Page 7 - Reflexions of African Bishops and Priests

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Historical Notes on Social Credit

The origins of the Movement founded by Louis Even

It is Louis Even who wrote the following article, in bear on the study of money and credit. And everyone
1964. He did not sign it, and he speaks of himself in set out to find a book on that topic, an existing book or
the third person. manuscript that would be printed at Garden City Press.
It is in the last Research
months of 1934 that
Louis Even read for the The call for a book was launched in The Instructor,
first time a book on So- organ of the circle published during the winter months.
cial Credit. Answers came: books, pamphlets, a few manuscripts.
Upon reception, Mr. Harpell looked them over, and
Mr. Even was then passed them on to Mr. Even to have his opinion.
working at Garden City
Press, printing shops Among the works thus received there was, for ex-
of the Industrial and ample, a large manuscript of Gerald Grattan McGeer,
Educational Publishing mayor of Vancouver and federal deputy for Vancou-
Company, at Ste-Anne ver-Burrard (since the senator), who wanted to rem-
de Bellevue, near Mont- edy the Depression that then raged by an abundance
real. The president of of public works that the government would finance by
the company, J. J. Har- creations of money. The theory may have been gen-
erous, but surely a bit wild, and it placed too much
Mr. Even at Garden City Press pell, was more than importance on the State enterprises. Nevertheless,
a businessman: he
wanted to promote the intellectual development, the the work of G. G. McGeer was printed by Garden City
general knowledge, of his employees. To this end, he Press for the author himself who entitled it The Con-
had established the Study Circle of Gardenvale (by the quest of Poverty.
name of the post office located in the same printing
shop). Each week, during the winter months, the 120
or so employees of the establishment met together
every Friday night in the hall of the City Hall for a les-
son of which Louis Even was the teacher.
From electricity to money
For the lessons of the 1934-35 winter, the topic
studied was electricity: what everyone should know in
matters of electricity. A proper book written by Dr. W. L.
Goodwin and translated by Louis Even had been printed J.J. Harpell and
the preceeding summer especially for this winter course. his printing shop in
Much was being said at that time about the mon- Ste-Anne de Bellevue
opoly of electricity and of its relations with the Royal
Bank of Canada, then the largest bank of the country. There was also another manuscript, less volumin-
And the study of the monopoly of electricity soon led ous, by Mrs. A. I. Caldwell of Bristol, New Brunswick.
to the discovery of the existence of the powerful mon- This lady was the sister of the great fish exporter of
opoly of money and credit. St. John, N.B., Mr. McLean (made senator since), a
Besides, Mr. Harpell had already been set on the man well informed on the present monetary system.
It is the manuscript of Mrs. Caldwell, entitled Money –
track by the honorable Fielding, minister of Finances What is it?, that was chosen as the manual for the next
of the liberal government in Ottawa. Until his entry to winter course of the Study Circle of Gardenvale. It was
the ministry, Mr. Fielding had been editor of the Jour- translated into French by Louis Even.
nal of Commerce, printed at Garden City Press. Rela-
tions between Mr. Harpell and Mr. Fielding were close. A book was received also, written by Sylvio Gesell,
And one day, Mr. Fielding, then minister of Finances, whose theory has made a good number of disciples in
had told Mr. Harpell: “If you want to know where the many countries. Gesell recommended a taxed money
financial power resides in Canada, look towards the to promote its circulation: the bearer of a bill (paper
banks and the insurance companies.” money) would have to stick to the back of it, on the 1st
It was therefore decided, right from that winter of and 15th of each month, a stamp equal to 2 per cent
of the value of the bill. These stamps, of course, would
1934-35, that the course of the following winter would

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