Walter Stanley Monroe (May 14, 1871 – October 6, 1952) was a businessman and conservative politician who served as

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

of Newfoundland from 1924 to 1928 as leader of the

Liberal-Conservative Progressive Party The Conservative Party of Newfoundland was a political party in the Dominion of Newfoundland prior to confederation with Canada in 1949. The party was formed by members and supporters of the establishment around 1832. In the 1840s they opposed ...

He was born in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

in 1871, the first son of John Monroe, a distinguished lawyer who became

Solicitor-General for Ireland The Solicitor-General for Ireland was the holder of an Irish and then (from the Act of Union 1800) United Kingdom government office. The holder was a deputy to the Attorney-General for Ireland, and advised the Crown on Irish legal matters. On ra ...

, and his wife Elizabeth Moule. He was educated at the Harrow School, England. He emigrated to Newfoundland to join his uncle, Moses Monroe, at the age of 17 in 1888. Monroe was a successful businessman who briefly served in the government of William Warren. He emerged from the political crisis that destroyed the governments of Sir Richard Squires and William Warren as leader of a new party, the ''Liberal-Conservative Progressive Party'', which had been cobbled together by Warren and the opposition

Conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

after Warren's government fell. The party was essentially a conservative party and swept to power in the 1924 election, weeks after it was formed. The Monroe government saw a successful settlement of the

Labrador , nickname = "The Big Land" , etymology = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 ...

boundary dispute with

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

after Newfoundland successfully argued its case at the

Judicial Committee of the Privy Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, some Commonwealth countries and a few institutions in the United Kingdom. Established on 14 Aug ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. As Prime Minister, one of his first moves in power was to abolish the personal income tax, and to reduce corporate taxes paid by banks. His government introduced a franchise bill to the legislature in 1925, where it passed unanimously on March 9, and became law on April 13, 1925. Now, women were allowed to vote in elections for the first time. Monroe returned to private life and resigned on August 15, 1928 passing the leadership of the party to his cousin Frederick C. Alderdice who became the new Prime Minister. In 1929, Mr. Monroe was made a member of the Legislative Council of Newfoundland.

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Newfoundland in the 1920s
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monroe, Walter Stanley 1871 births 1952 deaths Politicians from Dublin (city) Prime Ministers of the Dominion of Newfoundland Irish emigrants to pre-Confederation Newfoundland Canadian people of Ulster-Scottish descent