1932 Newfoundland general election
Election in the Dominion of Newfoundland
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The 1932 Newfoundland general election was held on 11 June 1932 to elect members of the 28th General Assembly of Newfoundland. It was the final legislative general election held in the Dominion of Newfoundland.
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June 11, 1932
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27 seats of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly 14 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As a result of a riot which occurred in 1932 due to Newfoundland's deteriorating economic situation, Prime Minister Sir Richard Squires dissolved the House of Assembly and called an election. His Liberals were reduced to two seats while Frederick C. Alderdice's United Newfoundland Party won 24 seats and was elected to government. The size of the House was reduced from 40 to 27 as an economy measure.
Alderdice was not able to rescue the public finances. By this time Newfoundlanders despaired of the ability of their politicians to solve the problems. The British government commissioned a report from William Warrender Mackenzie, 1st Baron Amulree which was scathing about the political culture of Newfoundland.[1]
The price of British government financial aid was the abandonment of responsible and representative government. The legislature was dissolved. The Commission of Government came into operation on 16 February 1934 ending more than a century of legislative democracy in Newfoundland.
Results
| Party | Leader | 1928 | Candidates | Seats won | Change in seats | % of seats (% change) |
Popular vote | % of vote (% change) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Newfoundland | Frederick C. Alderdice | 12[b] | 26 | 24 |  12 |
88.89% ( 58.89%) |
82,037 | 70.85% ( 28.00%) | |
| Liberal | Richard Squires | 28[c] | 26 | 2 |  26 |
7.41% ( 62.59%) |
32,726 | 28.26% ( 26.72%) | |
| Other | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
3.70% ( 3.70%) |
1,034 | 0.90% ( 1.27%) | ||
| Totals | 40 | 55 | 27 | 13 |
100% | 115,797 | 100% | ||
Results by district
- Names in boldface type represent party leaders.
- â indicates that the incumbent did not run again.
- â¡ indicates that the incumbent ran in a different district.
St. John's
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal (historical) | United (historical) | Other | ||||||
| St. John's East | Leo Murphy 1,390 8.32% |
Gerald Byrne 6,987 41.83% |
Frederick C. Alderdiceâ¡ St. John's City East (ran in St. John's West) | |||||
| Gerald Byrne St. John's City East | ||||||||
| Thomas J. Mahoney 1,356 8.12% |
Edward Emerson 6,969 41.73% |
Merged district | ||||||
| John Tobinâ St. John's East Extern | ||||||||
| St. John's West | Kenneth Ruby 2,884 14.05% |
Frederick C. Alderdice 7,554 36.81% |
George Ayre (Independent) 214 1.04% |
Alexander Campbellâ¡ St. John's City West (ran in St. George's-Port au Port) | ||||
| Joseph Fitzgibbonâ¡ St. John's City West (ran in Placentia and St. Mary's) | ||||||||
| James Power 2,548 12.42% |
Patrick Halley 7,320 35.67% |
Merged district | ||||||
| Frank Bennettâ St. John's West Extern | ||||||||
Conception Bay
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal (historical) | United (historical) | |||||
| Carbonear-Bay de Verde | Richard Cramm 1,955 37.03% |
John Puddester 3,325 62.97% |
James Mooreâ Carbonear | |||
| Merged district | ||||||
| John Puddester Bay de Verde | ||||||
| Harbour Grace | Frank Archibald 620 20.98% |
Harry Winter 2,335 79.02% |
Frank Archibald | |||
