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5 THE YOUNG POLITICIAN AND THE EMERGING ART COLLECTOR

WHEN SAM ENTERED LONDON POLITICS, THE PLATFORM THAT brought him success as an alderman in Ward 2 had an all too familiar ring: “I was brought into the field by the thought that the citizens of London are unduly burdened by mounting taxation. Just what can be done about it is a matter for study.” Characteristically Sam did point out areas of waste and laxity in management. The Depression years had had a devastating effect on property owners whose investments had crumpled and whose realty taxes were all the more burdensome.

When, later in 1933, Sam was elected by acclamation to the Hospital Board, he presented a budget, not only reduced in size but balanced, to the city council. Taking away the unsanctioned custom the kitchen staff had of relieving the premises of sufficient food to keep their families fed was one of his adjustments, albeit not one calculated to increase his popularity with the kitchen personnel. After an efficiency expert, brought in at Sam’s suggestion, found that 13,000 more meals were eaten in one month than the hospital had patients, Sam’s comment was, “With fewer than 400 employees eating three meals a day, that still leaves 5000 meals to account for. That seems remarkable.” The hospital under his guidance decreased its expenditure by $25,000.00, an immense sum in 1934.

Sam’s singlemindedness in his distaste for the paying of any kind of tax would be made evident in all his years as a politician as was his ability to make suggestions. Planting a hedge and trees around the hospital to stop street noises disturbing the patients was one of Sam’s proposals, especially as the trees could be obtained free of charge and the planting done as a work relief measure. The painting of the hospital was done also as a relief measure and Sam suggested to the Council that lower paid employees should have their wages increased rather than those on salary. He also suggested an ‘open door’ policy to enable all doctors to be entitled to attend and care for their patients in public wards, “since it is paid for by all the taxpayers.” The superintendent opposed the motion, but it carried. Having been subjected to discrimination himself, Sam was particularly sensitive to how others were affected in somewhat parallel situations.

Samuel Edward Weir, Chairman of the Hospital Board, 1934.

Sam’s practice took him with increasing frequency to Toronto. In 1931, proposed by C.M. Garvey, seconded by F.M. Baker, he joined the Albany Club, in order to have a convenient and comfortable overnight base in the city. At that time, a Homer Watson hung over the fireplace in the club. Sam took delight both in getting to know the painting and in having his taste confirmed in such surroundings. He wrote to Homer Watson on May 9, 1932: