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The Effects of Transistion to Confederation on Public Administration in Newfoundland J. G. Channing Toronto: The Institute of Public Administration of Canada, 1982, pp. xi, 107

The book is curiously titled, since only one-third of it is devoted to the "transitional" period when Newfoundland entered Confederation. The first of its three parts discusses civil service conditions under responsible government and the recommendations of the 1933 Amulree Commission. The conditions were shaped by patronage, religious discrimination, and political manipulation; Amulree recommended a Commission of Government. Part 2 chronicles Newfoundland's public administration under the Commission from 1934 to 1949. Civil service reorganization and extended social services were, to the author's mind, the great achievements of Commission government. The existing twelve departmental units were reduced to six, staff was pruned, appointments were made on merit rather than political or religious affiliation, and fixed salary scales were established. Despite some shortcomings, these and other administrative reforms increased morale and efficiency. Part 3 discusses the negotiation of the Terms of Union, the administrative adaptations required upon their agreement, and some recent developments in Newfoundland's public administration. As secretary to the Newfoundland delegation, the author has some anecdotes to offer on the negotiations, but his discussion adds little to existing accounts. One wishes that the section on the implementation of the Terms of Union had been more detailed, for this is the heart of the study. Problems such as the extension of federal social services to the island, the assumption of facilities formerly under Newfoundland's jurisdiction, new financial, tax and treasury arrangements, and staff transfers are discussed but not developed. The last sections reflect somewhat pessimistically on recent administrative developments such as collective bargaining, the right to strike, and fringe benefits, and on past and future prospects for Canadian unity. While the book's contributions to the study of public administration are minor, its call for goodwill and understanding in dealing with Newfoundland's pressing problems deserves attention and respect.