“The measures which
the police, attached to the east end division, are taking to relieve some of
the distress and want in Hamilton east end, are meeting with general approval
from the residents of that section, and the response to their demands for
assistance is of a very hearty nature.”
Hamilton Spectator. December 4, 1912
The publicity which the efforts of the
members of the Hamilton police department, east end division, had received in
the city press noticeably accelerated the reception their efforts were meeting:
“Donations are coming in hourly for
the Santa Claus box which has been installed in the Sherman avenue police
station.
“An instance of this is given in the
offer made by the manager of the new Sherman avenue moving picture theater, who
has informed the police that a special matinee will be put on Wednesday
afternoon, the proceeds of which are to be devoted to the Santa Claus fund.
“The offer was followed by a like one
from the manager of the Royal theater, Barton street east, who has decided to
donate his receipts on Friday afternoon next to the police fund.
“Many cash subscriptions from
interested parties have been received. The Frost Wire Fence company has decided
to place a box in their plant, and the contents of this box will be turned over
to the police a few days before Christmas.
“Many families are donating clothes,
food, etc., with the result that the police patrol is busy all day rounding up
parcels and taking them to the police station.”1
1 “Relief is
Not As Prompt As It Should Be : According to Police of the East End Division :
Cases of Distress That Almost Challenge Belief : Claim Many of Them Exist In
That Section”
Hamilton Spectator. December 4, 1914.
While most reaction to the police
initiative were positive, one of the gentlemen involved with the work being
done by the city relief committee was not. W. D. Wilson vehemently denied that
his organization was too slow and too bureaucratic.
One of the east end policemen spoke to
a Spectator reporter about the people involved with the city relief committee,
but requested that his name not be published :
“ ‘We can realize just how much they
resent any adverse comment,’ said one of the constables. ‘That does not alter
the fact that their system is inadequate. In the past month, several of the
officers attached to our division have come across more than one case where the
city relief committee has failed to meet the situation as it should be met.
“ ‘No doubt several of the volunteer
workers at relief headquarters are doing their best. We are willing to grant
that. We would like to know, however, just how many of these workers have ever
visited some of the families who have registered at headquarters. We have. We
know just what is being done and just what has been done, and I know more than
one relief worker at present attached to the city relief committee who has
stated that the system has been bad.
“ ‘If Mr. Wilson, or any other relief
worker does not believe our statements, he can only visit the east end police
station and we will take him around to see some of the families, and will also
take him to more than one east end minister and more than one east end relief
worker who can bear out our claim that the city relief system is inadequate.
“ ‘We have no desire to quarrel with
the city relief committee, but we have first-hand knowledge of conditions in
the east end, and we know that the city should never tolerate such conditions.
For that reason we are prepared to see the matter through to an issue, and at
the same time, realizing the failure of the city relief committee to handle
things as it intended, we are doing our best in a small way to ease things to
some extent. If the relief committee is eager for specific cases, is eager for
proof, we are only too willing to come across.
“ ‘Mr. Wilson states that all cases must
be registered and must be investigated. We grant that and say it is only proper
that they should be. However, we come across many cases where the need for
relief was urgent, where the relief was wanted on the spot, not days after Of
what good is relief if I comes some days after the cases have been attended to
by others? It’s not relief unless it is received when the need is most urgent. I
just want to say that the need at the present time is beyond all belief, that
the city relief committee is not equal to the occasion and, if this is so at the
present, what will it be one month from now’ ”1
The Spectator
reporter noted that the police constable who he interviewed cited several
specific incidents of extreme distress that he had personally witnessed :
“He is prepared to give all particulars
to Mr. Wilson or any other member of the relief committee, if so desired. If
the stories told by the constable are as he says, then there is no doubt but
that the police have some foundation for the view they take of the matter.
“An instance of the cases which the
police are uncovering is that of one which one of the constables came across
last evening. He found two Italian families living next door to each other who
had but one half-loaf of bread between them and starvation. They were absolutely
destitute and some of them were almost naked, so badly were they in need of
clothes. The officers on night duty all chipped in enough money to secure food
to last them until today.”1
One of the
east end police compliment willing to be identified in the Spectator article
was the man in charge of the whole division, Inspector David Coulter.
In speaking of the work being done by
his officers, Coulter said, “We started out in a small way, but it looks as if
we will be almost swamped. Our Santa Claus fund will exceed all expectations,
so liberal is the support which is being accorded us.”1
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