"Old Man" Owens
A thoughtful participant in many political events in Alberta prior to WWII.
He was on the amalgamation committee that helped form the United Farmers of Alberta in 1909. In the photos, he is the one with the long flowing beard!
R.C. Owens wrote Daylight on the money and banking questions and other problems published in 1920.
In it he put forward a "Suggested Platform" for reform-minded candidates:
(Some of his points might raise more questions than they answer)
... "the legislative government shall consist of but one elected body, and the veto power be taken from the heads of all governments and assumed by the voters through the adoption of district legislation, the initiative, referendum and recall, and the system of proportional representation.
The same priniciples to be carried out in all industrial organizations." (p. 46)
"That in the public schools all children over fourteen years of age be taught true poltical economy from the most modern advanced thought of democracy, including the rights and duties and responsibilities of citizenship, also have lessons in our school books explanatory of co-operation, and industrial unionism, and democracy in industrialism." (p. 45-46)
"That the rights of free speech, free press and free assembly shall not be curtailed under any circumstances." (p. 46)
"That courts be deprived of power to declare any law to be unconstitutional that has been enacted by any proper legislative body." (p. 46)
"That militarism be discouraged as war is ever made by and in the interests of money kings and speculators, forcing destruction upon the common people without them being heard or a choice made in the decisions of war." (p. 46)
"Land - Whereas our present land laws are in conflict with natural law and social justice, and many students of political economy believe them to be the greatest economic evils of the present system.
The government should pass a law that on and after a certain date, all titles to land except for use shall be null and void, and secure to each citizen their share of the same for use.
That there be no tax on land, but instead a tax on privileged locations.
Suppose farmer A lives within two miles of town and market, but B lives 16 miles from town and market, their land being of the same prductivity. It costs B $100 annually more than A to do his town business, then A should pay the government the difference for the privilege he enjoys over B.
Government should encourage co-operative farming, especially on account of schools and community social life." (p. 44)
"Tariff is a tax on all productive industries, and paid by the farmer and all other wealth producers, and shoud be abolished." (p. 44)
"...All mineral, timber and other natural resources should be held sacred and administered democratically in the interests of the people." (p. 45)
"Public Utilities - that all railways, telegraphs and telephone services are public utilities and should be taken over and operated by the government in a simlar way to the postal department.
That corporation charters of all kinds be annulled, and all such business be taken over by and democratically administered by some branch of government. That all heads of government departments be elected by the people.
That salaries of all public servants be governed by the average remuneration of those engaged in the six leading necessary productive industries. This would largely remove the incentive to office-seeking and place-hunting." (p. 45)
Rev. George L. Ritchie, of the Labour Church, endorsed the booklet:
The social insolvency of capitalist society has come about by the monoploy of private banking systems. Panics, war and competitive prosperity will no longer endanger social and industrial life when he resources of the people are owned and controlled by the people themselves.
This work reveals the evils of the money system, and points out a remedy that i recommend to the young voters of the commonwealth."
Other books penned by Owens include:
The People's Financial Catechism 1924
Bridge to Liberty: a plan to evolve from a capitalist system to a co-operative system 1926
Unfortunately only the Daylight booklet is available for viewing on the Peel's Prairie Provinces website.
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