February 10, 1921
What was happening a century ago this week from the front page of the Cowichan Leader.
February 10, 1921
Here’s an interesting headline for you: “NORTH COWICHAN PROBLEMS – Council Attacks Them Manfully.”
(They just don’t write newspapers like they used to.)
The Municipality’s biggest headache, one that just wouldn’t go away, was that of roads. Determined to finally grasp the nettle by its thorns, Council hired H.R. Punnett as temporary Road Superintendent for $180 per month. He had to provide his own car but this was a pretty fair wage, suggesting that Council was serious.
Two others had applied for the position but Council felt it was time for new blood hence the Punnett appointment. This sudden burst of enthusiasm for a solution to roadwork had been prompted by the fact that the provincial minister of public works was dispatching his chief engineer to look over the Municipality’s situation. Council thought it necessary to have their own man accompany the engineer and to report back directly.
To give an example of what they had to contend with when repairing roads, five local poultrymen had forcefully expressed their objection to blasting being done within a radius of half a mile during incubation. (Saanich had already addressed this by prohibiting blasting operations, March 15-31.) Council concurred and promised a bylaw to this effect.
They also agreed with Victoria City Council and other B.C. municipalities that more provincial assistance (money) was needed for schools and hospitals, the local school tax having had to be doubled in just two years.
Which brought them back to the matter of the Municipal road crusher. According to Punnett, it wasn’t in bad repair and capable of handling 40 yards per day but it’s old engine was tired, gobbled fuel and was hard to start—sometimes requiring almost a quarter of the crew’s workday just trying to crank it over!
(Crushed rock was preferred over the less costly gravel for road repairs and construction.) To go back to the old method of using steam meant having to hire a fireman and an engineer; the suggested answer from a Victoria dealer was a semi-diesel engine that would allow the operator sufficient freedom to help with roadwork.
As for the gasoline powered road roller, it was a good machine but two tons heavier than required for Municipal purposes. The Knox tractor, however, failed on all counts.
At this point Reeve Paitson startled Council by asking what they thought of borrowing money for permanent roadwork. Councillors Rivett-Carnac favoured the idea—why should current ratepayers carry the entire cost of work that would be of benefit to future ratepayers? Clrs. Menzies and Green would agree if interest rates didn’t exceed 6 per cent. (Current rates were 7-7 1/2 per cent.) Clr. Ashby didn’t think interest should matter.
The fact remained, said Paitson, the Municipality couldn’t keep its roads in good repair and build new ones on existing tax revenues; even an interest rate of 9 per cent would mean only a tax of 1 1/2 mills.
And if they were to seek ratepayer approval for a loan for roads, why not ask them to endorse more money for schools at the same time?
Speaking of money, the new dog license fees were fixed at $2 for males, $3 for bitches and $25 fines for non-compliance.
Finally, who owned the old agricultural show grounds at Maple Bay? The 20 acres had originally been exempted from property tax and Council wanted to know why this hadn’t been corrected.
The big issue of the day for Duncan City Council was its “electric situation”. (Duncan operated its own power system.) 1920 was the first year to show a profit—$34.61! If the inventory of operating materials was taken into account a further $260 could be added to the plus side of the ledger. All going well, 1921 promised a profit of $2-3000. The auditor pointed out, lest Council get too excited, that the cost of diesel oil, for one, had increased substantially and was likely to continue to do so. Over its seven years of operation the City-owned power company had lost a total of $30,433.47.
All this left Council to ponder increasing hours of operation as many consumers wanted, lowering electricity rates, a combination of both, or continuing as they had in hopes of greater revenue. Councillors were reminded that taxpayers covered the expense of the system whether or not they consumed electricity.
The possible conflict of ratepayer and consumer was exacerbated by the fact that two of every three lots in Duncan were unoccupied, meaning their owners paid for the electrical system for no personal benefit. Some had already surrendered their lots in lieu of continuing to pay property taxes.
R. Glendinning entertained the Cowichan Valley Naturalists with a slide show, A.J. Topham addressed the Women’s Institute on vegetable gardening, there was a Society Ball at the Agricultural Hall, and this issue of The Leader carried the first ballot form for a choice of sites and costs (as explained last week) for a war memorial.
The skirmishing between the City and North Cowichan as to who was the most deserving to receive a German field gun appeared to be settled with a blunt letter from Col. A.E. Doughty, director of war trophies: “I wish to say that this gun was intended for the city of Duncan, and not for the municipality of North Cowichan. You will therefore take possession of he gun on behalf of the department, as it is your property.”
So there!
Longtime (21 years) Indian Agent W.R. Robertson was retiring and local tribes were reminded, again, that potlatches were outlawed after two were held locally, drawing the arrival of four RCMP officers to investigate.
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