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Most
of the conscientious objectors came from rural communities. Often,
if was the eldest son who was called away for alternative service.
How would the
farm survive?
For
many families, the war was an economic catastrophe. Besides the
emotional loss suffered by the family, now they had one less man
to work and earn money. When Anton Dyck left for alternative service,
his sisters had to learn how to operate the heavy farm machinery
and do his chores. This scenario was repeated across hundreds of
farms.
David
H. Neumann explains the COs' financial situation.
“In
addition to being unpopular with our government and general population
we suffered considerable financial loss. We got fifty cents a
day while the men in the military were getting full pay. Their
wives and children received full support, whereas the wives of
those of us who were married received no support. We also forfeited
any post-war government help such as war veterans enjoyed. [ASP,
137-138]
If
a CO would earn $182 if he worked for one year at 50 cents a day.
By comparison, in 1937, someone at the low end of the payscale would
earn $730, or four times what a CO earned. Also, in December 1939,
the average family could expect to pay $24 per month on housing
costs and nearly $9 on food. Those expenses were hard to pay when
a CO only made $15 a month.
The
CO wage was confirmed by Order-in-Council P.C. 2821, 7 April 1943:
“The
Minister shall pay not less than fifty cents per day to every
person performing alternative service under this section and may
pay not more than seventy-five per day to any such person who
has been appointed a sub-foreman and not more than one dollar
per day to any such person who has been appointed a foreman: but
no such man shall be provided with clothing at public expense.”
Most
COs who worked in the national parks and with the forestry service
received only fifty cents a day. The rest of their pay went to the
Red Cross. Other COs worked on farms, in hospitals, in mines, or
in factories. These COs received normal pay, but had to make monthly
donations to the Red Cross. In most cases, this amounted to over
half of the CO's pay cheque. Even when a CO was allowed to stay
home on his own farm, he still had to make
payments. When the COs were in the forestry camps, Mennonite
officials had to petition
the authorities so the men could return home to help with the
harvest.
Becoming
a CO was a step of faith, so it is only natural that the church
should come help those who suffered because of it. Besides sending
ministers to the camps and regular letters and packages to the COs,
the Mennonite churches also attempted to support families in need.
The church gave food, money, and whatever other assistance they
could if a family was in need. This made it much easier for the
COs to continue in their alternative service.
Some
men, knowing that they were needed
more on the farm, refused their call to military training when
they were denied CO status. Others temporarily left their CO camps
to help with their home
and farm life.
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