50 a cord this gave him a weekly wage of $27.00 a week. From the $27.00, deduct $15.00 weekly for board and room, $4.00 for necessary trips, plus the purchase and upkeep of his equipment and tools, and what do you have? A balance to send home for the nourishment and clothing of 10 people at home, a grand balance of $2.00! And for some months now they have not received even this meagre pittance of $2.00.

In order to live, this family has to get along on the family allowance cheques, totalling $50.00 a month, along with aid from the county aid in kind, not in money!

They are the proprietors of their little shanty, 30 feet by 11, divided into 2 rooms. On December 3, 1960, the municipality sent them a bill for taxes and various other charges, amounting to $93.98. The vast majority of property owners in New Brunswick have the greatest difficulty understanding the statement of their taxes, so complicated are these statements with a multitude of incidental charges and expenses. The tax collectors come around regularly, and the poor tax payer must pay for each of these visits just as if it were the doctor who came. A man can owe the straightforward amount of $10.00 in taxes and yet get a bill for $100.00. The poor cannot defend themselves. They haven't a cent to take with them when they are evicted.

In the Boucher family's little hut, as in practically all the shanties of the poor thereabouts, which were sold for taxes on December 10, there is no electricity, no running water, no toilet as we know, no drainage. They are obliged to go the distance of a mile, three times a day, to get water.

So it was that on December 10, the home of Arthur Boucher was sold by the sheriff for arrears in taxes amounting to $93.98, including interest and other charges.

One wonders why the assessor, Hector Cormier of St. Antoine, could not have invoked the article of the following New Brunswick law:

"By reason of the death, moving, or poverty of a tax payer, or for some other cause, the assessors can at any time, cancel, in whole or in part, the tax levy of a tax payer by giving a written order for such a cancellation to the county secretary or to the collector."  (The revised statutes of New Brunswick, 1952, Chapter 14, article 30).

We ask Mr. Hector Cormier, assessor, if he saw the Arthur Boucher family living in misery; if he was not aware that this family had been living with the aid of the county for six years. We ask him, this same Hector Cormier, if he did not bother to learn that the family Boucher was absolutely incapable of paying its taxes because it was living in extreme poverty. Why, Mr. Cormier, did you not make use of this law in order to cancel the taxes of Arthur Boucher?

Furthermore, Mr. Cormier, of the other families whose houses you caused to be sold on December 10, there were many who were in exactly the same pitiful condition as the Boucher family. Why, Mr. Cormier, did you not legally and lawfully cancel their taxes? That is what we would like to know.

The Gerard P. Goguen family

Breault village (Kent). Ten children. The eldest, 15 years; the youngest, twins, age, 7 months. The mother, two boys and two girls spent time in the hospital this year. Consequently, huge hospital bills to pay.

The father works only in the summer, because the mill which employs him is closed for the remainder of the year. His house was sold for taxes, amounting to $150, interest and special charges included.

The Arthur U. Richard family

Living in Buctouche; nine children. In addition, the father supports his brother, Ernest, who is tubercular; Ernest lives with them. The oldest child is 13. The father has already spent time in the sanatorium. The house is a true slum dwelling. The family lives in a perpetual state of misery. Said the father; "The cost of living is high. We have nothing but family allowances to live off. We can't find any work around here. Now they want to throw us out of our house. I can't pay, these taxes any longer; I simply can't! I haven't a cent to my name."

Their shanty, along with the farm, was seized for taxes on December 10.

The Edward C. Jaillet family

Living at Buctouche, rural-route 1. Ten children, ranging from 18 months to 18 years. The eldest is trying to find his way to the United States. The father went into debt for $75 in an endeavor to keep up with the taxes for a while. He brought the money to the tax collectors. They took it. Then they sold his house and farm. Sheer barbarity!

Robichaud and Khrushchev

These are but a few examples of the thousands of like cases existing in New Brunswick. In the county of Madawaska alone, it is reported, 1,700 houses were supposed to have been sold last December 6.

Our assistant-director, Mr. Hervé Provencher, telephoned Premier Robichaud to advise him that there were, in fact, families living in these houses, contrary to the reports of the sheriffs and bailiffs, that large families were being thrown out of their homes into the forest and that by the law of New Brunswick, if the Premier would only make use of it, these families could be saved from the disaster of eviction.

Do you know what Premier Robichaud answered? Here are his exact words: "Ils vont apprendre à payer leur taxes! Qu'ils serrent leur bouteille!" ("That'll teach'em to pay their taxes! Let them lay off the bottle!").

Of course, it is beyond question that Premier Robichaud and his friends never go near the bottle? These men are outstanding teetotalers. Only the poor and the taxpayers are addicted to such vices. The rich practice all the virtues! They must; for do they not pay their taxes?

The people of your province, Mr. Robichaud, and the rest of Canada, would do well to get the answers to a few questions, such as:

1. Do you know that Cyrus Eaton is the great friend and outstanding admirer of Nikita Khrushchev, the tyrant and atheist; that the two have frequent meetings?

2. How many times have you had meetings with Cyrus Eaton during, let us say, the last 5 years? Both before your election as Premier and after?

3. Do you approve the plan for economic renovation in New Brunswick, submitted to you by Cyrus Eaton?

4. Isn't it true that the Cyrus Eaton plan would empty New Brunswick of families as independent units and establish communes after the fashion in Russia and China?

5. Did you approve the gesture of the University of Fredericton in inviting Khrushchev to come and receive an honorary doctorate within the walls of your capital? If you do not approve, by what public act or gesture have you shown your disapproval?

6. Why, at the same time as you have been chasing families from the province, why have you been allowing thousands of acres of land to be sold to big companies for token amounts of money (1.00); which companies will probably be exempted from taxation in the near future? This has come to pass in recent months.

Mr. Robichaud, we are beginning to ask ourselves if, by any chance, we are going to see a Russian-influenced work camp set up in New Brunswick, a province wide concentration camp. For the acts which you have performed and allowed to come to pass since you have come to office can only lead to this conclusion.