The Heritage Corner, Springhill Record

June 6th, 2013

Oct. 8, 1936 – Springhill Record – Is This Why Our Mines Are Idle?

An Editorial

     Today The Record publishes for the first time a letter addressed to Mayor A.B. Wilson from prominent Coal Brokers in Halifax charging that some six coal dealers in Halifax are barred from handling Springhill coal.  The writer further charges that those controlling the Halifax market do not want Springhill coal there because they prefer to market Yorkshire and American coals.  The writer claims that Springhill No. 2 coal is the best stoker coal obtainable in Canada, and should be made available to all dealers.

     Yesterday Mayor Wilson received a reply to his request for the names of the Companies being discriminated against.  He has presented the information to interested parties and will probably place it before the public shortly.  The charge is a serious one and demands investigation.  A committee should be appointed to take this matter up at once with the Dominion Steel & Coal Company, the Provincial Government, Halifax distributors and others interested.  If Halifax dealers want Springhill coal they should not be barred from getting it providing they can pay for it.  There is a big market in Halifax but Springhill gets very little of it.  There is another market in the Valley but Springhill gets very little of it.  A few years ago the local Board of Trade investigated the Valley market and found that no effort was being made there to sell Springhill coal.  Is the same thing going on in Halifax?  Is this the reason so much imported coal is coming into Nova Scotia?  Is this the reason we have to bring in Russian coal, British coal and American and other coal to fill a market right at our own door – because the commission is a little better on imported fuels?

     It would be well to have this question of local markets cleaned up before we spend too much time hunting the markets in Ontario.  The Halifax brokers have paved the way for a cleanup and the citizens of Springhill can be depended upon to do their part.

Nov. 26, 1936 – Smart Work by Local Police

     Early last Friday morning two transients broke into the store of John D. Wilson on Drummond Street and escaped with a quantity of cigarettes, tobacco and chocolate bars.  The same day they were picked up at Maccan by Chief of Police Wm. Mont and Constable Neilson of the R.C.M.P. and lodged in gaol.

     It appears the boys made their way to Alex Stewart’s barn on the road to the Junction after the break.  In the morning Mr. Stewart found traces of their visit in the form of cigarettes and chocolate bar wrappers, and informed Const. Neilson, who visited the scene.  Returning to town the Const. learned of the Wilson store break and with Chief Mont inquired at the Junction for transients.  Two had been seen there but had walked away in the direction of Maccan.  The officers slipped into Maccan ahead of them and waited for developments.  The train pulled in and as it was leaving Jim Riley of New Waterford and Edward Munro of Fort Erie, Ont., suspected of making the break, made a dash for the train, but the local officers nabbed them.  The appeared before Magistrate Lambert Saturday and were remanded until Tuesday for trial in Amherst, where sentence has been postponed until December 15th.  In the meantime the records of both are being checked out.

     The local officers are to be congratulated on clearing up this break so quickly.

$6000 Outstanding in Water Rates

Councillor Davidson who took over the Chairmanship of the Water Department upon the resignation of Councillor Phillips is a worried man today as he checks over the accounts only to find that $6000 remains outstanding in uncollected water accounts.  Just what to do about it all the Councillor is not certain.  During the past few months notices have appeared in the paper to the effect that rates not paid by October 31st would result in the water being turned off altogether.  This, of course, has not been done.  Now the Water Department threatens to close the year in the red and probably unable to meet the bond payments unless the money is taken from the general fund.

     Councillor Davidson realizes that drastic measures are the only measures to succeed in getting this need money into the town treasury, but before giving orders to turn off the water he wishes again to warn those in arrears that an effort must be made to pay this account, in order to avoid further unpleasantness to all parties concerned.