#unemployed workers

"RED RIOTERS ROUTED BY LOYAL JOBLESS," Toronto Globe. June 20, 1933. Page 1. ---- Strike Attempt Fails at Thunder Bay Unemployment Camp ==== (Canadian Press Despatch.) Fort William, June 19. - Rioters at the Trans-Canada Highway unemployed camp at Martin, near here, were driven off with a fire hose and hammer handles wielded by camp workers who resented a strike brought on by the discharge of two alleged Communists over the weekend.

Armed with rocks and pick handles, about twenty-five men resisted efforts of police and camp officials to force them to leave the camp. They were joined by thirty more men who quit their work. When police and trusted camp workers drove them off with hammer handles and a fire hose, they retreated from the camp singing "The Red Flag."

“SEVERAL HURT AT WASHINGTON,” Kingston Whig-Standard. March 6, 1933. Page 9. ---- Police Broke Up Unemployment Demonstration - Little Damage ---- WASHINGTON, Marc 6. - Several persons were injured today in fighting between police and unemployed at Twelfth and P. Street when officers broke up a demonstration.

"ALL WELCOME ON RELIEF WORK HERE," Montreal Star. July 10, 1934. Page 3. --- Opinions Heard on Employment System For Federal Jobs ==== Ald. Savignac, chairman of the city Executive Committee this morning declined to express any opinion regarding the statement of Mayor Ferland, of Verdun, that Verdun unemployed will be engaged on Federal relief works in Montreal on the same footing as Montreal unemployed.

"I would rather wait until it actually happens before making any comment," the chairman said. Other members of the Council and the executive had varying opinions. Some were inclined to revolt at the idea of non-Montrealers being hired for relief works in Montreal, but the majority were of the opinion that as these Federal works were to be done with Federal Government money Montreal had no grounds to complain or seek to dictate who should be employed on them. In any case the object of such works was to relieve employment in the whole district.

GLAD TO GET WORK. An opinion in which practically everyone at the City Hall concurred was that they were too glad to see Federal relief works in prospect to do any complaining or interfering which might make Ottawa reconsider its decision.

"MEN RETURN TO WORK AT CITY WORKSHOPS," Montreal Star. July 10, 1934. Page 3. --- Employes Are Re-engaged After Examination ---- A number of former employes at the city's workshops have already - been put back to work, and the number is steadily increasing, it was stated at the Executive Committee office this morning. The men are being subjected to a strict examination as to their competence and as fast as they can be examined, those who satisfy the examiners are sent back to work. Only former employes are being examined, at present. But when the incompetents have been weeded out, and all the capable artisans restored to their jobs, if there are vacancies left, they will be open to any outsiders who can demonstrate their ability to do the work efficiently, the hiring of such men being subject entirely to the verdict of the examiners.

"2,000 CHOMEURS S'ATTROUPENT DEVANT L'HOTEL DE VILLE DE VERDUN, A UNE HEURE TARDIVE," La Patrie. October 5, 1933. Page 4. ---- Le maire Hervé Ferland les harangue, et ils retournent à leurs domiciles respectifs, durant la nuit. - Conférence de la table ronde. ---- Un attroupement ouvrier des plus insolite s'est produit hier soir, vers onze heures, en face de l'hôtel de ville de Verdun, où se terminait la séance de conseil. Quelque deux mille personnes, membres de la Verdun Labor Union, et de la Verdun Workingmen's Association so tinrent à l'intersection des avenues Evelyn et de l'Eglise, et demandèrent au maire, M. Hervé Ferland, je se présenter pour qu'il entendit leurs demandes. On n'ignore pas que les travaux de secours vont cesser mercredi prochain à dun, et que la municipalité est incapable de continuer plus avant dans des entreprises du genre, dit-il, sans aide extérieure.

Le maire Ferland se présenta avec quelques échevine, et l'interview dura jusqu'à une heure a de la nuit. Il fut décidé que mardi matin prochain, à 10 h. 30. aura lieu une sorte de conférence que l'on nomme d'avance, de la $ "table ronde", assemblée à la quelle assisteront des représentants de la Verdun Workmen's Association, de la Verdun Labor Union, du conseil de ville, de la Ligue des propriétaires de Ver- dun. On invite aussi MM. Georges P. Laurin, député, John-A. Sullivan, député, et les honorables MM. L.-A. Taschereau, premier ministre, et W.-A. Gordon, ministre du travail, à Ottawa.

