Sir Richard Anderson Squires

Squires, Sir Richard Anderson

Sir Richard Anderson Squires, lawyer, politician, prime minister of Newfoundland 1919-23 and 1928-32 (b at Harbour Grace, Nfld 18 Jan 1880; d at St John's 26 Mar 1940). Squires entered the Newfoundland Assembly in 1909. Defeated in 1913, he was appointed to the Legislative Council and the Cabinet by Sir Edward MORRIS as a reward for his electoral battle against the Fishermen's Protective Union. He lost his Cabinet post when Sir William Lloyd formed the second National Government in 1918. On its 1919 collapse, Squires founded the Liberal Reform Party, which, in alliance with the FPU, won the election that year. His administration had to deal with postwar chaos in the fishing industry. In July 1923 Squires resigned in the face of corruption charges, later substantiated. He rebounded to win the 1928 election, but his government proved virtually helpless as the economic crisis of the period deepened. Corruption charges were again levelled against him in 1932, sparking a riot in St John's in Apr. In the June election his party was decimated. A Tory government was elected to preside over the end of responsible government in 1934, a debacle to which Squires contributed.

See also COMMISSION OF GOVERNMENT.