The Battle for Berlin, Ontario: An Historical Drama

ELEVEN: Mopping Up

ELEVEN Mopping Up Though the citizens (or about 8 percent of them anyway) had voted for Kitchener, the name still had to be ratified by Queen's Park, so all was not yet quite lost. During the next two months there was a furious campaign to reverse the decision. Gross, like a dogged sniper covering the retreat of a beaten army, continued to agitate in City Council meetings, and McKay continued to write his convoluted letters to the press. The News-Record pointed to the abysmal turnout at the polls and argued that in a matter that was clearly so important to so many people it would be only fair to hold another referendum at a later date when passions had cooled. By"later date" it meant after the next civic elections, and the significance of that suggestion was not lost on anybody. The Telegraph countered that few people bothered to vote at civic elections anyway so there was no need to get excited at the small turnout. Why, in 1913 only 468 people had voted on a large money authorization for the street railway—all of which had that sliver of truth necessary for disingenuousness. "It has always been recognized," it said, "that 'silence means consent,' and if the electors who did not vote were satisfied to allow others to make the choice of the city's name the selection must necessarily be final." By the beginning of July a loose grouping of the citizens who had opposed the name change produced a petition with over 2,000 signatures entitled "Statement in Connection with Change of Name of Berlin." Its 14 points detailed the whole history of intimidation, manipulation and disinformation that had characterized the campaign to change the name, and it concluded with a plea for "British fair-play, and a fair review of the question, and especially a consideration of amalgamation with Waterloo as a possible solution of the present difficulty." Even Waterloo 149 150 The Battle for Berlin County Council got in on the act. At its meeting of July 11, it came out in support of the petitioners, urged postponement of any name change until after the civic elections and passed a resolution suggesting that the two new councils might negotiate union "under either the name of Waterloo or some other name suitable as may be agreed upon." However, Waterloo's own representative rather smugly suggested that his own town was quite comfortable as it was thank you very much and voted against the proposal. But alas it was all too little too late. If there were 2,000 votes against a name change they should have been marshalled on May 19, intimidation or no intimidation. On July 13 the petitioners met with Premier Hearst. The delegation was as impressive as the one that the British League had mustered on its earlier visits to Queen's Park. W.H. Breithaupt, Scully, Gross, and Mills were of course there, as were Uttley of the News-Record and H.M. Bowman and three former mayors, and some captains of industry such as the Langs and Krug and Rumpel. So, too, were Hilliard, Wilson, and McBride from Waterloo. The specific request was that the government delay approval of the name change until after the municipal elections in four months time so that amalgamation with Waterloo could be properly addressed. The amiable Hearst met them cordially—though one may guess that by now he was muttering his own version of a plague on both your houses—but in the final analysis was unable to give them any offical encouragement. Certainly he agreed with them about amalgamation. "When two towns are so close together," he said, instancing Port Arthur and Fort William, "it is not advisable to duplicate the expense of municipal government ," but then this really wasn't an amalgamation issue. It was a name-change issue. "The government gave you an opportunity to settle the question amongst yourselves, and on that score laws have been complied with and votes have been taken." "Under threats and intimidation!" interjected Lang. Hearst shrugged regretfully. The government cannot be expected to sit as a court and try those who made threats. You have recourse in other ways. There is the law or, failing that, if you have lost confidence in your City Council you will soon have the opportunity to turn them out. Mopping Up 151 All of which was...