Newfoundland History

No End to It

 

 

[This document was written in 1948. For the full citation, see the end of the text.]

Last week Newfoundlanders went to the polls to pick the sort of government they wanted.

 

Supporters of confederation, strongest in the small fishing villages, had played up its advantages to Newfoundland: the higher Canadian scale of old-age pensions, Canadian family allowance payments, and the dropping of high customs duties on goods imported from the big Canadian mail-order houses, Eaton's and Simpson's. Self-government advocates had shrilled about higher Canadian taxes, while painting prettily a bright new day for the island and for good measure throwing in a vague proposal of economic union with the U.S. For the existing British-appointed Commission of Government, there had been few good words.

 

When the votes were counted, nobody had won. By week's end self-government had drawn 67,304 votes, confederation 60,816 commission government 21,405. As none had a 51% majority, a run-off referendum would be held in about six weeks. Then the choice would be between confederation and self-government.

 

Source: "No End To It", Time (Canadian Edition), June 14, 1948 , p. 24

 

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