[In private session, the Convention approved its
final report as drafted by a committee chaired by
Mr. Cashin]
Mr. Higgins Mr. Chairman, I have three notices
of motion to give, and I trust the members, when
they hear them, will be prepared to waive the
usual notice and will agree to adopt them, or
receive them, today. In accordance with the rules,
1448 NATIONAL CONVENTION January 1948
sir, you know they can receive them today. The
notice that I would give, and the members can
make the decision, is as follows:
Be it resolved that the members of this
Convention desire to place on record an expression of their appreciation of the able,
impartial and courteous manner in which the
Chairman of the Convention, Mr. J. B. McEvoy, K.C., has presided.
Be it resolved that the members of the
Convention desire to place on record an expression of their appreciation of the work
of
the Secretary of the Convention, Captain
Warren, and the Assistant Secretary, Mr.
Frank Ryan.
Be it resolved that the members of the
Convention desire to place on record an expression of their appreciation of the work
of
the secretariat and assistants of the Convention.
If the members will agree to receive these
notices, I would like to have them formally indicate it.
Mr. Chairman I think, in the circumstances,
there would be no necessity for me to put it to the
House.
Mr. Higgins That being so, I would like to
proceed with them now, if it is in accordance with
the wishes of the members. Well, sir, the first
resolution that I move now is:
Be it resolved that the members of this
Convention desire to place on record an expression of their appreciation of the able,
impartial and courteous manner in which the
Chairman of the Convention, Mr. J.B. McEvoy, K.C., has presided.
Sir, the motion embodies I feel what all the
members of this Convention feel. I am extremely
pleased myself to be able to have the honour of
moving this, particularly as a brother member of
your profession, to be able to record the appreciation of a group of citizens from
all over the island
assembled here in a Convention of which you
have been such an able guide and guardian. I can
say quite truthfully that at times matters have not
been altogether in due decorum from the
members' point of view. But you, I am sure, felt,
with strong feelings running as they were bound
to on matters such as we have had to debate, they
would of necessity provoke an expression that at
times might not be in accord with all that par
liamentary practice would desire; but that has
happened in the best regulated parliaments, and
I feel that the members here have nothing to be
ashamed of in this respect. But even at times
when tempers were on edge, you managed to
preserve your impartiality, and treat members
with your well-known courtesy, and the motion
speaks of the able manner in which you have
presided. I feel there is very little that needs be
added to that. You carried out your duties here in
the same able and professional manner that you
carry out your professional duties, and for that
reason I have much pleasure in moving this motion at the present time.
Mr. Job I would like to have the honour of
seconding that motion. I feel we all know that our
Chairman has acted in a very fair and courageous
way in all his arduous and difficult duties. I have
personally received great kindness and consideration, not only from the Chairman,
but also
from all the delegates, and I very much appreciate
this. I have been referred to, sir, as the father of
the House, and I must say at times, while my
children have been a little unruly, it has been a
great thing, you have not had to call on the
Sergeant-at-Arms at any time. I have great
pleasure in seconding the motion.
Mr. Smallwood Mr. Chairman, as one who has
perhaps given you as much trouble as any other
one member of the House, I would like to add my
word of complete concurrence in the motion and
in the remarks of Mr. Higgins and Mr. Job. I said,
sir, when you took the Chair, that I regard you as
one of our country's most brilliant sons, a brilliant lawyer, a prodigious worker,
and frankly,
sir, I am full of admiration for the way in which
you took hold of this job and mastered it, in spite
of the fact that all your training for the last 12 or
15 years was in a place and at work which is so
very different from the work you had to take on
when you became Chairman of this Convention.
