December 2, 1921
What was happening a century ago this week from the front page of the Cowichan Leader.
December 2, 1921
Two full columns of this issue of the Leader are devoted to a public debate between the Hon. S.F. Tolmie, the Dominion minister of agriculture, and federal electoral opponent (and home candidate), city alderman C.H. Dickie.
Dickie was flying under the curious flag of New Liberal Conservative when he spoke to 300-odd people who’d braved heavy rain for the event. He began by admitting that he’d voted against women’s suffrage 20 years before but the recent Great War had shown him that women should have the vote.
He’d also voted against proposed anti-Chinese legislation. He admitted, rudely, to not having the same sympathy towards coloured people. (The ‘n’ word was used—and quoted in the newspaper.) He warned that Japan’s teeming population “had to go somewhere”.
Dickie wanted a governing party that would wave the Canadian flag and recognize God.
He railed against new and steep British tariffs, and compared Canada, as a business nation, to the U.S., as “a corner grocery store against a department store”. Without high tariffs of its own, Canada didn’t stand a chance, 1000s of factories would be closed. Canadians could stand no more taxation!
Without the return of the Meighen government to power, reciprocity or free trade, would be forced upon the people and bring national ruin.
Everywhere but in Germany there was unemployment. Industries must be stabilized and everything possible should be done for returned servicemen.
For an hour, Tolmie, Liberal, responded with facts and figures, in the words of the attending reporter, “vibrant with humorous references”. His description of the work and value of the department over which he presided was said to be an education in itself.
He had kind words for Dickie’s and Meighen’s honesty. He said Canadian farmers were the backbone of Canadian productivity and that they sold 80 per cent of their products nationally while exporting the balance. Because of the war the national debt had ballooned from $330 million to $2 1/2 billion, most tax revenue coming from industry.
High American tariffs encouraged home industries and gave twine and barbed wire as examples. Canadian tariffs in turn had substantially helped the Okanagan fruit industry and hog farmers, and an opponent’s proposal to raise land taxes on farmers was “imbecile.”
In short, “This was the worst time to attempt any fiscal experiment likely to interfere with the great industries of Canada,” and he defended the nationalization of Canada’s bankrupt major railways.
He went on and on but that’s enough for us for today...
The young Methodists had held an oratory event of their own, Albert Dirom winning with his talk on Sir Wilfred Laurier. The Misses Edith and May Bartlett had also shone with their own dissertation on “The Modern Sunday School,” David Lloyd George and The British Empire, R.A. Thorpe with his own take on the Modern Sunday School.
The City of Duncan and the Municipality of North Cowichan had—finally--reached an agreement on the allocation of war trophies. Duncan would retain a large field piece and a machine gun; Chemainus would receive a naval gun and Cobble Hill a trench mortar. Somenos, Westholme and Gibbins Road area would each get a “small” machine gun, the latter two upon completion of their community halls.
Municipal councillors endorsed a Victoria City Council motion criticizing the province for its “inadequate financial assistance to municipalities,” and agreed to a request by Municipal Assessor J.H. Whittome to adjust P. Boudot’s property taxes by 20 per cent. It seems he’d been overcharged through a clerical error.
Reeve Paitson expressed his displeasure with the fact that Council hadn’t been invited to the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Chemainus Cenotaph even though Council had donated the land. He’d attended personally out of respect for the ceremony.
Road Superintendent R.H. Punnett reported that there was plenty of road work to be done and that work would progress as long as the weather allowed.
Council as a whole gave assurance that every effort would be made to keep school bus routes open through the winter.
R.A.Thorpe, president, and Dr, Norman F. Black, secretary of the Cowichan Social Services Council reported there had been a delay in starting the new university extension courses for high school students but hoped to do so at an early date. The Women’s Institute had offered their rooms for such a purpose.
A motion by Mrs. Henderson that an industrial school be established for delinquent boys over the age over 16 years of age was approved. “In the absence of such an institution” she said, “such lads either escape punishment or are given prison terms and thus become identified with confirmed criminals.”
Support from other pubic bodies would be solicited and the anticipated endorsement passed on to the attorney general’s office.
Mrs. A.P. Carter gave “a most interesting and instructive address to an attentive audience” in the Cowichan Women’s Institute rooms. She described four different methods of canning and how to scald and to blanch. She particularly recommended currants, grapes, crab apples, sour apples, green gooseberries and wild cherries.
She also judged several offerings of home canning brought by some of the ladies and ended the evening with a hearty round of thanks from her audience.
The Duncan Consolidated School Board had met to discuss, among other things, the Health Centre’s proposed school dental clinics. It was agreed to study the matter further after Trustee Hadwen expressed his opinion that the clinics were “too ambitious.”
Horticultural classes were in the offing with the province offering free shrubs and perennials. The Chemainus school needed a new heating plant and sanitation facilities at the Duncan High School also required attention. Duncan teacher E.W. Kilby was granted leave of absence to attend Normal School in Victoria.
Finally, the grand sum of $20 was allocated for Christmas decorations and prizes, to be split between five schools!
The Somenos chapter of the United Farmers of B.C. held an animated meeting in which the 50 men and women in attendance expressed their displeasure with local farmer Sam Crosland having been fined for trapping quail ravaging his crops. They thought the Games Act was out of touch with farmers’ realities and needs.
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