Producers versus Profiteers: The Politics of Class in Newfoundland during the First World War

O'Brien, Mike (2011) Producers versus Profiteers: The Politics of Class in Newfoundland during the First World War. Acadiensis, 40 (1). pp. 45-69. ISSN 0044-5851

	[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial. Download (675kB) [English] PDF - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial. (Original Version)

Abstract

During the First World War a widespread public impression that merchants were taking advantage of the conflict to extract excessive profits became a major issue in Newfoundland politics, and a cause of widespread public discontent. The Fishermen's Protective Union and other labour organizations were able to use the profiteering issue as a catalyst for political mobilization, and by 1917 had succeeded in forcing the state to take a greater role in regulating the economy. While their gains turned out to be short-lived, the episode marked a significant moment in the history of collective action by Newfoundland's labouring classes.

Actions (login required)

View Item