I refer of course to your work and training in the
courts, where they have a tradition and a procedure running back for a thousand years,
and to
take on work with a very different tradition, and
in many respects very different procedure, that is
parliamentary work, without having had the advantage of having been a former Speaker
of a
House of Assembly, was a very great challenge
to the ability and adaptability of any man, and I
am full of admiration. Sir, I think now I would be
January 1948 NATIONAL CONVENTION 1449
the last man to challenge you on any point of
parliamentary procedure, any point of parliamentary practice; and I think that in
the three or four
months you have been here you have mastered
that as you had already mastered the intricacies
and subtitles of court procedure, tradition and
practice. I love a worker. You are a prodigious
worker, and you have shown here how skillful
you are, and how you can adapt yourself to a new
situation, entirely new. They say, sir, that the real
test of intelligence is the ability of a man to meet
and cope witlt a new situation, and you met and
coped with what for you was a new situation, to
preside over a gang like this — Major Cashin and
myself, and Mr. Hollett here behind me, and Mr.
Fudge. Why, sir, someone who could come in and
keep us from each other's throats for the past
three months should get a gold medal, and I agree
that you have done that. You have been completely impartial and fair to everyone in
the Convention, and I just want to go on record to that effect.
Mr. Hollett Mr. Chairman, I would like very
much to associate myself with this motion that
has been proposed by Mr. Higgins, and seconded
by the "father of this House". That, sir, is an
honour to you, to have such a motion seconded
by a man with the reputation and characteristics
of the Hon. R. B. Job. Now as Mr. Smallwood has
claimed first place with regard to the many annoyances that have been caused you in
your
onerous position, I think I could claim second
place at any rate. I like the wording of the motion.
Mr. Higgins mentioned the "able and courteous
manner in which you have performed your
duties". He also mentioned the word "impartial",
and that to my mind has been the reason why you
have been so successful in finishing up the work
which was passed over to you. If I were to go on
oath today, sir, and be asked what your particular
political leanings were, I would have to answer
frankly and truthfully, "I do not know", and for
any man in this present day in Newfoundland to
be able to cover up so well as you have done in
this particular position is a recommendation
which will go down with you to your dying day.
I do most heartily agree with the mover and
seconder, and with the expression made by my
friend Mr. Smallwood, and I sincerely hope, sir,
that the work of this Convention, in the end, will
justify our having such a fair, courteous and
impartial Chairman.
Mr. Vardy It must be a grand feeling to hear
such words of praise about oneself while you are
still living. Now I can only just in a very brief way
add my own support to the resolution, and those
to follow as well. I know that many times we have
felt like jumping right after each other's throats.
I never felt more like it in my life than Wednesday
night, but I decided that discretion was the better
part of valour, but I have had nothing but admiration for you, even when you tried
to chastise a
recalcitrant member. I wish to associate myself
with the motion.
Mr. Harrington I don't propose to carry on this
debate very long. The previous speakers have
already expressed the feeling very well, but most
of them are older than me, and, on behalf of the
younger members, I would like to associate
myself with this motion and with the others on
the line.
[The motion carried]
Mr. Chairman In expressing to you my deep
appreciation and sincere thanks for all your kindness to me, particularly here this
evening I want
to express my gratitude and thanks, which
began with my induction during an afternoon in
October last. Now at that time, ifI recall correctly, I made two statements, one of
which was that
the extent to which I would be successful in the
proper discharge of my duties would in the last
analysis depend on the sympathy and co-operation which I received from the members
of this
House. Therefore, if I have had any success in the
proper discharge of my duties, it has only been
made possible by the kindness and sympathy and
co-operation to which I referred, so that the credit
for my success must inevitably fall upon your
shoulders.
At that time I also stated that I made no
pretence to infallibility. I am quite sure that you
had ample and adequate illustration of that during
the time that has intervened since I first began;
but the thing I like to think about most, and for
which I perhaps may be most proud, is the fact
that while undoubtedly on occasions in the stress
and heat of the moment, when I was called upon
to make rulings, I ruled erroneously, I think the
greatest kindness and courtesy, and the greatest
compliment that has been paid me, is the fact that
there has not been a single appeal from any ruling
that I made against any member of the House
since I accepted the chairmanship of the National
1450 NATIONAL CONVENTION January 1948
Convention. That is something that I must continue for the rest of my days to regard
with great
gratitude....
