Continuing from Marilyn Jensen’s 1988 interview, Arnold discusses his move to Calgary in 1936 and the formation of the Calgary chapter of the League Against War and Fascism:
“I came out west and I arrived in Calgary and the first thing I did was organize a League in Calgary. I had property Calgary at that time – a house up on the north hill that was rented out for a number of years. So that brought me back to Calgary. The tenant had moved or was going to move and I came back. As I say, the first thing I did was organize a League. We got a lot of support in Calgary.
Norman Priestley was the president of the UFA and [he] and his wife were members of the first League that I organized in Calgary.The editor of the Western Farm Leader, W. (Walter) Norman Smith, a Manchester man who was very active – Norman Smith and his wife Amelia were in our league. Mrs. William Carson - Marion Carson she was known as.... was a marvellous old woman. She lived in a big red house on Fourth Avenue S.W. We used to have meetings at her house. I remember at one committee meeting I was the chairman. The meeting was in progress and someone had come to the door. Mrs. Carson came to me and said, “Mr. Chairman, I’m sorry to interrupt the meeting but there is somebody at the door. As you know, I’ve been away in Europe and my sister had been living here alone and she put one of these locks on the door.” She said, “Mr. Roberton, I never lock my door in Calgary and I can’t get it opened.” So I had to excuse myself from the meeting and go and open the door and show her how to open the lock. But that’s the kind of woman she was...She lived in this house in Calgary and never locked the door day and night."
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
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