635. Before concluding our Report to Your Majesty, we desire to express our thanks to all those who assisted us in the course of our Inquiry and facilitated our investigations. We are particularly indebted to His Excellency the Governor and Lady Anderson for many courtesies received at their hands; to the Hon. F.C. Alderdice, Prime Minister, and Members of the Government for their valuable testimony and constant endeavours to lighten our labours and provide for our comfort; and to the Members of the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly for the ready manner in which they placed their intimate knowledge of local conditions at our disposal. We also owe a debt of gratitude to the former Prime Ministers and Ministers, who gave us every assistance, and whose evidence, based largely on their experience as Ministers, was especially valuable.

  636. We have already recorded that, at the outset of our Inquiry, we appealed to all those who had any contribution to make to come forward and assist us either in oral evidence or by means of written communications, and how striking was the response accorded to that appeal. As many as 260 witnesses, drawn from all classes and occupations, appeared before us, and we received, in addition, numbers of useful letters and memoranda from all parts of the Island. Many of the witnesses who gave oral evidence had travelled long distances, some of them hundreds of miles, to do so; these, coming from places which we were unable to visit, gave us great assistance, and their evidence, combined with that of witnesses who lived either in St. John's or in places which we visited, enabled us to form a complete picture of conditions in the Island. To all who came before us, as well as to those who communicated with us, we are greatly indebted, both of their evidence, and for the helpful spirit in which that evidence was presented.

  637. We desire also to record our indebtedness to the owners of business establishments in Newfoundland, the United Kingdom and Canada for the ready access which they gave us to their premises. The insight which we were thus able to gain into the working of the various industries, and the detailed information with which we were supplied, proved of great value in the course of our Inquiry. For the courtesy with which we were everywhere received, we are deeply grateful.

  638. While in Canada, we received much assistance from members of the Canadian Civil Service in connection with certain technical aspects of our Inquiry. We would take this opportunity of expressing our thanks to the Prime Minister of the Dominion, the Right Honourable R.B. Bennett, for permitting us to draw so freely on the resources of the Government Departments at Ottawa. We are especially grateful to Mr. J.T. Johnston and Mr. N.T. Allan for their skilful work in the preparation, from material supplied in Newfoundland, of the maps accompanying this Report.

  639. Throughout our stay in Newfoundland we were in constant touch with the various Government Departments; and we desire to express our gratitude to the Ministers and officials concerned for the memoranda and detailed information so readily supplied to us. From all alike we received every courtesy and assistance. We are also indebted to Mr. H.J. Russell, the General Manager of the Newfoundland Railway, and his staff for the excellent arrangements made for our visit of inspection of the outports in April; and to the magistrates, clergymen and others for the trouble taken by them in facilitating the hearing of evidence in the places which we visited. Acknowledgement is also due to the assistance given to us by the late Mr. E.G. Hall in preparing the maps which formed the basis of those now reproduced, and by Dr. Harold Thompson, the Director of the Fishery Research Bureau, in connection with our visit of inspection to Bay Bulls.

  640. We would pay a special tribute to the work of our own staff, Mr. W.J. Bartle and Mr. F.J. Purll, assigned to us by Your Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, and gratefully acknowledge the untiring energy and devotion with which these officers discharged their duties.

  641. Our task has been greatly aided by the valuable services of our Secretary, Mr. P.A. Clutterbuck, of the Dominions Office. Apart from his ordinary secretarial duties, we are indebted to him for his constant and able assistance of our Report; and his intimate knowledge of the various branches of our Inquiry was of inestimable benefit to us.

  ALL OF WHICH WE HUMBLY SUBMIT FOR YOUR MAJESTY'S GRACIOUS CONSIDERATION.