Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-09-07
STARVING pEAsANrRY.
The Terrible Distress in the West OF
Ireland.

The Terrible Distress in the West of
Ireland.
Mr. Tnke, in his report of the distribu-
ton of the seed-potato fund in the spring
of this year. makes some interesting sug-
gestions for the permanent relief of the
poorer districts In the west of Ireland
ain this, my eighth visit during recent
years to the west of Ireland, | have"
says Mr.. luke, "again been profoundly
impressed with the condition of chronic
misery, the ever-exlsting restitution of
the small holders Of land. The fact that
the small holdings of worn out
land cannot support the crowded popu-
ation is no Longer debatable question.
1t is unanimously borne witness to.
From priest, or landlord, or tenant there
is but one response: without other
means Of earning money there is no pos
sibiliuy of living out OF the land 'rhe
living isn't in 1t, rent or no rent, yer
honorl' And can IL be otherwisef Con-
slider Ashil, with its thousand families, of
whom three-fourths are living on hold
ings so small that the rental or valuation
does not exceed 30 shillings year each
and few Of the remainder exceed "a
year Take another instance in Come
mara, of 1000 families attempting to live
on 700 acres of arabic bog land, mere
patches of soil lying among great bould-
ersn
"Is there, or is there not" asks Mr.,
luke, sin these districts any industrial
occupation which can be developed or
employment given, or must that employ
ment be sought elsewhere2" Mr.. luke
answers that there is such an industry
/ oil oh IN in ba
cess of this industry he says: "Let
commission of inquiry be at once APP
pointed by parliament-wholly without
reference to politics-largely composed
of practical and experienced men, such
as Sir Il. Birkbeck, NJ. p, and Mr.. t. f.
Brady, who shall be empowered to obtain
with others the paid services of practical
| fishermen, accustomed to all kinds of
sea-tishing Surely grant of El00,-
600 to commission so con-
stituted-barely the annual cost
of 1000 police onstables-might be
of iDcalculable benefit. To those
acquainted with the districts another
difficulty will at once present itself. In
what way is 1t proposed to place your fish,
II caught, in markets where at all times a
price can be obtained? Largely, probably,
by means OF steam carriers. But not
wholly SO; and the necessity for making
the tramWays act of 1882 reality in place
Of sham is at once made evident The
powers needed for the construction of the
light railway which would bring the
West coast within easy reach of the main
lines OF railways which intersect Ireland
exist there, but are dead letter, for the
act as 1t now stands is no more applicable
to the districts concerned than would be
70 it,ng n N.
enders to build houses for themselves
which omitted to lend OF ad the money
required"
With regard to emigration, Mr.. luke
says; "lf one conclusion is more deeply
impressed upon my mind than another as
the result of our three years. work In as
sisting emlgrants from Ireland, IL is the
necessity for the most careful and DELHI
crate consideration of every step taken in
the work The responsibility involved
even In facilitating the departure Of those
VINO were so anxious to leave has ever
seemed to me most serious one. Their
future good or evil must ever be borne In
mind, and 1t cannot too often be repeated
that mere assisted emigration, without
the closest consideration as to the fitness
, oil the emigrants, the opportunities for
, obtaining employment, and the suitability
OF the destination chosen by them, may
prove curse instead of blessing. None
the less 1t Is my happiness to believe
that, granted these considerations and
, this personal care, emigration mas proved
to multitudes of poor Irish men anc
: women boon of the highest magnitude
what therefore, seems t. be needed fol
the relief OF these districts is the estab
llshment on permanent basis of al
: emigration department, which, with 1
+ Competent STAFF and the cooperation, 4
possible, OF voluntary committee, com
olned with systematic and careful over
u sisht at the various ports of departure
aua arrival shall from year to year, anC
! moi spasmodically, deal with all applica
! sohs ior assisted emigration, and advise
I OF make grants in each case as may seen
. for the best.