The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-02-05
IRISH MANUFACTURES.
John L. Redmond Deals With Them
In IL New York Paper.

AS TO the actual condition Of social
affairs in Ireland at the present day l
find that there is good deal Of de-
plorable ignorance in the minds of the
people CT America. People living in the
United States seem to have an idea that
Ireland has become an island of almost
barren and bleak rock
The general impression here is that
Ireland is fast becoming completely de-
populated by immigration and hard
times, and that in short time it will
have become nothing but a collection CT
large untenanted hunting grounds.
But every one of these beliefs is err
roneous. Ireland is not on the verge of
ruin; Ireland is not becoming dried UP
and depcpulated, and with only a little
care Ireland can soon be one of the
most prosperous countries in the whole
world
1t is a fact that the failure Of the po-
tato crop this year will be the cause OF
much distress during the winter that has
just begun. All of the potatoes left over
from last year are nearly eaten up now,
and as soon as they are gone there will
be much suffering from lack of food.
This suffering will be felt only slightly
IN the center and the east Of Ireland.
ii indeed 1t viii! be felt in those localities
at all. but in the west and northwest of
Ireland something must be done at once
TO guard against the people starving to
death.
1t is that narrow strip of counties
extending along the Atlantic that the
potatoe crops have been complete fail
ures this year, but fortunately all of the
inhabitants combine the vocation of
FARMER and fisherman, so that the fail
ure of the potatoes will not mean ..
m'lch as it would if the same completa
failure had taken place in other sections
"here the inhabitants depended entirely
upon the ground for their subsistence.
ireland will be we'll able to take cara
OF Itself without asking any help from
America if the British government will
40 It's duty, as we shall endeavor n
compel 1t to do.
10 Keep the people of the western part
OF Ireland from starving this vintor
all that would be necessary is for tia
executive to order the construction of
much needed harhors, roads and drain,
and light railways.
lhese works have been greatly in de-
mand for some years, but their con-
struction at the present time womb
serve the double end of filling a long.
standing want and giving the people
enough work to safely tide them over
the temporary hard times.
do not anticipate any obstacle in tn 2
way OF carrying out this project for such
public works. No special legislation Will
be requisite. as the British government
has the power to start works of this
kind whenever 1t deems them UNSUITABLE.
/ think when we bring the matter before
the house Of commons it will be re'medic,l.
| have been asked what is the outlook
for the future welfare of Ireland? l say
1t is very good, indeed. 1t is a mistake
to think that the fertility of Ireland's
soil Is all used up or that there are too
many people there for the crops that
can be raised. The fact of the matter
is. that. owing to the abominable laws in
force years ago, the result at the pre-
sent day is that where the soil is richest
there are very few inhabitants left, while
the most dcnsely populated sections CT
Irland are just in the very spots where
the soil is poorest from the Standpoint of
general fertility. The measure passed
through Parnell's efforts fifteen years
ago was designed to remedy that evil
but the matter had then gone too tar.
What Ireland needs most-and this
would make it one Of the most flourish
ing countries of the worlds for her
people to have manufacturing industries
to fall back upon in addition to agricul.
ture. This policy, l am glad to say, is
beginning to have some footing among
the people Of Ireland with satisfactory
results.
1t is not generally known that of peu-
pie between the ages of twenty and
forty there are fewer in ireland proper
tionatcly than in any other country of
the world. This is due to an enormous
immigration of growing-up Irish people
to America and Australia, but during
the last three years the number of i'm.
migrants from Ireland has shown a large
falling Off And with general falling
If the people into the policy Of mauu-
facturies in addition to agriculture we
would soon see the very last of hard
times in Ireland and emigration.
And it must be understood that there
is an extremely good foundation looking
toward the conversion of Ireland into a
great manufacturing center, although
few people in America are aware of that
fact. 49,