The Northwestern standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-30
HER NATURAL WEALTH.
The Land Of Erin Minerals and Fisheries
that Bless the Island in Abund-
anGa.
supremely Cared For by the Hand Of Mature
Rendered Poor by Foreign lsegis-
latlon.

| On the evening of January s, q les
| ture WAS delivered at the Rotunda.
Dublin, by Mr. Charles Dawson from
which we clip the following passages:
THE LAND.
| Dies the land Of ireland produce all
| it can? or is it a fact that whilst many
in this country persisted in days gone
| by, whilst millions left it, and not o few
still suffer for want Of food, and whilst
there is a perpetual moan going UP for
| capital and wealth, that there lis capital
and wealth, and food. and clothing, and
shelter for millions more than our pre-
sent population, lying undeveloped IN
the land? If so, then it is not only q
disgrace to a Government, but it is an
outrage upon God, That any barriers
should be placed by man to these re-
sources; and where lie has given CON
tiitions Of comfort and independence, to
create state of things where people
die in thousands, fly in millions, and
such as remain at home are rendered
mendicants for The world IS charity. In
his book on the Industrial Resources
of Ireland written forty years ago,
Sir Robert Kane quotes an eminent au-
thority Mr. Blacker), who thus wrote
at that period: 1T appears that the
county of Armagh contains 2l2,755
acres, and d population Of 20, 653 souls,
and the entire country II, 190,726 acres
and 7 ,S39 ,469 souls. Now, in the county
Armagh, by arecent survey, the peas
ants are better clothed, lodged, and fed,
than they are in most other counties in
Ireland IF, then, 2l2.755 acres give 229,
653 souls, 17,le0,72s acres THE entire
contents OF the country ought to give
q population of II, S2S, $50 instead Of
7 ,839 ,469, the population at present.
and he continued. though Armagh
was indif,erently cultivated, yet if all
the parts of the country were as well
cultivated it would support two and a
half times its present Inhabitants, and
be able to export provisions largely"
Sir Robert Kane did not at the Indus
try Commission discredit this authority.
and the information t,a0a-ndl, did not
show that the resources of JIse country
have declined, although lIl Is OF in
creasing by two and a half, It's popula,
ton has decreased from nearly eight
millions to FIVE. The first step towards
the increased development of the land
is thorough system Of drainage. This
work, if thoroughly carried out, means
the improvement Of all the land now
under cultivation; it means, according
to Professor Tyndall, an increase III
our temperature by four degrees, and it
means the reclamation of waste lands.
In mis- evidence on this point before the
Industry Commission, DR.. Sullivan
says: within the last few days my
attention has been drawn TO the first act
connected with inland navigation in
Ireland--that OF 1715-in which atten-
ton was called to the condition OF the
central plain of Ireland, and the neces-
sity of carrying canals through it,
which have the double purpose of drain
age and reclamation; and the conclu-
sion I have come to is, that from that
day 70 this the subject has been before
the minds of the people, but nothing
has been done about it. Although the
two great canals have been made
through it, they have been carried
above the level of the boys, they have
not served for drainage, and the land is
still undrained . According to the
evidence of Mr. Kinahan, before the
same commission. there are b,oO0,W
acres, half of which could be reclaimed
and cultivated with profit. Let Us put
that down at even los an acre per an
mum, and we have e, 50o, 600 Of wealth
added to Ireland, or, what Il more i'm
portant, 81, 500, 600 worth OF food raised
for her people. Add to this the i'm
proyement by sufficient drainage Of the
land under cultivation and many more
millions are added 60 the wealth Of the
country. Mr.. Kinahan relates in his
book on this subject how the Dutch
Government reclaimed HARLEM Nicer
at a cost of $3.50 600, and then sold it
for cost price to occupiers. 1t now pays
a most abundant profit. And, speaking
OF these works Of the Dutch Govern
ment, j. S. Mill says: The iabour
and capital which have been sunk in
rendering Holland habitabie would
have produced much greater return If
transported to Ireland" and yet this
great possible, profitable, and necessary
work remains unGone.
THE FISHERIES.
The next great and undeyeloped
sor,rce IF wealth ia tn he fornd in the