| Subject: | Re: [socialcredit] Question: William Chant | | Date: | Sunday, September 9, 2007 15:39:48 (-0600) | | From: | Martin Hattersley <hattersleyjm @.........com>
|
| In reply to: | Message 5012 (written by Joe Thomson) |
There's some mention of Chant in John Hughes' book on Major Douglas
(pp.152-3, 157)
It deals with the conflict between the Provincial Planning Committee,
influenced by John Hargraves, urging defiance of the constitutional control
of banking by the Federal Government, and the "cold feet" of the Aberhart
cabinet, thwarted by their attempts to bring in monetary reform by
legislation being disallowed.
Chant, Minister of Agriculture, took the conservative view that the
constitution should be respected. He apparently was expelled from cabinet at
that time by Order in Council. I don't have any record of his activities
after that event.
The account of what happened in Alberta after Aberhart's election forms a
chapter in the Hughes book, and contains information I haven't met
elsewhere - particularly about Hargrave's visit, and its influence on the
setting up of the Social Credit Board, and the "insurrection" of a number of
MLA's. Well worth a read.
Martin Hattersley
5929 - 189 St., NW
EDMONTON AB CANADA T6M 2J1
(780)483-5442
e-mail:jmartinh@shaw.ca
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Thomson" <thomsonhiyu@shaw.ca>
To: <socialcredit@elistas.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2007 6:33 PM
Subject: Re: [socialcredit] Question: William Chant
> Bill, William Chant had the unique distinction of having been a MLA and
> Cabinet Minister in Premier Aberhart's first Alberta Social Credit
> government, and then, much later on, a MLA and Cabinet Minister for many
> years in WAC Bennett's BC Social Credit League government.
>
> In the second Appendix to Douglas's "The Alberta Experiment" he is listed
> as Aberhart's Minister of Agriculture. I believe there was some
> 'dissention
> in the ranks' during Aberhart's first term in office, and he resigned from
> Cabinet, and possibly his seat in the Alberta Legislature, too.
>
> Whether this was over the 'progress', (or lack of same), towards trying to
> bring in Douglas 'social credit' in Alberta, (before Byrne came out from
> England), or over some other matter, I really don't know. Wally may have
> more information on that. Chant subsequently left Alberta and moved to BC
> in
> any case.
>
> In BC, Chant was Bennett's Minister of Public Works for many years. This
> became a somewhat minor portfolio in that era, the responsibilities for
> public highways having been transferred by Bennett to a separate Ministry
> of
> Highways, long under the control of the Rev. Philip A Gaglardi. Who was
> an
> exteremly effective Minister, easily the most popular in WAC Bennett's
> Cabinet, until one scandal too many caught up with him. Gaglardi wouldn't
> have known the first thing about Douglas 'social credit', but he built
> some
> tremendous highways and was a tremendous 'populist' and orator.
>
> Chant, along with a number of other Ministers in the WAC Bennett regime,
> ones who may well have had a much better understanding of 'social credit',
> (Eric Martin, Lyle Wicks, and a few others), were often regarded as sort
> of
> political 'seat-warmers'. The real 'power' in the running of their
> respective Ministries resided with Premier WAC Bennett.
>
> The BC Legislature did not have a Hansard in the WAC Bennett era, so
> likely
> the only record of what Chant was trying to put across in his annual
> 'A+B'
> lecture might be found in the archives of one of the newspapers that had
> correspondents in the Legislative press gallery. If any of them qouted
> correctly and printed at any length what he was actually on about. Which,
> considering the attitude of the press towards 'Social Credit' here at that
> time, I seriously doubt.
>
> David Mitchell wrote a comprehensive biography and history of the WAC
> Bennett era, and was, long after WAC had passed from the scene, briefly a
> BC
> MLA (BC Liberal Party) himself.
>
> Joe
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <william_b_ryan@yahoo.com>
> To: <socialcredit@elistas.com>
> Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2007 1:13 PM
> Subject: [socialcredit] Question: William Chant
>
>
>> In my research I've come across this essay, *The Good
>> Old Days? W. A. C. Bennett and the Legislative
>> Assembly* by David Mitchell.
>> http://www.parl.gc.ca/Infoparl/english/issue.htm?param=104&art=516
>>
>> with this reference:
>>
>> "...There were old-time Socreds like William Chant,
>> who could be relied upon each session for a major
>> address on Social Credit monetary theory. The
>> opposition ranks would invariably shout in unison: 'A
>> plus B! A plus B!'"
>>
>> Question: Especially to Joe Thompson. Do you know
>> anything about William Chant? Presumably his
>> addresses are buried in the Legislative Assembly's
>> archives. Are they available online?
>>
>>
>>
>>
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