Squires & Lady Unseated

Squires & Lady Inseated

Brilliant but not unblemished, the career of Sir Richard Anderson Squires, Premier of Newfoundland, took a sharp, sensational downward twist last week. By one of the largest Opposition majorities ever piled up in a Dominion election 74% of Newfoundland's ballot casters voted to oust Squires.

Only a "Mr." and only 34 was Squires in 1914 when he crowned a swift legal career by becoming Minister of Justice of Newfoundland. In 1919 he became Premier and in 1921 he was knighted.

Newfoundland knew him as a fast and furious organizer, a champion of hydro electric development, a statesman who liked to tear over Newfoundland roads in a high-powered car"like Mussolini."

First setback to the Squires career was a royal commission appointed to investi gate the young Premier's acts in 1923 -- with the discreet result that he was permitted to retire from politics to his nourishing legal practice. In 1928 he came back, has been Premier ever since.

Depression struck the second blow. Unable to borrow money for the Dominion, Premier Squires proposed to sell its greatest possession, Labrador, to Canada for only $100.000,000. Canada turned down the bargain (TIME, Feb. 29). Inevitably Newfoundland's "dole" then had to be reduced. This produced riots. Twice during the past six months Sir Richard Squires has been mobbed and roughly handled (TIME, Feb. 22 & April 18). In alarm the British Admiralty sent a warboat to St. John's, but Newfound landers, again on their best behavior, entertained His Majesty's blue-jackets so hospitably and quietly that they soon steamed away.

In the election the Liberal Party of Sir Richard & Lady Squires (she has been an M. P. for two years) was opposed by the United Newfoundland Party, founded in 1928. led today by Frederick Charles Alderdice, Newfoundland industrialist born in Belfast, Ireland. 59 years ago.

Tycoon Alderdice is Managing Director of Colonial Cordage Co., Ltd. and on the boards of Imperial Tobacco Co., Ltd., Newfoundland Manufacturers' Mutual In surance Co.. Newfoundland Hotel Facilities, Ltd. and Newfoundland Motor Mutual Insurance Association. Returns showed that both Sir Richard and Lady Squires had lost their seats under an avalanche of votes that gave Mr. Alderdice control of 24 of the 26 seats in Newfoundland's House of Assembly. Though Squires did not resign last week his Cabinet was clearly doomed. During the campaign Mr. Alderdice talked of placing Newfoundland under a commission form of government for a term of years, promised businesslike retrenchment until Depression is past.

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