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The Daily Colonist, January 3-9, 1915

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#dailycolonist1915 - The news out of Victoria. British Columbia, from 100 years ago:

  • January 3, 1915
    • Hockey riot in Cleveland during a game between Ottawa University and Cleveland A.C.
  • January 5, 1915
    • Seattle newspaper "The German Press" is banned from being mailed in Canada, and possession of the paper carries a fine of up to $2,000 [remember that in 1915 beer was 5¢ a pint and you could rent a large house for less that $20/mo.]
    • Germans are forcing Belgians to register for a draft.
  • January 6, 1915
    • Front-page pictures and a story about three Victoria residents with the surname "Gillespie" going to serve in Europe. [I grew up with a guy who very likely was related to these men.]
    • Almost 10,000 'enemy' aliens registered in the national internment program. "In the West a large number of those detained were turned back when attempting to cross into the United States, presumably with the intention of going to join the German and Austrian colors" [because there could be no other reason for trying to get away from a program of registration, internment and forced labour, especially after coming to Canada to get away from things like the forced relocation of ethnic Ukranians in Galacia by the Austria-Hungarian government.]
    • Reckless driving, poor vehicle maintenance, lack of insurance and other things are leading Canadian municipalities to consider taxi regulations on "nickel-fare" cars for hire, like those that have been imposed in some American cities, to protect passengers and pedestrians. [Consider this in relation to skeezy companies like #Uber that are trying to subvert these regulations and the labour laws that protect the drivers as well.]
  • January 7, 1915
    • The supply of gold to pay German soldiers is running low. "Germany is paying her soldiers with paper money" [consider this in relation to the gradual dissolution of the gold-standard over the 20th century.]
    • "The worst accident in the ten-year history of New York's subway" - 700 passengers stranded by electrical short.
  • January 8, 1915
    • (Datelne January 7) Christmas celebrated in Russia [note that the Russian Empire is still using the old Julian Calendar at this point]
  • January 9, 1915
    • A new labour camp is to be set up in Northern Quebec for internned enemy aliens.
    • A new Imperial nationalisation law goes into place, allowing those that qualify to get a British Imperial citizenship rather than a Dominon-specific (eg Canadian, Austrialian) citizenship, presumably allowing for the freedom to live and work anywhere in the Empire.