As the impartial Chairman of this Convention,
I am not a member; I came here under a royal
commission, and have been working with you
gentlemen for going on four months. We have
had our troubles, and perhaps made our mistakes
and had our shortcomings, nor did we ever make
a pretence to being an assembly of wise men. No
properly elected assembly ever is or ever has
been in the history of the world, but I want to say
this: we have been criticised outside, and quite
properly so. Any man who offers himself for
public office must be prepared to accept
criticism, but I do feel that the criticism directed
at times towards the work of this Convention has
not been fair. For if I have any powers of perception, and if I am capable of evaluating
man and
his handiwork, then I want to lay down that in my
judgement the work of this Convention must
inevitably prove to be of an inestimable value to
the country, not only now but in the future. It is
a very easy thing to tell a man to do something,
an entirely different thing to go and do it yourself.
And I am not satisfied that the criticism at times
directed towards this Convention was fair, for the
reason that many of these critics did not take the
time to qualify themselves by experience to assume the status of critics.
I would say ... that the work done by the
committees particularly, and the Convention
generally, was of a tremendous nature, to say the
least. How could any man in his right mind, and
with a proper sense of proportion, view all the
reports which have been compiled by the committees, the co-ordination of these reports,
and
eventually the recommendations which we are
now about to make, and say that nothing has been
accomplished?.... If this Convention did nothing
other than to provoke this country out of the Rip
Van Winkle sleep into which it had sunk for 14
years, and had produced and created, as it has,
political consciousness in the minds of our
people, then I am prepared to reaffirm that from
this standpoint alone, the members of this Convention have quite definitely justified
their usefulness.
Eighteen months ago the majority of the
people that I met had no idea what form of
government they intended to support. They were
not interested in talking about forms of government. Today you have in this country
three
schools of thought. That is to say, three forms of
government are being discussed, their merits and
demerits, by all sections of the people. And I
would say this, that if Major Cashin has provoked
people into a realisation of the merits of responsible government, and others into
deciding
against responsible government, then Major
Cashin and his associates in this House have
performed a most invaluable function, because
they have made up the minds of these people as
to what they desire in future forms of government. The same goes for Mr. Smallwood.
If the
country ever gets the chance to decide for or
against confederation, I think all fair-minded
men must agree that the prodigious and untiring
efforts of Mr. Smallwood have made that possible. I could go on with further and repeated
illustrations, but I do not want to unnecessarily
trespass upon the time and patience of members,
but I do feel duty bound to state at this time, as I
propose to state publicly outside this Convention,
that in my considered judgement I think this
country is irreparably indebted to this Convention, and the members. At times it was
trying; but
the fact that it was trying is proof paramount of
the sincerity with which the members of this
Convention discharged their duties. Had they
been lackadaisical and indifferent about the welfare of the country, then there would
have been
no sharp exchanges because nobody would be
sufficiently excited about the business to get
angry over it....
Therefore, before taking leave of you, I feel
duty bound to repeat whatI have already repeated
— that is that in my considered judgement, and I
would say there is no man better in a position in
this country today to evaluate your work than I
am, because I was here scrutinizing it night and
day for some four months — I make this statement again and I defy any successful contradiction
from any source whatsoever, that this
country is irrevocably indebted to the Convention and to all the members of the Convention.
Therefore having been permitted to associate
myself with the highly successful discharge of
your duties, it must inevitably prove to be a
source of great satisfaction to me in the days that
are to come.
In expressing again my deep appreciation and
January 1948 NATIONAL CONVENTION 1451
thanks to you for your kind sympathy and cooperation, I would like to express to Mr.
Higgins,
K.C., the mover of this motion and to the father
of the house, Hon. Mr. Job, my particular appreciation and thanks for all their kindness.
It is
rather significant that it was the Hon. Mr. Job who
assisted me into the Chair on the afternoon of my
induction, by virtue of the fact that he seconded
the motion that I take the Chair at this particular
time.
Again I say that if I have been unfair, I can
assure you it was quite unintentionally and unconsciously done. After all, we can
take consolation from the fact that the man who makes no
mistakes, does no work. And if we have made
many mistakes here, it was because we did much
work.