| Harbour Main-Bell Island | Albert Walsh 1,938 18.18% |
Charles Furey 3,480 32.65% |
Philip Lewisâ¡ Harbour Main (ran in Placentia and St. Mary's) | |||
| Albert Walsh Harbour Main | ||||||
| Joseph Greene 1,872 17.56% |
William Browne 3,370 31.61% |
Merged district | ||||
| Joseph Greene Bell Island | ||||||
| Port de Grave | Robert Smith 1,074 32.87% |
James Ayre 2,193 67.13% |
John Parsonsâ Bay Roberts | |||
| Merged district | ||||||
| Robert Smith Port de Grave | ||||||
Avalon and Burin Peninsulas
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal (historical) | United (historical) | |||||
| Burin | H. B. C. Lake 1,383 36.63% |
Samuel Foote 2,393 63.37% |
James Winterâ Burin East | |||
| Merged district | ||||||
| H. B. C. Lake Burin West | ||||||
| Ferryland | W. Loyola Whelan[2] 395 14.07% |
Michael Shea 2,412 85.93% |
Peter Cashinâ | |||
| Placentia and St. Mary's | Joseph Fitzgibbon 472 15.92% |
Philip Lewis 2,492 84.08% |
Edward Emersonâ¡ Placentia East (ran in St. John's East) | |||
| Merged district | ||||||
| James Bindonâ St. Mary's | ||||||
| Placentia West | J. J. St. John 613 21.06% |
William Walsh 2,298 78.94% |
Leo Murphyâ¡ (ran in St. John's East) | |||
| Trinity South | Richard Squires 1,686 41.62% |
Harold Mitchell 2,365 58.38% |
Edwin Goddenâ¡ (ran in Fogo) | |||
Eastern and Central Newfoundland
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal (historical) | United (historical) | Other | ||||||
| Bonavista North | Joseph Davis 1,020 26.32% |
William C. Winsor 2,856 73.68% |
J. H. Scammellâ Bonavista Centre | |||||
| Merged district | ||||||||
| Nathan Winsorâ Bonavista North | ||||||||
| Bonavista South | Joey Smallwood 812 18.71% |
Herman Quinton 3,528 81.29% |
William Coakerâ Bonavista East | |||||
| Merged district | ||||||||
| Herman Quinton Bonavista South | ||||||||
| Fogo | Edwin Godden 734 23.44% |
Harold Earle 2,397 76.56% |
Richard Hibbsâ | |||||
| Grand Falls | William Earle 1,420 33.66% |
Kenneth Brown 2,799 66.34% |
William Earle | |||||
| Merged district | ||||||||
| Helena Squiresâ¡ Lewisporte (ran in Twillingate) | ||||||||
| Green Bay | Roland Starkes 1,271 54.13% |
Frederick Wells 1,077 45.87% |
Roland Starkes | |||||
| Trinity North | Bert King 726 16.37% |
John Stone 2,888 65.13% |
Reuben Vardy (Independent) 820 18.49% |
F. Gordon Bradleyâ¡ Trinity Centre (ran in Humber) | ||||
| Merged district | ||||||||
| William Halfyardâ Trinity North | ||||||||
| Twillingate | Helena Squires 1,206 44.92% |
Norman Gray 1,479 55.08% |
Kenneth Brownâ¡ (ran in Grand Falls) | |||||
Southern and Western Newfoundland
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal (historical) | United (historical) | Other | ||||||
| Burgeo and La Poile | Philip Butler 585 23.71% |
James Winter 1,882 76.29% |
Arthur Barnesâ Burgeo | |||||
| Fortune Bay and Hermitage | Harris Mosdell (Independent) Won by acclamation |
Harris Mosdell Fortune Bay | ||||||
| Merged district | ||||||||
| Philip Fudgeâ Hermitage | ||||||||
| Humber | F. Gordon Bradley 2,612 54.01% |
S. D. Cook 2,224 45.99% |
Richard Squiresâ¡ (ran in Trinity South) | |||||
| St. Barbe | Edward Spencer 572 31.33% |
George Whitely 1,254 68.67% |
Walter Skanesâ | |||||
| St. George's-Port au Port | Alexander Campbell 768 22.89% |
William Abbott 2,587 77.11% |
Joseph Downeyâ St. George's | |||||
| Merged district | ||||||||
| William Abbott Port au Port | ||||||||
| White Bay | Joseph Strong 814 34.10% |
Joseph Moore 1,573 65.90% |
Joseph Strong | |||||
Notes
- Not the incumbent, but ran in this seat and won
- As a coalition government with the Fishermen's Protective Union