The conjunction of hydroelectricity and municipal reform is nowhere better expressed than in the futuristic conclusion of the booklet "Hamilton, Canada; a Carnival Souvenir," published in 1903 by the Hamilton Spectator. The closing pages were devoted to an imaginary account of the city in 2003. Two themes predominated, hydroelectricity and municipal government by appointed commissioners. The city was dominated by "heroic" architecture. Unsightly tracks had been torn up and street cars were battery-powered. Wires were underground. Almost all services were municipally owned. Corrupt alderman had disappeared and experts ran the city, ostensibly in the interests of the "masses."
