The Great Depression Statistics and numbers

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The Great DepressionStatistics and numbers
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The Great Depression

• The greatest social upheaval in Canada in the
  twentieth century
• The Dirty Thirties
• The source of our social welfare system

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Causes

• 1. The Stock Market Crash October 1929
• 2. Protectionism Countries around the world
  react by restricting imports. The result is loss
  of jobs. The U.S. legislates its highest tariff
  barriers in history.
• 3. The dust bowl Farmers lose their crops due
  to the drought on the prairies.

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Causes

• 4. The economic contraction feeds on itself.
  The loss of jobs leads to less purchasing which
  leads to more loss of jobs.

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Some Statistics

• 1. Decline in income from 1928 to 1933
• B.C. 47
• Ont. 44
• Sask. 72
• 2. Increase in unemployment from 1929 to 1933
  from 2.8 to 19.3

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Statistics (contd)

• 3. Decline from 1929 to 1933
• GNP 42.8
• Exports 54.1
• Farm Income 83.2
• From 1933 onward the economy recovers, until the
  recession of 1939. It does not regain its 1929
  levels.

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The Human and Social Impacts

• 1. Hunger (gophers became food)
• 2. Homelessness Hundreds of thousands of men
  ride the rails in search of work.
• 3. Ill health physical and mental
• 4. Despair suicides
• Many affected are of the WWI generation.

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The Politics of the Depression

• 1926 1930 Liberal Govt under King
• Election 1930
• King states not a five-cent piece for any
  provincial Conservative Govt
• Conservatives win under R.B. Bennett
• 137 seats (Cons) to 91 seats (Lib)
• Bennett raises tariffs, but fails to revive
  trade
• Bennett introduces marketing boards for farmers,
  and labour legislation in 1935 (minimum wage,
  working conditions)

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The Federal Govt Response

• . . . was slow and small
• Relief camps
• A Royal Commission
• 1937 EI legislation, but ruled invalid by the
  courts

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The Relief Camps

• No EI or welfare
• Solution Send the unemployed into the woods
• Low Pay
• Hard Work road construction, etc.
• Poor living conditions and food
• 1932 2,000 men in camps
• 1935 150,000 had worked on 200 projects
• 1936 The Liberal Govt closes the camps

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Social Unrest Political Opposition

• 1. Communist Party active but banned in 1931,
  its leaders jailed
• 2. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
  (CCF)
• formed 1932
• The Regina Manifesto No C.C.F. Government will
  rest content until it has eradicated Capitalism
  . . .
• Socialist
• Leader J.S. Woodsworth

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Social Unrest Political Opposition

• 3. Social Credit
• Alberta and Bible Bill Aberhart
• The Govt to give citizens money to make up
  deficit in purchasing power
• Elected in 1935 Alberta
• 4. Fascist movements gain some support

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Legacy

• Capitalism had failed
• Distrust of Big Business (which had profited in
  the Depression)
• Beginning of the public demand for govt
  intervention in the economy, for social programs
• Canadian Institutions
• The Bank of Canada
• The CBC
• The Canadian Wheat Board

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Its over now. Be happy.