NEWFOUNDLAND

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 155, 16 June 1932, Page 7

NEWFOUNDLAND

GOVERNMENT WIPED OUT OPPOSITION’S STUPENDOUS VICTORY GREATEST EVER RECORDED (United Press Association—By CableCopyright.) (Received 16, 10.50 a.m.) St. Johns, Newfoundland, June 15. On Wednesday the state of the parties was:— Opposition 23 Government 2 Independent. 1 Unreported 1 It was the most pronounced expression of opinion ever recorded at Newfoundland elections, political observers state. The Opposition polled more than 70 per cent, of the entire vote. Twelve Government candidates and two Independents lost their deposits. FIVE MINISTRIES IN ONE YEAR. The last general election m Newfoundland was held on October 29, 1928. On that occasion the Government, led by Mr. Frederick AUerdice, was defeated by the party of which Sir Richard Squires was the leader. At that election the membership of the House of Assembly was increased from 36 to 40 and one-man districts were introduced. Women of 25 and over exercised the franchise for the first time.

Since the Great War Newfoundland has exhibited a condition of political change rarely equalled in any Britishgoverned country. Before the war Sir Edward (later Lord) Morris was Prime Minister, taking office in 1909 and again in 1913. Political animosities lay buried luring the war, and in 1917 a National Cabinet was formed, the Government and Opposition parties each taking six places in an enlarged Ministry in which Sir Edward Morris continued as Prime Minister. He left Newfoundland in January, 1918, to reside in England, and was succeeded by Mr. (later Sir) Edward Lloyd. Subsequently Sir Richard Squires became Prime Minister, a post, in which he was confirmed in 1923. In the following session friction arose over relief expenditure and Sir Richard withdrew from politics. He was succeeded as Prime Minister by Mr. William Warren.

When the 1924 session opened the Squires supporters in the Warren party joined the Opposition, and defeated Mr. Warren, who formed another Ministry, but it lasted only a few lays. Then the Premiership was entrusted to Mr. Albert Hickman, who sought public confidence at another general election. The forces opposed to him united behind Mr. Walter Monroe, who was successful in defeating him. Newfoundland thus achieved the record of five Ministries in a little over a year, four of them in the last three months of it. The Monroe Administration held office for four years. Then Mr. Monroe resigned and Mr. Ailerdice acted as Government Leader in the Chamber. In August, 1928, he set up a Ministry composed in the main of men new to, or with slight knowledge of, political life. That Ministry met with defeat at the October election. INQUIRY INTO CHARGES. Last February the Governor of Newfoundland, Sir John Middleton, inquired into charges elaborated in the House of Assembly by Mr. Poter Casliin, formerly Minister of Finance and Customs, who had severed his connection with the Government. Mr. Cashin alleged that the minutes of the Council had been falsified to facilitate manipulation of public funds, and that therefore those moneys had been misappropriated. He named the Prime Minister (Sir Richard Squires), Dr. A. Campbell and Mr. Walter Skanes (Liberal) in his charges. On March 22 the Governor completed his investigation of the charges and found that there -was no discrepancy, no falsification and no irregularity. His report was read in the House of Assembly. Mr. Casliin had resigned when he made the charges.

Early last April there was considerable public agitation against Sir Richard Squires, which culminated in serious rioting at the capital, St. John’s. The Prime Minister was besieged in Government Buildings, but made his escape to a private residence. There were insistent demands for his resignation, but he declined to resign. However, when Parliament assembled on April 19 a brief session was followed by Sir Richard applying for and being granted a dissolution. The election was then fixed for June 11. Prior to the dissolution the Legislature passed a Redistribution Bill, reducing the number of electoral districts from 37 to 24, and the number of members of the House of Assembly from 40 to 27. This measure was in effect at the election now concluded.