Topics for Discussion

1. Poverty in Newfoundland and Labrador, past and present.
   
   
2. Difficulties of making a living, and how people fall into poverty.
   
   
3. Social programs and social assistance, past and present.
   
   
4. How governments, past and present, deal with: the long-term problem of poverty, special situations, like the Great Depression.
   
   
5. Decision-making and control: who makes the decisions, and how this affects lives.
   
   
6. Protest and public action.
   
   
7. Human rights as they relate to welfare and security.

Questions for Discussion

1. What was the Great Depression? When and where did it happen? Why was Newfoundland hit so hard by the Great Depression?
   
   
2. What was the "dole?" Why did so many people need it in the 1930s? Who could get it? What do we have in place of the dole today?
   
   
3. In the 1930s, many people who were working could not make enough income to feed their families. What were some reasons for this? Are there people today who work but who cannot make enough to live on?
   
   
4. What was the "truck system?" What role did the merchant play in this system? What role did fishing families play?
   
   
5. In the 1930s, the government worried about people "abusing" the dole. Why do you think they were worried about this? What things did they do to stop abuses?
   
   
6. Many different people have been blamed for the riot at the Colonial Building in 1932. List some of the different groups involved. Who do you think was responsible for the riot?