In 1925 the FPU had come a long way from that November night of 1908 when W.F. Coaker and 19 fishermen founded the Fishermen's Protective Union. The new Congress Hall, an imposing structure, dominating the new town of Port Union, was an outward and visible sign of the coming of age of the union movement. The FPU movement itself was one of the great phenomena of Newfoundland's history, and the destruction of the Congress Hall brings to mind that much of our history may be lost. This can be tragic, for no country can truly develop character and strength without an intimate knowledge of the past. Traditions, a knowledge of the facts of history, the why's and wherefore's of past events, are essential to education, and without that knowledge, without that education in our history, much is lost, much wisdom is stillborn.
Many hard lessons have to be learned over again.
A knowledge of the past engenders ability and progressive action and enlightened policies. Without such knowledge, many fine minds and characters have been bemused by inability and uncertain courses. I make these remarks because there is too little attention given to the immediate past, too little effort made to separate fact from fiction, too little knowledge of the truth, too many impressions based on prejudice and unintentional misinformation. Coaker himself in later years saw such a need. Any great movement, crusading in character, and arousing passion and militant enthusiasm, is bound to create violent opposition and it takes time to place it in its true perspective.