M. Ferland en répondant déclara qu'il avait fait tout en son possible pour aider les sans-travail, qui se totalisent actuellement à 20.000, soit un tiers de la population.

Quelqu’un suggéra de prendre les camions de la ville, d'y faire monter des sans-travail, et d'aller manifester en face du parlement fédéral, à Ottawa. M. Ferland répondit que l'on ne pouvait pas ainsi disposer de l'argent de la municipalité.

M. Ferland a confié, à l'issue de la réunion, qu'il espérait que les représentants des gouvernements de la province et du dominion enverraient des inspecteurs Ver-constater, de visu, la situation actuelle à Verdun. "Ils se décideraient peut-être à agir, alors".

AU CONSEIL Le conseil de ville de Verdun, hier soir, adopté une résolution augmentant l'évaluation des propriétés de la Montreal Light Heat and Power Consolidated, de $378.000 a $2,500,000.

Le conseil voulait également hausser l'évaluation des immeubles de la Bell Telephone Company, de $100.000 a $600.000. Un représentant de la société offrit de fixer lo montant a $140.000. Le conseil ajourna sa décision, pour étudier cette dernière offre. Il y eut un léger débat entre les avocats T.-R. Ker. de la M. L. H. & P. et Francis Fauteux, de la municipalité, touchant le bienfondé de la somme de $2.500.000 d'évaluation. Le vote du conseil fut unanime.

Le représentant de la Bell Telephone jugea ridicule l'évaluation de $600.00 des propriétés de la firme quill représente.

"CHILD FAINTED FROM HUNGER JOBLESS MAN TELLS COUNCIL," Toronto Star. April 10, 1934. Page 4. --- 200 Scarboro Unemployed, Clamoring for Assistance, Descend on Meeting ---- REFUSE TO STARVE ---- After disorders yesterday when police and unemployed paraders clashed on Warden Ave., 200 jobless, including several women, descended on Scarboro township council last night to press their claim that starvation conditions exist in the township.

Faced with a crowded council chamber that at times became a bedlam as excited voices demanded immediate action, members of council promised to urge upon provincial officials the necessity of an emergency voucher to be issued to-day.

The audience demanded that permission be granted for a parade of jobless persons and an outdoor meeting but Reeve Sanders was emphatic that council would sanction meetings in halls only.

In answer to a remark that they "had understood the reeve to say previously that an orderly parade might be held." Reeve Sanders declared: "You know what happened. You raided the relief depot and smashed in the door. Someone damaged a motor car belonging to a man not connected with the affair in any way, and only trouble resulted."

Another in the audience wanted to know in the name of the ratepayers on whose authority the Scarboro police were reinforced by county officers at last Friday's demonstration?"

"The chief of police telephoned me that the regular relief workers had laid down their tools and that because he expected trouble at the relief depot, extra county police were standing by," explained the reeve.

The police are responsible for law and order and if they find it necessary to get outside aid they have the power to do so."

The reeve pointed out that members of council had accompanied him to Queen's Park "time and time again" seeking more adequate relief, and yesterday. that an increase of 25 per cent. by the end of this week had been promised on Saturday last.

A man reminded the council that they "couldn't expect men to go home and see the pitiful look on starved young faces and not want to go out and fight to get food.

"We defy the government to hold us down to starvation." cried another. "We can't do any more than we are doing." returned Reeve Sanders simply.

"We've taken the proper methods for four years and got nowhere, so now we're going to do something," yelled a man in the crowd. One man protested that his boy was 40 pounds under weight and another told of his little girl fainting in the school from hunger. "And when I took a note about it to the relief office Mr. Twigg crumpled it up and we had the police turned on us." added the second spokesman.

Reeve Sanders promised to take up complaints on the action of police while breaking up Monday's parade. Councillor Moore read a report that 803 unemployed men had done their day's work during March, and 773 had not turned up. In February 787 worked, with 574 absentees.

"JOBLESS RIOT DISPERSED," Toronto Star. April 16, 1934. Page 1. --- Hull, Que., April 16. - More than 500 Hull jobless threatened to riot to-day in protest against the relief they were receiving, and police and firemen were called out to quell a disturbance outside the relief committee offices. Jean Paul Lafontaine, alleged leader, was arrested.