Walter Stanley Monroe

Walter Stanley Monroe (born May 14, 1871 in Dublin , † October 6, 1952 in St. John's , Newfoundland ) was a Newfoundland businessman and politician. From 1924 to 1928 he was Prime Minister of the Dominion Newfoundland .

Monroe was born in Dublin to John and Elizabeth Monroe. After attending Harrow School , he studied in Oxford . He received a Doctor of Civil Law from the University of Edinburgh and a Doctor of laws from Trinity College Dublin .

He went to Newfoundland in 1888, where he joined his uncle Moses Monroe's company. In 1908 he founded the Bishop and Monroe Company with Robert Bishop . In 1909 the partnership ended and Monroe founded his own company, the Monroe Export Company . Monroe was also president of the Imperial Tobacco Company and director of other companies such as Newfoundland Light and Power Company and Colonial Cordage Company .

In the parliamentary elections in 1923 he ran for the Liberal Labor Progressive Party in the constituency of Bonavista, but was defeated by William Coaker. In May 1924, Prime Minister William Warren appointed him to his short-lived second cabinet as minister with no portfolio. Without a parliamentary majority, Warren was replaced by Albert Hickman in May 1924 . In the early parliamentary elections on June 2, 1924, Monroe's newly formed Liberal Conservative Party won 25 of the 36 parliamentary seats. Monroe became Prime Minister and also took over the Ministry of Education. Newfoundland's poor financial situation was exacerbated by the abolition of income tax and the lowering of the tax rate for banks. To offset this, the tariffs on imports were raised. Monroe's government has been criticized for favoring local businesses that involve cabinet members. Peter Cashin joined the opposition in 1925. In 1926 another five MPs followed, including ministers Gordon Bradley and CE Russell. However, with the transfer of the opposition politician Robert Duff, who became a minister without a portfolio, and the support of an independent MP, the majority in parliament was secured. Income that fell short of budget, as well as increasing spending to support the growing number of unemployed, further worsened the financial situation. Attempts to stimulate the economy by investing in road construction and tax breaks for individual companies have failed.

Women's suffrage was introduced in 1925. Women were now allowed to vote from 25, the minimum age for men was 21. The number of MPs was increased from 36 to 40 and the multi-member constituencies with up to three MPs were abolished. Only three two-person constituencies remained. In the same year the prohibition introduced in 1915 was abolished. The conflict with Québec over the border in Labrador, which had been ongoing since 1902 , was decided in 1927 by the Privy Council in favor of Newfoundland. In August 1928, shortly before the end of the legislative term, Monroe handed over the office of prime minister and the leadership of the party to his cousin Frederick Alderdice . Alderdice was defeated in the parliamentary elections of October 1928, his Conservative Party only achieved 12 of 40 seats. Monroe failed to get into parliament and then withdrew from politics. In 1933 Monroe was appointed a member of the Legislative Council, the Newfoundland Upper House. He stayed there until Newfoundland gained independence in 1934.

After the end of his political career, Monroe returned to running his company.

Monroe married Helen Isobel, daughter of Frederick Smith, in 1899. They had a son, Arthur Harvey, who succeeded his father in the management of the Monroe Export Company.

literature

• Gavin M. Will: Monroe, Walter Stanley . In: Joseph Roberts Smallwood, Cyril F. Poole, Robert Cuff (Eds.): Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador . Vol. 3. Harry Cuff Publications, St. John's 1991, ISBN 0-9693422-2-5 , pp. 599-601 ( online at Memorial University of Newfoundland [accessed September 14, 2014]).

Web links

• Robert D. Pitt: Walter Stanley Monroe. In: The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 13, 2014 . 

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} Claude Bélanger: Newfoundland Biography (1497-2004). Retrieved September 14, 2014 .  
2. ^ Elections. GeneralElection # 25 . In: Joseph Roberts Smallwood, Robert DW Pitt (Eds.): Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador . Vol. 1. Newfoundland Book Publishers, St. John's 1981, ISBN 0-920508-14-6 , pp.  711 f . (English, online at Memorial University Newfoundland [accessed September 14, 2014]).
3. ^ Elections. GeneralElection # 26 . In: Joseph Roberts Smallwood, Robert DW Pitt (Eds.): Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador . Vol. 1. Newfoundland Book Publishers, St. John's 1981, ISBN 0-920508-14-6 , pp.  712 f . (English, online at Memorial University Newfoundland [accessed September 14, 2014]).
4. ^ Women's Suffrage. Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage, accessed September 14, 2014 .  
5. ^ Elections. In: Joseph Roberts Smallwood, Robert DW Pitt (Eds.): Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador . Vol. 1. Newfoundland Book Publishers, St. John's 1981, ISBN 0-920508-14-6 , pp.  715 ( online at Memorial University Newfoundland [accessed September 14, 2014]).
6. ↑ Leslie Harris: Labrador Border Dispute . In: Joseph Roberts Smallwood, Cyril F. Poole, Robert Cuff (Eds.): Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador . Vol. 3. Harry Cuff Publications, St. John's 1991, ISBN 0-9693422-2-5 , pp. 216-221 ( online at Memorial University of Newfoundland [accessed September 14, 2014]).
7. ^ Elections. GeneralElection # 27 . In: Joseph Roberts Smallwood, Robert DW Pitt (Eds.): Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador . Vol. 1. Newfoundland Book Publishers, St. John's 1981, ISBN 0-920508-14-6 , pp.  715-717 ( online at Memorial University Newfoundland [accessed September 14, 2014]).
8. ↑ Gavin M. Will: Monroe, Arthur Harvey . In: Joseph Roberts Smallwood, Cyril F. Poole, Robert Cuff (Eds.): Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador . Vol. 3. Harry Cuff Publications, St. John's 1991, ISBN 0-9693422-2-5 , pp. 598 ( online at Memorial University of Newfoundland [accessed September 14, 2014]).