April 26, 1932 (17th Parliament, 3rd Session)

Mr. WOODSWORTH:

The question is
asked, did I write that editorial?-I did not. That question emphasizes the remark I made a few minutes ago, that a good many hon. members of this house seem to be quite oblivious to the currents of public opinion which are so strong at the present time. The article continues:
But individual critics are helpless by themselves; and there exists no organization in Canada to which such men and women can attach themselves with much enthusiasm. In the hope of helping to fill this gap a group from Toronto and Montreal held a meeting two months ago and decided to launch the League for Social Reconstruction.
I may say that I was not present at that meeting nor had I anything to do with its being held. However, that is by the way and I shall continue with the editorial:
The founders of the league conceive of it a kind of Canadian Fabian society, although they are quite conscious that it does not include in its present membership any Bernard Shaw or Sidney Webb or Graham Wallas or Beatrice Potter. But they hope that it may form the nucleus around which may gather a good many of those unattached critical spirits who find no haven in either of the two national political parties, and whose circumstances do not make it possible for them to join labour or farmer political movements.
As is indicated by that last paragraph, this is not a political 'but an educational movement. The members of the organization may be Liberals or Conservatives; some may 'be farmers or labour men, but apparently they do not find themselves very much in
sympathy with either the official Liberal party or the official Conservative party as they are constituted to-day. They also confess that as the labour and farmer movements are organized to-day, they do not find a place. I continue reading:
What is most needed in Canada is a clarification of our political and economic ideas. Even if the members of the new society accomplish nothing much more than to work out by discussion among themselves the practical steps in a socialistic program as applied to Canadian conditions, they will have served some purpose.
I know a great many members here are terribly frightened by the words "socialistic program." [DOT]