The Commission saw that about one-third of Newfoundlanders had no jobs at all. It concluded that the situation was desperate. Extreme measures had to be taken. In many places, people feared starvation. When there is a shortage of good food, it is easy for people to get diseases. Tuberculosis (TB) was a big problem, and it spread easily among people in poor health. Other diseases that come from a poor diet affected many people. Many children did not go to school-often because they didn't have clothes or shoes. And many people lived in houses which they could not afford to heat or repair.

Late in 1933, the Commission made its report. It said that Newfoundland should give up self-government for a while. As it turned out, the poor would not be the only ones in Newfoundland to lose the vote. In February, 1934, Newfoundland gave up its right to govern itself. It would now be run by a Commission of Government. There would be no voting, no elections. The Commission's six members were appointed. Three of them came from Newfoundland; three came from Great Britain.

The new government had a Department of Public Health and Welfare. Its Commissioner was J. C. Puddester, a Newfoundlander. When Puddester took over, he faced a problem that had gone from bad to worse in the past three years.

Putting Food on the Table-1934

In 1934, the Commission of Government looked hard for ways to provide more food on a limited amount of money. It found ways to get large amounts of basic foods, like flour and tea, at the lowest prices possible. The government also tried to include more kinds of foods on the relief order. Until this time, people on the dole could get only a few types of food each month-flour, tea, molasses, pork, salt beef and yeast. If you could not grow your own vegetables, or if you ran out of them, you would have a very poor diet.

The new ration tried to give people a better diet. Still, it would have been hard to stay healthy and not be hungry on it. Here is a sample relief order for a family of five in 1934. It includes the prices of all the items on the list.