Port Hope Simpson wild bay

historical fiction based on year as vso volunteer in Port Hope Simpson, Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada 1969-70 and coming back out to The Town of Port Hope Simpson's Coming Home Celebrations in July 2002; also based on holiday travels; Richard ap Meurig's sense of purpose, peace, quietness,returning to awe-inspiring wilderness of The Labrador, spiritual retreat & renewal...http://porthopesimpson.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

21. could never have dreamed of the fatal Love Triangle which developed.



When Jeffrey first heard about the deaths he broke down. His mental breakdown lasted throughout the build-up to the Public Enquiry into the financial affairs of his company. Indeed, his solicitors advized that he should seek compensation from the British Government for their incompetent handling of his business from 1940 onwards when they were seen to have taken over control of it for themselves. Jeffrey always believed that he had initiated proceedings leading to The Public Enquiry but Richard’s research told a different story.
In fact the idea came from Merrick-Chadwick, the Under Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs in Downing Street. By means of a written reply to a posted question in the House of Commons he had managed to pass legislation through unnoticed. It was Merrick-Chadwick’s suggestion to the Newfoundland Government that they should offer Jeffrey the chance of taking his case to Public Enquiry in order to exonerate himself. In the hope that the results of the independent Public Enquiry would prove that Jeffrey was of unsound character and could no longer be trusted with running his Labrador operation let alone be granted any further loans from the Colonial Office Development Fund. That would give the Dominions Office in London the ammunition they needed to get rid of him.
However, the results of the Public Enquiry, from the Dominion Office’s point of view exonerated Jeffrey. Merrick- Chadwick’s plan had back–fired as blame was also attached by Judge Weaden to the British Government itself. Weaden knew of the dirty trick and to his credit wouldn’t play any part in it.
But the Enquiry’s outcome in Newfoundland was that his findings were generally considered unsound because they failed to find out the truth