The Irish standard., 1899-09-30

older sections, known as: .shtown
and Irishtown, are squalid and unclean.
There is one fine church, St. Mary's
Cathedral, which has frequently been
rebuilt and restored during seven con-
turies, and nearby is quaint example
OF, an old-time fortified house; and
across the bridge from the Treaty
Stone is King Johns castle, pictur-
esque Norman fortress. which has been
converted into storage warehouse; but
otherwise there is little in Limerick to
interest the sightseer. 1t is dull town
with few signs OF thrift and prosperity.
The older quarters are foul and poverty
stricken, and interesting as are the his
torical associations there are no eviden-
ces OF municipal progress and modern
improvement. Limerick bears silent
witness to its own commercial decline.
Limerick is the chief city of West
ireland, and has population of about
fcrty-six thousand. 1t was founded a
thousand years ago by the Danes, be-
came the capital of the Munster kings,
and was the scene OF Sarsfeld's heroic
exploits and sagacious diplomacy dur
ing the wars of William and James.
lrishmen are never weary of extolling
its beauty, symmetry and neatness, and
OF recalling its historical associations;
but stranger rambling among its
dingy streets with their laboratories of
ioul odors finds it difficult to join in the
time-honored refrain, Limerick City is
beautiful, as everybody knows" 1t pre-
sents the strongest possible contrast to
the great industrial centers of England
and Scotland, which have absorbed the
surplus rural population under declining
conditions of agriculture and have been
converted into the best governed and
most progressive local communities in
the world. There was time when
Limerick had the promise of the future
of Glasgow, Dundee or Manches-
ter, with industrial prosperity as the
first stage and enlightened municipal
government as the clowning work. 1t
has not drawn off an impoverished
farming population into new industrial
occupations, nor steadily gained in COM
mercial importance, nor made any ad-
vance in the most complex OF the mod
ern arts-the art of governing and ad-
ministering cities for the greatest good
OF the greatest number -.'---s-s-.---,---
A British consular report from Dant-
zic, which is fresh from the press, illus
trates the facility with which the declin-
ing fortunes of town may be counter
acted by energetic policies. This town,
like Limerick in its earlier days, had
been dependent upon its shipping inter-
ests and fishing trade, but its commerce
was diverted to other ports and its best
days seemed to have passed. Within
two years the shippers and merchants
have begun to build manufactures to
compete with south and west Germany,
and new spirit of enterprise and hope
tulness has been created Farm hands
are swarming into the town to find work
at higher wages than they have been
receiving in the fields, and Dantzic is
apparently entering Upon a new career
OF industrial activity. Limerick would
have had similar experience if it had
been transformed in good time from a
port with declining commerce to
manufacturing center with fresh occu-
pations for agricultural laborers and ten
ant farmers in the surrounding districts.
The chief source of Ireland's woes has
been the lack of diversifcation of in
dustry when agricultural interests have
been depressed decade after decade. A
circuit of prosperous manufacturing
towns would have suficed to create
new Ireland.
England and Scotland have had these
busy centers of industry, and the farm
ing population has been emptied into
them as the profits OF agriculture have
declined; and the great provincial
as time has gone on, have
taken UP the new question of urban
liie and developed resources of their
own for promoting the health and COM
fort of the masses and improving the
conditions of their existence When
one looks about Limerick he finds no
evidences of similar municipal activities.
The art of local government as it has
been perfected in hive of industry like
Glasgow is unknown here. The collec-
tive power and resources of the munich
pality are not brought to bear upon the
appalling conditions of Irish poverty.
Indeed, to one who has made a study
of the wonderful progress OF enlight-
cned and progressive government in
England there is something almost pa
tlletic in the eagerness with which the
Irish artisans, laborers and tenant farm
ers are now turning to the new repre-
sentative councils and hoping the relief
for all classes can be enacted.
The rich English and Scotch towns can
borrow millions at the lowest rates and
introduce new municipal industries.
They can purchase the slums, acquire
great properties and make investments
which, will ultimately reduce the bur-
ders of taxation. and thew can admin