x A SERIES ON THE DOUKHOBOR PROBLEM IN B.C. % |

6—BACKGROUND ©

Sixty years of |

broken promises

By BERT WHYTE

Prior to the arrival of the Doukhobors in Canada in 1899,
the Homestead Law (a part of the Dominion Land Act of
1872) had been amended so that cooperative farming associa-
tions might reserve tracts of land. This allowed sects like the
Mennonites and Doukhobors to feel they would be able to
continue their simple, communal form of living without inter-

ference.

In addition, Doukhobor envoys had been assured

verbally that their religious beliefs would be respected, and
clauses in the “Mennonite Privilege” of 1873 seemed to guar-
antee permanent exemption from military service and complete

freedom of education.

Three years later, on March
29, 1901, after clashes between
local authorities and the
Doukhobors over land regis-
tration and school laws, a gov-
ernment spokesman declared
in the House of Commons that
“no .promise had béen made
to them, nor has any agree-
ment been entered into with
the Doukhobors, except as to
military service .. .”

The Doukhobors had accept-
ed the verbal assurances of a

Liberal government eager to
attract settlers and had not

demanded any written agree-
ment. What actual promises
were made to them is exceed-
ingly hard to determine; but

One can hardly believe the
official government statement
of 1903 — for on such a basis

the Doukhobors would never
have come to Canada.

From Halifax, where the
first groups of Doukhobors
arrived in 1899, they went to
Winnipeg, putting in a long
cold winterein the immigra-
tion sheds.

First contact with the Can-
adian labor movement came
“when the new immigrants be-
gan cutting wood for city resi-
dents at 50 cents a day. A
labor delegation objected (and
even sent a petition to Ottawa
protesting bringing workers
here to undercut the going
wage) but the-trouble was re-
solved as soon as the Douk-
hobors learned that they had

been working for too little.
Tol the regular rate for
woodcutting, they promptly

refused to worl
that was that.
~The following year three
,8roups of Doukhobors were
settled on prairie land, living
communally, and toiling from
dawn to dusk. They had no
money and little equipment, so
it was decided some of the
men would take™ jobs else-
where to get enough money to
last through the second winter,
while the women and old men
did what planting of crops
wad possible.

A remarkable incident took
place at this time, which has

for less, and

been ignored by labor histor-
ians. One group of Doukho-

bors, working on a _ railway
branch line under construc-

tion, staged the first sitdown
strike in North America (thus
predating the first CIO sit-
downs by some 33 years). -

The Doukhobor work gang
somehow learned that farmers
were paying higher wages for
harvest hands than they were
getting for their construction
work.” They talked it over,
decided on a sitdown, and after

two days or resting in the
shade, won their wage de-
mand.

Back on the farms the Douk-
hobor women, finding spading
slow work, also decided on a
“revolutionary” step. They
hitched themselves. to the
plows (idle because they’ had
no horses or oxen to draw

them) and speeded up the
work.

Canadians who saw thie
teams of women drawing
plows were shocked and

wrongly termed it “slave la-
bor.” They thought it meant
that Doukhobor men _ held
their wives in bondage, In
fact, the decision was made
entirely by the women (who
have always held a_ position
closer to equality than mest
European, women).

That winter horses were
purchased, and Doukhobor
women sever again _ pulled
plows. But the memory of
their honest labor is a source
of pride to all members of the

Sect;

am it 58

The first “big trouble” came
over the question of registra-
tion. The Doukhobor commun-
ities were growing, becoming
prosperous. Sawmills and
flour mills had been built.
Suddenly the authorities ap-
peared: “You must prove
Gwnhership of the land. You
must sign individually for the
farms and take the oath of
allegiance.” :

This is not a history, and J
have no space to record all
that happened arising from:
this order. For one thing, it

es

During their first year in Canada, the Doukhobor immigrants had no money to ee
horses. While the men left the farms to work and earn money to carry the community throug
the hard winter ahead, the women hitched themselves to plows and helped prepare the

land for the first crop of wheat.

resulted in the first great
“pilgrimage” ‘of the Doukho-
bors, who left their lands and
headed south looking for a
new ‘place to settle, because
their religious beliefs would
not allow them to register and
take the oath. The RCMP halt-
ed. the march and turned them
back.

