The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-02-16

ciety. Washington, ID. c.
There h9s been talk again of New
~fOundland Joining Canada. To many
residents OF the United States prob
ably this discussion raised a point on
which they had somewhat hazy ideas
that there are two distinct British
realms, not one, in the portion Of North
America above the Canadian border.
Probably the fact that Newfoundland
has insisted on standing alone while
all the other British possessions of
North America have united to form
the Dominion of Canada is largely
due to sentimCnt-the pride that New
foundlanderS have always had in be-
ing able to boast that theirs is "the
senior British colony" the first of the
children Of the motherland to make
its home beyond the seas.
Newfoundland had its settlements
as early as the Seventeenth century
and was a fulI-nedged British colony
with a governor when Canada was
New France, South Africa was in the
hands Of the Dutch, and not Il single
white settler had landed in Australia.
The island has Il geographical posi-
ton Of great Importance, for it largely
blocks the broad gulf into which the
81. Lawrence river widenS, and which
forms Canada'S front door from Eu-
rope. Moreover Newfoundland is the
closest part Of North America to the
British Isles, being only 1910 miles
from Ireland. 1t is natural that the
first transatlantic cable should have
been laid to the shores of Newfound-
land in 1858, and that OUT OF II cables
now crossing the north Atlantic II first
touch American soil either on New
foundland or its neighboring islets.
And when in 1919 airplanes finally CON
quered the Atlantic it was from New
%foundland that both the American and
the British machines took off.
Newfoundland has an area Of more
than $4,000 square miles, and is there
fore practically half the size of Great
Britain. Excepting only Cuba, which
barely exceeds ii in size, il is the larg-
est island of the western hemisphere
olilSluC DOldI Nait WIN IL tliIS
Of brown stone rising 200 to 300 feet,
broken here and there by deep fjOrds
and bays, Newfoundland has a bleak
and barren appearance which bellies
conditions in many parts Of the rolling.
timbered interior. Along a number Of
the streams are fertile valleys in
which agriculture and stock raising
flourish.
Fish the Chief Industry.
In late years mining, stock raising,
the manufacture Of ~wood-pulp and
newsprint paper, and a number of
other industries have been developed
In Newfoundland. but throughout it's
more than 400 years of history the
central story Of the island might be
told In one word: fish. Boston and
Massachusetts have felt deeply in
debted to their sacred cod" but af-
ter all that important creature came
from the Newfoundland bank. and
however valuable it has been to New
England, it has meant much more to
Newfoundland and through New
%foundland to Great Britain.
A good case could even be made
for the cod as a claimant for Il place
on the British cOat-of-arms; for that
loWIy fish in a way laid the fOundas
ton of the worldwide British empire.
Before the discovery Of Newfoundland
Br%itisherS were Of little importance as
seafarers. The great wealth Of cod
fish which John CabOt's finding OF the
Island disclosed Immediately drew the
men Of the British Isles out Of their
insularity.
The next year after the discovery
149S-a feet Of Devon fishermen
crossed the Atlantic and returned load
ell down with fish and from that time
on for centuries the annual crossing
and r~ecrOssing of the Atlantic took
place. The British kings looked upon
the voyages Of thousands Of men to
and from Newfoundland as the best
kind Of training for seamen II de-
liberately discouraged the settlement
Of the island in order 10 perpetuate
the fishing from a British base. Great
Britain quickly became a seafaring
nation the navy grew and with Its
growth the British empire spread
around the world.
The. Newfoundland OF today has n
government in general somewhat lk
that of Canada. 1t is not a crown
colony but a self-governing, responsible
colony with a governor general appoint
ed by the British king, a premier, and
a parliament OF two houses.
It's educational system Is unique.
Neither the central government n0r