As Dr. Roberts was entering
the City Hall first thing Monday morning, October 28, 1918, and was being
barraged with questions, he, and Mayor Booker, had some important news that
they insisted would be presented to the Board of Health members first.
The whole matter began with
a telegram which the mayor had received from Ottawa:
“ ‘Shall greatly appreciate
anything you may be able to do, consistently with safeguarding public health,
towards facilitating the holding of open-air meetings by the Victory Loan
organization for the City of Hamilton. The campaign starts next week, and it is
most desirable that everything possible should be done to overcome the serious
handicap of the prohibition of public meetings. The loan, of the most vital
national importance will, I know, have your strongest support and assist in
every legitimate way. Shall be glad if you will consult with the medical health
officer and Victory representatives.
(Signed) W.T.
WHITE,
‘Minister
of Finance”
“The wire was received by
Mayor Booker and turned over to Dr. Roberts. The health officials will consult
with the Victory Loan people and do anything possible to assist in the
campaign. ‘Public health will be the first consideration,’ said Dr. Roberts
when asked what action would be taken.”
“Seventeen Deaths By Influenza
Over Weekend : This is About Average Maintained During Last Week : Many Nurses
Are Ill and Hospital Staff is Hard Worked”
Hamilton Herald. October 28, 1918.
“No relaxation of the restrictions enforced to
fight the Spanish influenza, even to permit the holding of patriotic meetings
in the open in support of the Victory loan , during the present week at least,
was the policy of the board of health, as declared to a deputation of Victory
loan officials this morning. The board was unanimously agreed that any
slackening of the regulations would only give the public the impression that
the danger had passed and the rules were obsolete. The loan officials expressed
themselves as satisfied that the best interests of the well-being of the
community and as content to allow things to remain as they are for the present.
The deputation included
George C. Coppley, Robert Hobson, Cyrus A. Birge, T. J. Stewart and S, H.
Alexander. Mr. Coppley said that in anticipation of a favorable attitude on the
part of the board of health, arrangements had been made to bring Hon. T. W.
McGarry and Rev. Dr. Cameron to speak at an open-air meeting next Thursday
night. It was felt that it was necessary to the success of the campaign that
public meetings of some character should be held. The officials had been
assured by Dr. McCullough that open-air gatherings could be held without
injuring the public health. The executive was also anxious to arrange for
indoor meetings, if possible.
“Norman Clark, chairman of
the board of health, said that nothing could done this week in any case. If the
prohibition of public meetings would assist in the preventing of the disease,
the order was going to be enforced to the limit. The board had no wish to
appear arbitrary in the matter, but had only acted upon the representations of
the influential section of the community.
“Cyrus Birge said that the
interests of the campaign demanded that public meetings should be held, and
pointed out that in Toronto public meetings were being held daily. Dr. Roberts,
in reply, charged the officials of the city of Toronto with gross inconsistency
in the measures they had taken.
“Mayor Booker took the
position that human life was at stake and that Dr. Roberts being the medical
officer of the city, the responsibility rested upon his shoulders.
“Dr. Roberts pointed out
that at first he had been opposed to dislocating the city’s affairs by the closing
order, but he had acted upon the representations of eminent physicians, who
said that if some strong measures were no taken, the city would be face to face
with an appalling death rate.
“ ‘And now I believe that
the order has done good,’ said the health officer. ‘It has impressed the people
with the fact that that they are face to
face with a serious situation.’
“T. J. Stewart suggested
that the board of health allow the open air meetings to be held, the Victory
loan officials to take all responsibility. This suggestion met with no favor.
“ ‘I put human life in front
of finance every time,’ declared Dr. Roberts. ‘If the board decides to permit
these open meetings, I will demand that the whole proclamation be lifted at
once, so that we may cease to appear ridiculous in the eyes of the public. It
has been proven that this is a contact disease, and the people can catch it as
much in a crowd in the open sir as if they were in a theater.
“ ‘The riff raff will damn
us whatever we do, but I believe that all good people are behind us,’ Dr.
Roberts said.
“The Victory loan officials
finally came to the conclusion that in asking the board to consider the matter
daily and allow the restrictions to be lifted as soon as was compatible with
the maintenance of the public health, they were going as far as they should.”1
1“Board
of Health Refuse to Relax Its Restrictions : No Public Meetings Possible This
Week : Loan Delegation Concurs in Board’s Action : Influenza Death Rate in
Hamilton Light”
Hamilton Spectator. October 29, 1918.
The Herald report of the
same meeting covered the same material as that presented in the Spectator
except for one little, but humorous observation. While the Spectator only said
that the Mayor professed his full support for Dr. Roberts and the Board of
Health, the Herald report contained the following:
“Mayor Booker announced he was
behind Dr. Roberts. ‘If he said that meetings could be held, they would be; if
he said ‘no’ they could not be’ and left the meeting.”
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