1914-12-30pp

“General depression got another bump this morning in the form of an announcement from the Steel Company of Canada t the effect that an order, which will total close to a million dollars, had been received from the war office for the manufacture of a special quality of steel, and within a short time the big plant of the company will be running full blast, night and day shifts being put on as formerly”

Hamilton Spectator.   December 30, 1914

          It had been a long time since positive news on the state of the local economy had appeared in the Hamilton press. However, as the year 1914 was winding down, there was an avalanche of announcements from many Hamilton industries about the revival of business.

          The Steel Company of Canada had a big mill at the Queen street north location which had been completely inactive for several months. The December 30, 1914 announcement indicated that it would be put back in use very soon as the order from the war office indicated that the work had to be rushed:

          “The large order means that the company will employ as many, if not more, men than it ever did and the employees will be assured of work for some months to come, as it will take that long to fill the large order.”¹

                ¹ “Steel Company Has Secured Big Order :Immense Plant Will Soon Be Going Full Blast”

          Hamilton Spectator.   December 30, 1914

          There were many other industries in Hamilton which, after a prolonged depression in trade, were looking at much better prospects in the immediate future. The Canada Steel Goods company was one of those companies with great optimism about its prospects:

          “The company will be working full time after the new year, the slogan ‘business as usual’ being particularly appropriate to the firm.”¹

                There were a number of Hamilton industries which the Spectator noted had new orders, and which would be hiring soon:

“Hamilton Bridge company – Order for steel for the viaduct at Toronto, totaling over half a million dollars.

“National Steel Car company – Orders from the British and French war offices totaling $1,000,000.

“Oliver Chilled Plow company – orders for a special style of plow, which means employment of 135 more men.

“Sawyer-Massey – stock orders, which mean employment of 125 more men after the new year.

“Canadian Knitting Mills – orders from war office which will keep plant running night and day for several months.”¹

There were signs of renewed and/or increased activity among most of the hundreds  of other Hamilton industries in 1914. The war raging in Europe was definitely having an impact in Hamilton.

Mayor John Allan, at a brief ceremony at Hamilton City Hall to thank him for his services, hinted that there would even more positive news in the not-too-distant future. In his final address to council as mayor, he hinted that several new manufacturing concerns would soon locate in Hamilton.:

“ ‘And now, I have some real good news for you. In the face of the unusual industrial depression through which we have been passing, we have continued to secure additional manufacturing concerns for Hamilton, one of which is the Proctor-Gamble company, whose plant is now under construction, and when completed will give employment to several hundred people.

“ ‘The good news I referred to is that within the next few weeks your industrial commissioner will be able to announce the completion of arrangements for the location of three or four large manufacturing concerns in this city of over five hundred factories.’ ”²

² “New Industries for Hamilton : Mayor Allan Promises Announcement in Near Future.”

Hamilton Spectator. December 30, 1914.

1915 was looking to be a year of major industrial rebound in Hamilton after nearly two full years of commercial depression.