TRADITIONS AND DOLLARS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 262, 5 November 1928, Page 6

TRADITIONS AND DOLLARS.

Up to that memorable day, June 24, 1497, when Cabot discovered Newfoundland, our possessions consisted of the British Isles, and Cabot added the first overseas province to that which to-day we call the British Empire. It was ill Newfoundland that the British flag first flew outside the British Isles, and it was there that our race laid the foundation of our great British Commonwealth. Newfoundland has been rightly called "England's oldest and most loyal colony," and its inhabitants are all descendants of English, Scottish; and Irish families. It is therefore very unlikely that , the suggested sale of Labrador to the highest bidder would receive the assent of 75 per cent of the inhabitants, as claimed by those who are supporting this proposition. Newfoundlanders are proud of their history, and look forward to a prosperous future. To say that dollars and cents must be considered before all else, and that Newfoundlanders would join the United States solely in order to get more money, is surely either a libel on the inhabitants or else a sign that they have departed from their ancient and honourable traditions. We cannot believe this latter to be true, even if it is true, as claimed by Sir William Coaker, that the tendency of the times is to consider dollars and cents first, Nor can it be said that the true destiny of Newfoundland lies in the direction of the United States. Her true destiny lies in her development as a separate dominion, or as part of the Canadian federation, able gradually to settle a million people and develop her mining, forest and fishing wealth. Nor would Canada view such a sale favourably. But Labrador is not yet definitely for sale, and probably will never be. The victory of the Opposition in Newfoundland, joined to the deeision of the Privy Council, by which Labrador was awarded to that Dominion, has raised the question of Labrador's future, and the matter of turning this extensive territory into dollars and cents has been brought forward as a political question. Those who advocate the sale are probably over-sanguine, and they would appear to have underestimated the power of historical association <and ancient loyalties.