Again, I should direct the attention of the
country to the irreparable debt of gratitude it
owes to members of this Convention, and say that
after tomorrow ... I will have considerable to say
about the work of this Convention and its members. I can give members my assurance
right now
that it will be of a highly complimentary nature.
Thank you very much, gentlemen.
Be it resolved that the members of this
Convention wish to place on record their
appreciation of the work of the Secretary,
Captain Warren, and the Assistant Secretary,
Mr. Frank Ryan.
In moving that, I would like to say it gives me
great pleasure indeed to be able to express an
appreciation to the other members of the Bar. I
would also like to say how indebted we are to
both of them for the great assistance given to
members, particularly in the collection of
material for reports, obtaining answers to the
many questions submitted to them, and I suppose
most of all for the meticulous manner in which
they have kept all the minutes of this Convention.
That pretty well expresses the general work of
these two gentlemen, and I would merely like to
add to that the wonderful courtesy they have
shown all the members at all times during the
meetings of this Convention and during the meeting of the committees.
Mr. Cashin I have great pleasure in seconding
the motion of Mr. Higgins. I have had considerable to do with the secretariat of this
Convention
during the past 16 months. I can assure you we
have gotten every help from them. They were of
great assistance to us in compiling our various
reports. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I second this
motion wholeheartedly.
Mr. Ballam I was just about to get up to second
that motion when the Major got up. I can quite
agree with the Major, and I am sure all the members will agree that the Secretary,
Captain Warren, and the Assistant Secretary, Mr. Ryan, have
done an excellent job, and they deserve the
wholehearted appreciation of the whole of the
Convention. I have great pleasure in also seconding the motion.
[The motion carried]
Mr. Chairman I, too, would like to associate
myself with the motion so eloquently moved by
Mr. Higgins and seconded by Major Cashin. It is
no exaggeration at all when I say the the assistance I have received from Captain
Warren and
Mr. Ryan since I arrived here as Chairman, has
been of such great importance to me that if I spent
the next three weeks talking about it I could not
tell you how great it has been. Therefore, by and
with your leave and permission, I would like to
associate myself with the motion.
Mr. Higgins I would like to move the following
resolution:
Be it resolved that the members of this
Convention are desirous to place on record
an expression of their appreciation of the
work of the secretarial staff and assistants.
It is unnecessary to remind members of the Convention of the great assistance rendered
at all
times by our secretarial staff, and the tremendous
amount of work which the various reports entailed; also the wonderful job we have
had from
our official reporters here, and the splendid job
done by the assistants to the Secretary and Assistant Secretary in the office, and
in general the
great willingness displayed by all these ladies and
gentlemen in assisting us in our work here. Not
only have they been willing to work at odd hours,
and at times when they must have been extremely
tired, but they have done it in such a capable
manner, and always in such a courteous manner.
For these reasons I have very great pleasure in
moving the motion.
Mr. Vardy I have much pleasure in seconding
the motion. I must say I am sure it is the unani
1452 NATIONAL CONVENTION January 1948
mous opinion of every member present that our
staff has been a very courteous one at all times.
Whenever we approached them to get anything
typed or re-typed, we always found them ready,
and they were always willing to stay overtime if
necessary... I am sure it is the unanimous feeling
that they ought to know they have our great
thanks for their loyal service at all times.
[The motion carried]
That the National Convention convey its
sense of warm gratitude to the Broadcasting
Corporation of Newfoundland for their fine
public service in broadcasting the proceedings of the Convention, and to the press
of the
country its gratitude for the fine public service performed in publishing reports
of the
Convention's proceedings.
