The Crediters of the Union of Electors held their third Quebec congress at St. Pascal in the country of Kamouraska on August 1st and 2nd. Some three thousand members of the movement came from all parts of the province of Quebec and from New Brunswick and Ontario to assist at the assemblies...
The long lines of automobiles, flying the Union of Electors penants, converged at Levis, opposite Quebec city at half past twelve on Saturday. They formed a long procession which wound through the streets of that town which has seen so much activity on the part of Crediters. The people of Levis extended a warm and hearty welcome to the passing Crediters. Throughout the streets could be seen banners and placards bearing greetings to the congress members.. From Levis the autocade made its way to St. Pascal where it arrived in grand procession about 3:15 in the afternoon.
On their arrival in St. Pascal, the members first attended a special Mass said for the repose of the soul of Antonio Migneault who had been one of the outstanding workers for the movement in the province of Quebec, and a pioneer of the movement in the district of Kamouraska. He had been a full-time worker for ten years and was, still actively promoting the work of the movement when he met death accidentally during the course of this year.
After the Mass, a procession went to the cemetery where his remains rest. After prayers, Mr. Even, the director-general of the movement, pronounced a short eulogy over the grave. He said: "It is only meet that we should come here to render homage to this great patriot and indefatigable worker in the cause of our movement, for he spent a goodly part of his life moving among you (the Crediters of Quebec) bringing to you the light of Social Credit. Surely from Heaven he must still be aiding our cause."
The first session, which took place that evening began with the distributing of awards to those members of the movement who had taken more than 100 subscriptions to our publications during the course of the preceding three months.
The awarding of such honors to members engaged in taking subscriptions is considered an important part of each congress, for the most essential activity of our movement is getting our publications - the French-language Vers Demain and the English-language The Union of Electors - into the hands of the people. It is from these papers that Crediters learn not only the principles and teachings of Social Credit, but the methods and activities whereby the individual becomes a citizen capable of looking after his interests and safeguarding his liberties and rights. That is why those who have distinguished themselves in the work of propagating our papers are awarded medals and insignia of distinction.
At this congress the award for the most subscriptions went to a Westerner, Albert Gendreau of Vancouver, B.C. He took 282 subscriptions in the space of three months. Donat Boutin of Quebec City took 184; Mrs. Helen Daigle of Sormany N. B. took 161. And there were many others who took over 100 subscriptions during the three month period. This is truly wonderful work and the success of the movement is assured as long as we have such workers. And these folks, mind you, work only in their spare time.
As the session continued the full-time workers who had been toiling in the Western provinces the previous month gave detailed accounts of their activities. Mrs. Gilberte Côté-Mercier, co-directress of the movement, who attended the six congresses held in the west along with Mr. Louis Even, delivered a brisk attack on the infiltration of Socialism in our parliaments, universities, newspapers, radio stations and television stations.
She defined obligatory state hospital insurance as being a Communist law. In Manitoba, she said, as elsewhere, the people as a whole are solidly against this new tax which the government has levied in order to pay the cost of hospital insurance; this new cost was not devised to help the little people, but rather to save the investments of the big fellow who has interests in hospitals. The hospital, insurance law leads to the violation of the individuals rights, to his regimentation. She concluded by stating that Communism was a most vicious and dangerous attack on the human individual since it denied God and denied that man was created in his image. Social Crediters on the other hand, worked to free the individual from every sort of yoke; it fought against financial dictatorship and the political dictatorship of Communism.
The principle discourse of the Sunday afternoon session was given by Mr. Louis Even, the director-general of the Union of Electors.
The capital point of the financial proposals of Social Credit, is the right of each citizen to a periodic dividend, over and above any other revenue he might gain by being employed in the production system.
"The most important factor in modern production is certainly the tremendous progress, which has been made in machines and productive techniques. This is a capital, not a financial capital, but a real capital, without which production would be practically negligible in comparison to what it is in fact. This capital does not belong to any one individual or any particular small group of individuals. It is a public inheritance in which all are to an equal degree, co-heirs. To refuse to grant a dividend is to disinherit the heir; it is to impede the distribution of goods; it is to fail to recognize the realities of the production system as it exists today. The recognition of the dividend is the recognition of the true end of material goods. The true end of material goods is to fill the needs of man, to help him develop into the creature God intended him to be. Every man, by reason of his rational being has a right to an adequate share in the goods of the earth. It is a right which cannot be abrogated by any power here on earth as long as he remains a man...
"The Crediters of our movement are determined to continue their pressure to the end that the right of each citizen to a periodic dividend shall be recognized."
During the evening session all the full-time workers reported on the progress they had made in the various parts of the country rin which they had been working.
Enough cannot be said about the warmth of the welcome given the delegates by the good people of St. Pascal and the Kamouraska district; not only by those working actively for Social Credit, but by all citizens.
His worship, Mayor Adelard d'Anjou, mayor of the village and his worship, Joseph Moreau, mayor of the parish, were on stage to extend the warmest greetings to the assembled congress members. The municipal authorities did everything to make the work of the congressists easy. A grand parade was held Sunday through the streets, headed by the Patro band from Levis, 62 musicians, and supported by an honor guard of flag bearers numbering 200.
We cannot close without saying a hearty thank you to all those who afforded sleeping quarters to all the Crediters, free of charge; and a heartfelt thank you to all the men and women who made possible the two magnificent meals which the Crediters were able to have together, in family fashion in the congress hall again at no cost to themselves. Only by such full and complete co-operation are our congresses such magnificent successes.