May 19, 1921
What was happening a century ago this week from the front page of the Cowichan Leader.
May 19, 1921
I really do apologize to any Chronicles readers who may find news of the Cowichan Valley of a century ago to be, well, boring. I mean what a dull world it was in 1921—no ‘murdered and missing women’ to report, no pandemic, no illicit drug problem, no homelessness. Just, yawn, news about local people going about their lives and doing their best to make a living, to make a home for their families, to build a nation...
So back to the humdrum: For Reeve Paitson and Councillors of North Cowichan Municipality it was the never-ending issue of roads, roads, roads and how to get the best value from a limited tax dollar. Roads Superintendent Punnett had gone to great pains to create a master plan and now it was up to Council to make of it what they could by selling off some of their equipment as being of little use, and borrowing the rest.
W.H. Dwyer, representing the Retail Merchants Association, appeared to explain that the Municipality wouldn’t be responsible for any fees, salaries, costs or “anything” in the appointment of lawyer C.F. Davies as magistrate of the small debts court. Unlike the roads program, this was something the Municipality could afford!
Dwyer, a schools trustee, was then asked about the potential for litigation if a school bus were involved in an accident caused either by the driver’s negligence of that of the driver of another vehicle. Council had had differing legal opinions and remained unclear. Dwyer promised to research the matter further.
Fired Poundkeeper G.G. Henderson appeared to explain the situation that had led to his dismissal. Council had acted arbitrarily because numerous complaints of livestock running loose on the roads indicated that he hadn’t been performing his duties. He explained that his patrol area was all of 80 square miles, that there were, in fact, few complaints of roaming cattle and horses since his appointment, and his firing would mean a return to the bad old days of wild livestock throughout the Valley. In short, he was doing the best he could. Council compromised by reinstating him and reducing the area he had to police.
Henderson had also suggested that fines be paid into a special fund to finance poundkeeping rather than going into general revenue, and that when larger animals needed to be corralled, necessary manpower could be paid out of this fund. Council took it under advisement.
Also present at this meeting was the Rev. F.L. Stephenson, to complain about animals roaming St. Peter’s, Quamichan churchyard and cemetery.
And the Municipality’s long-promised war trophy, a German naval trophy with some unspecified small arms, was on its way at last from Ottawa.
The district committee of the Union of B.C. Farmers met with MPP Kenneth Duncan to discuss the highly contentious issue of a recent salary increase for cabinet ministers and members of the provincial legislature. Little less than outrage had greeted this proposal by the ‘Honest’ John Turner government, with local meetings of protest as described in previous weeks of these Chronicles. Duncan was in favour of a raise. He made no apology for this but admitted that he, perhaps, hadn’t communicated properly with his constituents.
MPPs had received a raise from $1300 to $1600 in 1913—but a dollar in 1913 “was as good as $2 today,” he said. (Now that’s inflation—TW.) He further defended himself by saying that time spent sitting in the Legislature was just the tip of the iceberg, that he had to travel continually to Victoria, that he had a full load of constituency work and correspondence. Other provinces had increased legislative salaries and governments in the Old Country were considering doing the same.
At least those attending gave him credit for having the courage to appear personally and to give his view of what many were calling a cash grab.
The big issue of he day for Duncan Council was the need to go to the ratepayers for funding of further extensions of power lines to outlying districts such as Somenos even though those purchasing electricity had agreed to pay their way through buying debentures. It was the up-front costs of building the power grid that challenged the City which owned the only commercial electric power plant in the Valley.
The issue of quarantining and testing all cattle coming to the Island for TB was “enthusiastically” discussed; apparently breeders off-Island were opposed to what they saw as another expense and a possible threat to their doing business with Island farmers. As for animals that were infected, it was suggested that the government cover veterinary fees and set up an indemnity fund for farmers.
(Everyone complains about the cost of government—and everyone wants government assistance. Human nature, obviously, hasn’t changed over the years...)
As for an unpublished federal report on the fisheries, it was no wonder that the Feds hadn’t released it, according to an unnamed speaker: “There was incompetence in the (fisheries) service and as the officials were so poorly paid it was not to be wondered at if they were in the pay of the canneries as well.”
W.H. Elkington was unanimously re-elected Chairman of the board of the King’s Daughters’ Hospital which had had 59 patients in April, an average of 36 out-patients per day, all at a cost of $1830.75. Four nurses were occupying the cottage built on the grounds for that purpose; final touches had had to be rushed because of the influx of bed patients.
A new operating table costing $374.87 was proving successful, Dr. Primrose had offered to buy the old one for $40, and a transformer for the electrical sterilizer had arrived. It was agreed to create a volunteer committee to regularly visit the hospital to ask patients if they had any complaints. Because the Cowichan Women’s Institute subscribed $25 per month to the KDH, it was noted as a matter of record that its members would be eligible to a reduction of $5 weekly in the case of their hospitalization.
And it was reaffirmed that an isolation ward, estimated to cost $1000, was absolutely essential.
In the final examinations of the University of B.C. Richard Claxton Palmer, son of Mr. And Mrs. RM. Palmer, Cowichan Bay, won the gold medal for highest marks in Agriculture. A veteran of both the Canadian Army and the Royal Flying Corps, Palmer had been twice-wounded in the war and fought at two of the more famous battles, Vimy Ridge and Passchendale.
Herbert Corfield, the “genial mechanic” at the local Ford dealership, Duncan Garage, had patented an accelerator connection to the ‘carbuerettor’. (Think throttle.) Designed in particular for left-hand drivers, it was said to be very simple in construction and an improvement upon existing systems.
For just 30 cents residents could enjoy a rousing musical program by a male quarter who rendered delightful glees and tuneful bells” followed by an illuminating address by journalist Miss Agnes C. Laut.
Such was the week’s news for readers of the Leader on May 19, 1921.
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