The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-26
Opinion as to the Stu
alton in Ireland.
THEY ARE NOT In ACCORD
Clergy Say That Remedial Measures
Are Necessary.
OFFICIALS NOT APPREHENSIVE,

Dublin. Oct. 26.-There are two sides
to the question OF the famine in Ireland.
One side is that OF the government.
which claims the famine is exploited
by politicians as an argument against
the administration of Ireland. The other
side,. held by many OF the clergy, poll
ticiahs and people, is that il is certain
there will be great distress throughout
A meeting OF Roman Catholic prel-
ates was held at Maynooth last week.
lates was held at Maynooth this week
and those present adopted resolutions
that the archbishops and bishops OF Ire
land deemed IL their duty 10 submit TO
the government a statement OF their con-
viction, formed on the personal knowl-
edge of several members OF that body
that the failure Of the potato and cereal
crops in many districts, particularly on
the southern and western coasts, must
lead TO great distress and, unless speedy
measures OF relief are adopted, to dis
astrous consequences.
From delegates who were present al
the convention of the Independents at
Dublin last week, details of the situa
tlon were learned. The situation is par
ticularly bad i'm the middle and west
Cork districts. south of Ireland. from
Macroon TO the borders Of Kerry, includ-
ing two congested districts. Meetings
are being held. the parish priests pre-
siding, urging the government TO start
relief work before the people are actually
suffering. The district of Bantry, where
the greatest suffering occurred in 1S47
and in 1879, is as bad as the Cork dis
trict. The potatoes are practically ex-
hausted already. In mid Cork and along
the southern coast there is not more than
a quarter Of the usual crop. 1t is said
that very small percentage of the
farmers in this district nave saved their
potatoes, and those saved are reported
TO be so bad that when eaten they pro-
duce Irish cholera" and are worthless
as seeds. IL is feared that the supply of
food will be exhausted before the new
year. The other crops are very bad and
the laborers are IN worse condition
than the farmers, because now that the
crops are harvested they have no expec-
tation Of work until the spring.
The government officials insist upon
keeping themselves fully Informed re-
garding the conditions prevailing. and
will be able, apparently, TO cope with
the distress: but they say they are un-
able TO announce at this time what dis
tricts or how many people will be af-
fected. J. p. Dougherty. assistant un-
der secretary Of state for ireland. dis
cussing the situation with represen-
tative OF the Associated Press, said there
would undoubtedly be suffering; but, he
remarked, the predictions of famine
similar to that OF the year lSi7 were the
"merest rubbage." He added: There
are several counties on the west coast
OF Ireland where the people have had an
exceedingly hard time to attain self sup
port under the best conditions. and II
requires but small push to send them
over the line, so that with small falling
off of the crops they will be obliged 10
accept aid. This will be the case in parts
of the west coast. But two circum-
stances will prevent a recurrence of the
famine in Ireland under any circum-
stances, namely, the increase of railroad
facilities since lS4s and the fact that the
people are no longer dependent entirely
upon the potato crop. The truth is that
part of Ireland is not sufficiently produc-
tive to support its people. and il is a
question whether manufactures should
not be taken to them, or whether they
should not be taken to the manufactures
OF England, the United States or else
where, though am not prepared TO say
i,l,