The Northwestern standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1885-1886, 1886-03-27
GIFFEN's IRISH FIGURES.
gtAais5icai Reasons for Granting Home Rule
10 Irsland-A Valuable Con
trihution
RESOURCES or THE SECTIONS.
Ulster, 0us.TI wentieth Part Of tbs United
Kingdom, Pays one-renth OF
the taxes.

L.
Century, FL is written from the pom
Of view OF an English statesman con
siseyfng nome rule merely rs a matte.
Of business, and discussing the pro
posal for dissolution OF Legislative
partnership precisely as he would {
proposal for union with state Whici
Eas seeking 20 enter into similar part
nership. Setting aside ali political and
moral considerations, he discusses Inc
present economic value OF Ireland &C
England and the business loss or gam
which wiz result from a Encouragement
Of existing conditions OF government.
This is a method which naturally com
mends itself to the practical instincts
Of English character.
Mr,Giffen begins with the changes OF
population since I845. whereby Ireland
relatively has lost ground so rapidly as
to reduce the proportion of the disaf-
fected district to the United Kingdom
from one-shird to one-tWeifth. ae
shows that the increase of population
every ten years outside the island Is
aanal 10 it's entire disaffeeted pQpula~
ton to-day, and that in a few genera
tia,1s Ireland must become relatively 10
Great Britain little more than some
what larger Isle of Man. This argu,
rnenG tends to lessen the importance, so
far as business is concerned, OF iebSlhg
Ireland become separate STATE. Inc
resources of the two sections Ia IN
coms and capital are next compared,
and the proportion OF disaffected Ike
land to the United Kingdom is shown
10 have declined from one-tenth 70
fortieth; and commerce With tfa
island is pronounced insignificant ID
COMPARISON with trade With other de-
Tendencies which do not impose di-
rect charge for government. AFTER de-
monstEabing that the economic lnipor-
lance Of Ireland is grossly exaggerated
in England, he passes to the account OF
current receipts and expenses. Then
follows the curious discovery that
while the island Including Dlster)
constitutes only q twentieth part OF the
United Kingdom in resources, 1t pays
nearly q tenth of She Imperial taxes;
and vet, owing TO the enormous ex-
pense of governing and garrlsoning IT,,
Ireland is a source of loss instead OF
gain to tha excheauer in spite OF pay
ing ss5, 00O, 000,Q coo when it's relative
resources only call for SIT 500 ,o0o. The
exchequer loses SIS, 900, COO annually in
governing the island while taxing 1t
SI5.OOO, OO0 more than it oughtto be taxed
AS the extra IL 900 or 10000 troops IL
the island are lost for imperial pur-
poses, this excess of expenditure IS
sheer waste. The conclusion is tnaJ
England has nothing to lose in dissolv-
ing partnership, as the island costs
more than it yields IN revenue, and as
for commerce there would be slight loss
even with complete separation. and
more at all with home rule.
On the other hand, ireland would
have, under home rule, $50 900, 600 OF
revenue to dispose of which now goes
into the Imperial Exchequer, and with
economical administration could pay
its share OF interest on the imperial
debt, and have more money to use IN
internal improvements than is now ex--
pended. In an economic sense ireland
as well as England would gain by the
change of system, provided legislative.
independence were not followed by
commercial isolation and war for alb
solute separation. The surplus of tax
atlon. which is not a source OF profit TO
England with the expenses wiping 1t
ont, would be used under home rule
TOR the benefit of the Irish people in
stead OF wasted on military garrlsons
that are needed elsewhere. That the
people need the benefits sevident from
Mr.. t4itfen's startling statement that
with an income OF $4,000, 600 they act
ually pay for imperial and local taxes
$50 DOC, Goa generalization which
ought TO convince the most stubborn
Engiishman that there is something
radically wrong III the present system
OF government. Mr. Citizen advocates
the purchase OF the landlords's estates
from. the Imperial Exehequer as the
most practical way q disentangling
Irish and imperial finance. This
schame would give the Irish authori-
tics Il revenue which they could collect
and administer themselves, aud which
would be the equivalent OF the contri-
buttons to the Imperial Exchequer the
island could continue to make under
existing taxes This would enable an
Irish Parliament 60 organize . new
system Of government without inter
Tering with the revenue OF the United
Kingdom Home rule would be q gain
economically to Ireland, and not q
source Of loss to England, which would
cease 10 be governed. as it is in 4 large