Date Published:
November 2005

Documents of Quebec History / Documents de l'histoire du Québec

La loi du cadenas

The Padlock Law

Mr. Duplessis Runs Into Trouble

[1938]

[This editorial was printed in the Canadian Forum. For the full citation, see the end of the document.]

THE premier of Quebec, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the Communists, the Dominion government and the presidents of Canadian Industries Limited and Shawnigan Water and Power Company (a rather curious assortment of enemies), may soon have to divert his energies to mending his political fences. The united protests of employers and workers have forced him to withdraw the general minimum wage order of his Fair Wage Board. In the printing trade, the international and Catholic unions have joined in demanding a collective agreement which would be made binding on the whole industry under the Workmen's Wages Act, and in attacking the government for its delay in the matter. In the premier's own constituency of Three Rivers, the international and Catholic unions agreed on a joint candidate (an international union man) for mayor, and elected him, with substantial majorities even in sections of the city where there are no international unionists, against a candidate backed by Mr. Duplessis. In the legislature, Mr. Bouchard, the Liberal leader, has unearthed the interesting fact that the deputy minister of Agriculture not long ago sold a farm to his sister-in-law for $6,000. the money being obligingly lent by the provincial government's rural credit organization. The premier has not improved his position by his recent declaration that he "knows nothing" of any Fascist movement in the province, as the leader of that movement, Adrien Arcand, is editor of Mr. Duplessis' official organ in Montreal, L'Illustration.

Source: Editorial, "Mr. Duplessis Runs Into Trouble", in Canadian Forum, Vol. XVII, No 206 (March 1938): 403.