1914-07-11aff

“The one topic of discussion around the City Hall today was the matter of the proposed bylaw which it was reported to be introduced by Controller Morris to the effect that all city employees should refrain from drinking intoxicating liquors either in or out of working hours”

          Hamilton Times. July 11 1914.

          There was never a dull moment around Hamilton City Hall. Gossip among city staff about the actions of city politicians was a constant, but the rumour circulating in early July 1914 provoked more conversation than most.

          A member of the Board of Control, Thomas Morris was a well-known temperance advocate, and his musings about the drinking habits of city employees provoked much comment and indignation. The idea that Controller Morris should think of proposing a bylaw to force the civic employees to be total abstainers was not well-received :

“ I consider it an insult to every man in the city’s employ,” said one man at the city hall today, who never touches liquor in any form. “I have been around the city hall for a number of years and I have yet to see a man who neglected his duty through drink. It is just such bylaws as Controller Morris suggests that would make a man want to drink.”¹

¹ “Much Indignation : Civic Employees Resent Move by Controller Morris”

Hamilton Spectator.  July 11, 1914.

Hamilton Mayor George Allan immediately expressed his opinion that Morris’ idea was “ridiculous” and would not carry the support of council:

“ ‘The next thing he will do will be to introduce a bylaw to prevent us from smoking, remarked his worship.’ ”²

² “About Drinking : Controller Morris Will Introduce Some Sort of Bylaw”

Hamilton Times. July 11, 1914.

One prominent city employee told a Times reporter his opinion in no uncertain terms:

“ ‘I have never yet entered a saloon in this city, and I have lived here all my life, but if Controller Morris passed this bylaw, I would go straight into the first I came to, by George, I would ! It is interfering with a man’s personal liberty, indeed it is not treating a man as a man.’ ” ²

When reaching for comment, Controller Morris claimed that he was not going to forward such a bylaw as was being rumored, although he admitted he was considering doing so :

“He would certainly take some action on the matter, seeing the amount of loss in dollars and cents which the drinking habit has cost the city.”²

Morris went to state his belief that city hall employees were, for the most part, abstainers. He also suggested that whether or not an applicant was an abstainer or not should play more of a factor in hiring employees.

Despite the anger of city hall employees, the Hamilton Times in an editorial came out in favor of the idea of sobriety among city hall employees:

“If a civic official, no matter how high or how low his position he holds, whether he be a 25-cent-an-hour laborer or a $3,000, or $4,000, or $5.,000 a year head of department, drinks intoxicating liquor enough, whether in or out of office hours, to, in any way lessen his efficiency, he should not be retained in the city service.”³

³ “Efficiency First”

Hamilton Times. July 11, 1914.

The tempest over Controller Morris’ musings about the need for all city employees to be total abstainers died quickly. The idea was not forwarded.