Grenfell, already aware of their desperate poverty, had been giving
the problem much consideration. The truck system was directly
responsible for the conditions at Red Bay and for similar conditions
at every other harbor along the coast. Something had to be done, and
done at once.
With the assistance of Skipper Tom and one or two others, Doctor
Grenfell called a meeting of the people of the settlement that
evening, to talk the matter over. The men and women were despondent
and discouraged, but nearly all of them believed they could get on
well enough if they could sell their fish and fur at a fair valuation,
and could buy their supplies at reasonable prices.
All of them declared they could no longer subsist at Red Bay upon the
restricted outfits allowed them by the traders, which amounted to
little or nothing when the fishing failed. They preferred to go
somewhere else and try their luck where perhaps the traders would be
more liberal. If they remained at Red Bay under the old conditions
they would all starve, and they might as well starve somewhere else.
Doctor Grenfell then suggested his plan.
Pages:
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163