It is perhaps the only time in the history of any
country that the actual speeches of a delegate
assembly were broadcast to the public over a
period of time. I believe, in Australia, the Broadcasting Corporation of Australia
did once or
twice broadcast some — one day or part of a day
of the House of Commons of the Commonwealth
of Australia I think also on one or two occasions
in other countries, they have broadcast part of the
proceedings of such an assembly. We have, on
occasion, heard the broadcast of the President of
the United States when he addressed the members of Congress. I know of no other case
anywhere, at any time, where all the proceedings,
all the speeches, all the remarks, all the public
business of such a body has been broadcast to the
public, as the Broadcasting Corporation has done
in this Convention. That, to my mind, is one of
the finest pieces of public service ever performed
in this country by anyone, by any organisation;
because if this Convention of itself has been of
any real value in Newfoundland, as someone
remarked a few months ago, it was along the lines
of interesting our Newfoundland people in their
public affairs. But what chance would there have
been really to have interested Newfoundlanders
in their public affairs through this Convention if
the speeches of the Convention had not actually
been broadcast? I have been attending these
meetings since the Convention opened. I did not
miss a meeting until the other night, when I had
to be absent for a night session. I have sat here
throughout the entire period, except when I stood
over behind that door for a smoke, and apart from
that I never left the chamber and I heard every
word spoken by everyone. On top of that, I listened also to the broadcasts. I sat
through it all
the afternoon, did not miss one word spoken by
one member, and then went home at 9.15 or 9.30,
turned on the radio and listened to the broadcast
from the first word to the last word, whether
11.30 or 12.30, for a very particular purpose. I
had something special in mind in doing that.
Sitting here, I heard it as we all heard it; but sitting
home listening to the radio I heard the Convention just as the public heard it. That
is the way I
want to hear it. I sat listening to speech after
speech, trying to figure in my own mind just how
interesting were these speeches to the man in Joe
Batt's Arm, the man on the Grand Banks, the man
in Deer Lake, in Bonne Bay, in Bonavista and
Gander — trying to figure, well now, will he
listen? Will he wait to hear the next chap? Trying
all the time to estimate how it was taking with the
public of Newfoundland. It is no secret that the
only thing I have been concerned with is the
public of Newfoundland. I never made any secret
of that.
The Broadcasting Corporation has performed
a service of very great public value to Newfoundland. If the Convention has succeeded
in
arousing public interest, we have to thank the
Broadcasting Corporation. The Broadcasting
Corporation is run by a Board of Governors, and
I am grateful to them for their decision to serve
the public by their broadcasting. I am not thinking merely of the Corporation, but
the men who
are the Corporation — the General Manager, Mr.
William F. Galgay; Chief Accountant and Business Manager, Mr. Gordon Halley; Chief
Operator, Mr. A. M. (Bert) House, who is almost
a member of the Convention. I am going to reveal
a secret. The desk next to Mr. Burry has been
occupied on more than one occasion by Aubrey
MacDonald. Mr. MacDonald sat there with a
card on his desk like we have. At first I wondered
what was on the card, and when I saw it, it was
marked "Mr. MacDonald, Funk Islands".
Nobody noticed it. Nobody said a word about it.
If the Broadcasting Corporation has done
great public service, it is because the Corporation
is served by a magnificent staff of Newfoundlanders ... including Richard (Dick) O'
January 1948 NATIONAL CONVENTION 1453
Brien, and Cecil Penney. This Convention —
most of us — have no idea of the work that these
men have to do. They have been here all hours of
the day, until 5.30 the other morning, also someone in the studio taking it all down
on the records.
I hope the Broadcasting Corporation will not
forget to remember the staff when the bonuses are
being passed around. I hope they will remember
the work of the staff.
I want to say a special word for the Doyle
News Bulletin.
[1] I am not thinking only of their
impartiality, of their fairness in giving a square
deal to every speaker; not only am I thinking of
their accuracy. A man gets up here and talks for
three-quarters of an hour. A man sits in that press
box, and sums up quickly and accurately what
that man says and compresses it into three or four
minutes; that is a high-class job that calls for real
skill. The Convention rises at six o'clock and they
come on the air at quarter to eight, and give a
compressed, square account of the proceedings.
It is a fine piece of work, and in that work Mr.
Michael Mulcahy is beyond comparison — one
of the finest newspaper reporters or radio
reporters this country has ever had. That man
worked until he collapsed, simply collapsed.
I also want to say a word of admiration for the
Evening Telegram. I read every newspaper in the
country — I read everything. I read the reports of
the Convention in the Evening Telegram, and for
their impartiality I have a great respect and I pay
them tribute for their fair reports. I also pay
tribute to the rest of the press in the country, and
for that matter, all radio broadcasting.
