July 29, 1920
What was happening a century ago this week from the front page of the Cowichan Leader.
July 29, 1920
As we’ve seen there had been resignations—mass resignations—of the teaching staff at the Duncan Consolidated High School and in outlying schools. It all came to what The Leader predicted would be a “lively altercation” at the next meeting of the board.
Resignation of several teachers at Duncan High School (n the foreground) led to harsh words at the next school trustees meeting.
It wasn’t, in fact, long before the “usual decorum” of the Board was “rudely shattered...when Trustee Tisdall fell foul” of a deputation composed of Col. Roome, Col. Pressey, the Rev. A.F. Munroe and Mr. A.J. Marlowe. Tisdall felt that hearing from them not only set a precedent but their criticism of the way the Board was handling teacher appointments cast a slur and imputed lack of confidence in the trustees. The deputation apparently didn’t think the Board was capable of doing its duty—he looked upon their coming as a gratuitous insult. Besides, he said, they were seeking teaching positions for their friends. He alone opposed their appearing before the Board.
Mr. Marlowe proceeded to compare salaries paid to Duncan teaching staff with those of other similar sized communities. According to their research 10 other school boards were paying much higher salaries to their high school principals. He was anxious that Duncan should employ only the very best. While acknowledging his personal friendship with Principal Thorp, who’d resigned, the Rev. A.F. Munro disclaimed any idea of lobbying on his behalf; indeed, he’d recommended that Thorp accept another job opportunity. He’d come before the Board with the sole purpose of urging it to do its utmost to secure the best teachers. Col. Roome confined himself to voicing his support of his fellow petitioners.
Col. Presey, the last speaker, didn’t know Thorp either and, turning to Trustee Tisdall, declared,, “By gad, Tisdall, you’re a cad.”
He was quickly admonished by Chairman Dwyer who termed his comment most ungentlemanly and uncalled for. Because a single trustee objected to their presentation didn’t justify the colonel’s insulting the board and using profane [sic] language”.
After the deputation retreated the Board asked the secretary to write Mr. Marlowe, as its head, to issue trustees an apology. Marlowe had since done so.
At that point the Board turned to the matter of Thorp’s replacement and formally hired Norman F. Black as the principal of the Duncan Consolidated High School at a salary of $2000 per annum. From Toronto, the 44-year-old M.A. and Doctor of Pedagogy of Toronto University had already served as a principal and as a schools superintendent in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Among applicants had been the resigned principal who wrote that the show of community support encouraged him to re-apply. But Thorp wanted $2400 per year. E.C. Richards of Victoria was appointed assistant principal for $1750 per annum and the salary of Mr. Stacey, principal of Duncan School was voluntarily raised to $1850 annually. Two new teachers were hired for Duncan and three for Genoa Bay, Chemainus and Crofton respectively. Their salaries ranged from $840.00 to $960.00 per year.
Insurance against accidents incurred by students being bused to school was another cost: $1000.00 yearly.
Finally, John Kyle of the Technical Education Department apologized for having given misleading information in a talk to the Women’s Institute: “The main facts, which had existed for several years, i.e., that economy forbade the reopening of the domestic science centre must have been uppermost in my mind.”
On a less fractious note it was reported that the Hon. J.D. Reid, Dominion Minister of Railways and Canals, had inspected the 60-odd miles of track in the Cowichan Valley now owned by the Canadian National Railways. Intended to go as far as Alberni and beyond, steel at that time had only been laid as far as Skutz Falls. Reid was accompanied by Sen. Barnard, resident engineer D.G. Lewis and CNR President D.B. Hanna.
Reid described the trip as a revelation to him because of the immense potential for agricultural, forestry and mining in the interior of the Island. He said the line, so far as it existed, was the equal of anything in the country and would be pushed forward as fast as possible with the goal of reaching the Nitinat River by year-end.
He and his party were said to have been thrilled by the Kinsol Trestle which had consumed an astounding 700,000 feet of timber in its construction.
The Duncan Board of Trade, eager to have a spur line into town, deputed W.A. McAdam to meet with Reid in Victoria. This spur line had been promised when what originally was the Canadian Northern Pacific Railway was projected. Reid bluntly replied, “The promises of the original promoters,” Mackenzie and Mann, “were now history only” as that railway, the Grand Trunk Pacific and others had had to be salvaged from bankruptcy by the CNR.
Reid did promise to have a CNR traffic manager look at the proposal and, “if good cause could be shown, the work would be done”.
More exciting news was that of a panther hunt after A. Easton was startled by the sight of a large cougar as he motorcycled past W.P. Jaynes’s store in the Jaynes and Lakes roads area. As the cyclist and the oncoming cat passed each other Easton “whipped out his army revolver and fired”. (Shades of the Wild West! What was Easton doing, riding around armed with a loaded revolver in North Cowichan in 1920?)
When the wounded cat disappeared in some bush Easton continued to his home and phoned a I.W. Sherman who proceeded to the area with a tracking dog that soon picked up the scent and began following it eastward towards Mount Tzouhalem. There, treed, the cougar was dispatched. It was thought to have been responsible for several seep killed in the area.
When Sherman tried to collect his $25 bounty at the provincial government office he was only allowed $15 because “the animal was killed upon Municipal territory and the latter body should have their share of the bounty”[!]
There was more exciting news on this July 29th front page: a disastrous fire had totally destroyed the home of Maj. Stern of Somenos Lake. Awakened at 1:00 a.m. by the roar of the fire he and his family had only enough time to grab a few valuables and flee for their lives. Said The Leader: “At that hour there was no assistance available and it was half an hour before anyone appeared”.
Earlier that day Maj. Stern had been burning stumps some distance from the house and it was thought that the wind had fanned embers alive then blown sparks to the house. At least most of the house and its contents were insured.
B.C Telephone Co. brass E.F. Helliwell, N.G. Fitzpatrick and F.C. Patterson agreed there was room for improvement in the company’s Duncan exchange. They hoped to have enlarged facilities shortly. According to Supt. Helliwell the company had expended “more money in this district per telephone user than in any other similar district and...expected to accomplish as much this year”.
Another, larger barge load of lumber was shipped from the Genoa Bay sawmill and that out port’s baseball team continued its losing streak, 3-5, to Duncan. At least the fishing was good, George Elliott having landed a 20-pound spring.
The Cowichan Eleven handily defeated the Army and Navy Veterans team from Victoria, 167-78, and local yachtsmen were active in Cowichan Bay.
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