History of plus ca change...

From the DCB's newly posted biography of Phillips Thompson, labour journalist and socialist intellectual of the late 19th century:

When he testified in November 1887 before the royal commission on the relations of labor and capital, chaired by James Sherrard Armstrong, Thompson maintained that rapid increases in the cost of rental properties in Toronto had brought “considerable hardship upon a good many of those who have only fixed incomes or salaries.”

And:

He reasoned that before a millionaire “could have any chance to utilize his business talents, he must first have a society with all the highly complex agencies and instrumentalities of commercial life, in which these qualities can find free scope.” Because he owed his success to society, his wealth was therefore a resource that belonged to society, and its people had “the right to step in and put a limit upon accumulation..."

The DCB is currently inviting readers to nominate their five favourite DCB biographies:

We invite you to send us the names of your favourite personalities – no more than five – and briefly tell us your reasons. From time to time, we will post your answers on our website and share them on social media.

Nominations can be sent to dbc@dbc.ulaval.ca.