This is the last that Newfoundland will hear of
me through this Convention. I want to explain for
the benefit of the gentleman in Bonavista Bay or
Placentia Bay — a gentleman who remarked to
someone who was passing through that settlement that he listened to that man Smallwood,
thought he was a good man, but one thing he
could not understand was why Smallwood was
always getting up and asking for "a pint of
water". It is not "a pint of water". I am not thirsty.
It is "a point of order".
I want to say to all the members with whom I
have been cross or angry at one time or another,
that it was in the heat of debate, in the heat and
fire of debate. If they have been cross with me,
they are thoroughly forgiven, and I hope they will
forgive me, and I wish them — all of you — the
very best in the world. Everyone here knows the
best form of government. I hope we will get our
heart's desire. But whatever turns out, we will all
be great friends. Some of us will be back next
year — most of us, I hope, please God, with the
leave and sanction of the people.
I move that resolution that we express our
gratitude to the Broadcasting Corporation and to
the press of the country.
Mr. Higgins I suppose this is the first time I
seconded a motion of Mr. Smallwood; it probably
will not be the last. I could not allow this motion
to go without adding my praise to the Broadcasting Corporation. I owe a lot to the
Broadcasting
Corporation for any political prestige I might
have. Particularly do I owe them a lot for what
they did on March 2, 1947.
[2] I want to add my
appreciation of the fine work done by the staff of
the Broadcasting Corporation, particularly the
night we were here until 5.30 in the morning —
they were here recording all that time.
I also want to voice my appreciation of the fine
work done by the Doyle Bulletin and in particular
Mr. Mulcahy, who was a reporter in this House
40 years ago, and today he is able to do the job as
well as 40 years ago. With regard to the others —
newspapers and VOCM — I also think they have
done a good job. They have done the best they
know how.
It is not my intention to make any lengthy
address; but before I withdraw, I want to again
voice my special appreciation to the Newfoundland Broadcasting Corporation for all
they
did for me on March 2, 1947.
Mr. Harrington I do not mean to speak to any
great length on this motion, but I feel I would be
mean to my old colleagues at the Broadcasting
Corporation if I were not to express my appreciation for their good work. As Mr. Smallwood
has
said, I am very familiar with the work they have
done. In the afternoon after 6 o'clock, I have
wended my way down there to do a daily stint,
and I know what work they have had to do, and
the technical difficulties they have had to face,
and I would add my appreciation along with the
1454 NATIONAL CONVENTION January 1948
other members; also to the various news bulletins
and the different papers. They have done a magnificent job, and I think the country
appreciates
it fully.
Mr. Hickman I would like to concur with the
previous speakers in all they have said, particularly the Broadcasting Corporation
and the
news bulletins and the papers. I do feel that we
should make special reference to the reporting by
the
Daily News. They have given very complete
coverage of our proceedings, and at no inconsiderable inconvenience to themselves...
Mr. Burry I would like to associate myself with
this motion, because I represent the most remote
district in this Convention, at district where the
people depend upon the radio and the Broadcasting Corporation for their general news,
and for
the proceedings of this National Convention; and
while I know it has been very hard on their dry
battery supply this winter, and they will probably
have to forego listening to other stations, perhaps
not being able to get a supply of dry batteries, yet
I think they are very pleased to be able to listen
to this Convention, and I want to express our
warmest gratitude to the Corporation for broadcasting the proceedings of this Convention
to the
country.
Mr. Reddy I wish to add a word of praise to the
broadcasting station. The broadcasting of the
proceedings has been a source of political education, especially to our outport people,
the
majority of whom had no other means of hearing
of the work of the Convention. It will revive
political interest throughout the country. It will
perform a service to our people that cannot be
measured in material costs. For the long hours
those officials had to remain on duty, I presume
they will be fully compensated. For the press and
the Gerald S. Doyle News Bulletin I also add my
praise.
[The motion carried, and the Convention adjourned]