That Christmas Peter Veri-
gin arrived from Siberia, and
in the spring of 1903 he con-
vinced the Doukhobors, most
of whom regarded him as their
leader, to sign individually for
the land, on the basis that au-
thorities had dropped any im-
mediate demand that an oath
of allegiance be taken.

A sensible settlement seem-
ed possible at this time. But a
Tory government came _ to
power and adopted a “big
stick” policy on the “oath of
allegiance” issue. The prairies
were becoming settled and the
Doukhobor lands, now rich,
were eyed enviously by many.
The religious Doukhobors, be-
lieved they could only ‘owe
allegiance” to God, refused to
submit. :

By June, 1907, eviction no-
tices were posted and more
than 100,000 acres of choice
Doukhobor farm lands had
been seized by the govern-
ment,

The Doukhobors have al-
ways believed that the govern-
ment “stole” this. land from

. them. What do you think?

3 5os %

In 1908 a pioneer group of
Doukhobors. came to B.C. and
were followed by 6,000 a few
years later. Under the leader-
ship of Peter (“Lordly”) Veri-
gin the Christian Community
of Universal Brothe“ioo0d
bought 14,403 acres of land in
the West Kootenays by 1914.
It was unsettled land, but the
thrifty, hard working Doukho-
bors built roads, bridges, saw-
mills, concrete reservoirs and
irrigation facilities, planted
thousands of fruit trees and
opened a jam factory.

The community expanded
and prospered, and in 1917 the

CCUB was established as a
Dominion incorporated _ com-
pany, and more land was pur-
chased.

Peter (‘“Lordly”) Verigin
was killed in a train accident
in 1924, when a bomb ex-
ploded in the coach he was
travelling in, and his son be-~
came leader of the CCUB.

The Great. Depression of the
Hungry Thirties affected the

prosperity. of the Doukhobor ©

community, and in 1938 they
were declared bankrupt over
a sum of less than. $600,000,
although between 1928 and.
1938 they had paid off more
than’ $2 million in principle
and interest on loans and
mortgages. :

The B.C. government took
over the land en bloc (al-
though under foreclosure ar-
ticles, assets are supposed to
be ‘sold at public auction) for
only $296,500, The land and
buildings were actually worth
several millions.

The Doukhobors call this the

second “land steal.’ Again,
what do you: think? ‘
5o3 $e be
This sketchy report, is not

a history of the Doukhobors
in Canada. Such is not the pur-
pose of these articles. But tlie
events touched on here may
help Canadians to understand
why the Doukhobors feel a
vast distrust for Canadian au-
thorities, and have little con-
fidence in promises of “jus-

tice.” &
The Pacific Tribune believes
that the Doukhobors have

been badly treated in the past,
over the land question.

Our main concern, today, is
to rouse people to end the “big
stick” policy of the Social
Credit governmént in relation
to the dispute over education.

Sons of Freedom Doukhé-
bors have refused to send
their children to public schools
on religious grounds. As a re-
sult, the children have been
seized by the RCMP and held
in an institution at New Den-
ver

Photo shows pioneer women pulling a plow.

The Pacific Tribune believes
that the problem of education
could be solved (the Freedom-
ites say they are not oppose
to education as such, but only
to education which glorifies
war—which our history classes
certainly do).

The problem, however, caf-
not be solved by force — bY
kidnapping of children from
their parents. First step to-
ward a solution must be the
freeing of the children at New
Denver and their return to ;
their parents. Until that 15
done, there will be no hope of
a peaceful solution of the
problem.

®— This is the last of 4
series of six articles
by Bert Whyte.

pete’

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August 23, 1957 ~ PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE © —