Islanders clearly demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the existing political and economic conditions by their votes in the federal election of December, 1917. Although Prime Minister Borden won re-election, P.E.I. elected four Liberals; the Liberals also won majorities at Kinkora and Newton, for the first time in forty-five years.22 The list of P.E.I. grievances was long. The car ferry, promised in 1911, began service at Port Borden, only in October, 1917. The railway tracks were still narrow gauge, requiring the re- loading of produce from the RBI. trains at the ferry ter— minals. Potato growers in P.E.I. were receiving sixty to seventy-five cents per bushel while the dealers in St. John, New Brunswick were selling those same potatoes for three times that amount.23 P.E.I. potato producers had achiev- ed the highest production levels for potatoes in Canada (175 bushels per acre),24 yet government officers pressed them for even greater production of food, and pledges to donate more food to the war effort.25 They were also aware that large corporations were making huge profits from farm production while they were criticized for not doing enough for the war.26 A farmer in October 1917 probably spoke for most when he wrote: “The farmers of this Province have had their fill of this sort of thing?”7 And perhaps the “final straw” was the government’s enactment of military conscription in Canada in July, .1917.

The discontent felt by Islanders also flowed over onto the provincial government and its projects. In July 1919 the Island Conservative government was defeated, apparent- ly because it was too closely allied with the Borden Govern- ment; the newly elected government contained 25 Liberals, 4 Conservatives and 1 independent.28 Voters at Newton were almost evenly divided between Liberals and Conservatives, while those at Kinkora gave the Conservatives a small majority.29 In September, 1919 Islanders rejected a proposed education tax increase by 1320 votes; Kinkora voted for the

tax by a slight margin of 52 to 49; but Newton rejected it by 50 to 36 votes.30

This negative vote was unfortunate because education on RE]. was in trouble: many students were not attending school regularly, and those who did attend were failing in large numbers. Many teachers were leaving the province, mainly because of poor salaries; 100 left in 1917, and the

Kinkora School, 1910-12 (Courtesy of Rose McCabe) First Row Left to Right: Eileen Keefe, ? Keough, Elizabeth Keefe,

Margaret Ranaghan, Mae Ranaghan, Mary Shreenan, Keough, Helen Farmer, Kathleen McGuigan, Rose McGuigan, Erna Murphy.

Second Row Left to Right: Teacher, Maria McCarville; Charles Murphy, Pius Trainor, John Keefe, Edna Shreenan, Lizzie Shreenan, Elizabeth Alice Smith, R. Trainor, Edna Farmer, Rosella Farmer,

Aloysius Roberts, Bert Ranaghan, Emmett Mcclver; John Henry Mohan, Teacher.

Third Row Left to Right: Florence McCarviIl, Lena Shreenan, Viola

Greenan, Margaret Trainor, Ada Smith, Mildred Farmer, Martha McGuigan, Clara Gallant, Hilda Shreenan, Jenny Trainor, Gert Trainor, Cecelia Mulligan, Katie McCarvilIe, Rev. John J,

MacDonald.

Fourth Row Left to Right: Alberta McIver, Carmella Trainor, Mary

Alice Trainor, Frank Shreenan, Charles McIver, Charles Mahoney,

Ernest McCarvilIe, Cyril MacDonald, Ed. Keough, ? Keough, Len Farmer, M. McCabe, Frances Gallant.

71