1914 Jan. 06 Social Survey

 “Decidedly valuable work has been done by the Community council of this city, assisted by the temperance and social reform departments of the Methodist and Presbyterian churches, in the preparation of a Social Survey of Hamilton. The results of those engaged upon the work are published in a pamphlet of about 50 pages.”

Hamilton Herald. January 6, 1914²

Admittedly it was a snapshot when it was published and distributed early in 1914, but the Social Survey of Hamilton contained some interested direct observations amid the wealth of facts and statistics compiled from census returns.

The carefully compiled report pointed out that Hamilton was indeed a cosmopolitan city. It noted that 31 different nationalities were among the population of Hamilton in 1913 :

“Of these, the people of English stock predominated, and, in fact, almost made half the population of the city, as their number was calculated at 33,959 or 41.4 per cent. The percentage of the remaining nationalities was : Scotch 17; Irish, 16.6; German, 5; Jewish, 2; Italian, 1.7, and French, 1.3, with the others below a figuring base.”¹

¹ “Social Survey of Hamilton in 1913 : Interesting Facts From Report of Community Council on Bars, Poolrooms, and General Sanitary Conditions : Housing Conditions In Foreigh Sections Are Shocking and the City Is Blamed For Inadequate Inspection”

Hamilton Herald. January 6, 1914.

In 1913, the city of Hamilton contained 400 manufacturing industries, with a total number of male and female employees being approximately 25,000.

Besides the bare numbers, the report also contained several observations based on direct visitations by investigators in April, 1913.

The investigators visited all of the 29 poolrooms in Hamilton:

“There were seen 160 tables, at which 325 players were engaged, and there 254 onlookers. Ten persons were intoxicated, and twenty-seven appeared to be minors. At six of the establishments profane language was heard, while at three places, where pool tables were attached to bars, no indecent language was reported.”¹

As regards locations where beer and/or alcohol was served, the investigators visited the bars of every hotel in the city between 6 and 7 p.m.:

“At one place 50 customers were allowed to enter after hours. At another tavern, five Indians were served with intoxicants; another kept doing business quite openly until 7:10 p.m.. At 15 hotels, the lavoratories were found to be most objectionable. In 16 barrooms, the language heard was lewd and profane. A total of 1775 men were seen in the bars during the above-mentioned hours, and 217 were helplessly intoxicated, and 37, to the minds of the investigators, were minors.”¹

The 16 liquor stores operating in Hamilton in April, 1913 were all visited for a period of a half hour between 6 and 7 p.m. In that time 570 people entered the stores to purchase liquor, 451 men, 87 women and 32 children. 25 of that total were intoxicated, 5 of whom were women who were obviously drunk.

The most shocking portion of the 1913 Social Survey of Hamilton was the part dealing with housing conditions in some parts of the city.

The report condemned the City of Hamilton having an inadequate number of inspectors and for not condemning many houses, particularly among what was called “the foreign element” :

“A stable was found in the northwest section of the city which has been converted into a lodging house. It was divided into nine sections, and the rent charged for each section averaged from $12 to $14 per month. The rooms were poorly ventilated, and some had no windows whatsoever. One hundred foreigners in all tenanted the building, and the male occupants employed in night shifts slept in the same beds as those on day shifts. Much vermin was seen, and altogether the place was not habitable or sanitary.”¹

In the east end of the city, the same situation was found in many places:

“At one house on North Sherman avenue, 20 Russians and one woman occupied the house. There were only 11 beds. The same deplorable conditions were found in many other houses in the northeast section of the city.”¹

Finally, reference was made to the Central Police Station as that location was often used for shelter by those in desperate need:

“A total of 1069 persons were sheltered at Central police station during twelve months. None of these were offenders in any sense of the word, but indigents who were destitute, and 49 of them were women.”¹

The Herald concluded that the survey contained much useful information:

“It should serve as a handbook for social reformers and indeed for all public-spirited citizens who desire the moral and esthetic as well as the material advancement of this town. As a guide to social service in several directions, it cannot fail to prove very useful.”²

² “Social Survey of Hamilton”

Hamilton Herald. Editorial. January 6, 1914