The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-08-30
THE REsUscITATloN OF GALWAY,


Its decadence is easily accounted
for. Though possessing every natural
advantage from the hand of the Gre
ator, the city Of Galway has been
commercially ruined by an alien gov
eminent. In the days of Columbus it
was a prosperous city and carried on
trade with France and Spain. The
old buildings that stand within it's
lettering walls prove beyond doubt
that the inhabitants Of Galway in the
fifteenth century enjoyed the blessings
of prosperity. 1t has had many vicissi-
tudes during the past four hundred
years, but since the accused union
between Great Britain and Ireland a
hundred years ago the city has been
gradually declining in wealth and pop
ulation until it is only a shadow Of it's
former self. English trade restrictions
first gave Galway a setback, and
English commercial greed has brought
it to it's present deplorable condition.
Though Galway is the nearest Euro
pean port to the United States, no
passenger ship ever enters it's spacious
harbor or departs therefrom. 1t
might as well be situated in the in
terror of Ireland as on the western
coast for any benefits derived from it's
geographical position in the way of
trade and commerce. All American
tourists are now billed for Liverpool
except few who land at Queens
town, and if any of them desire to
visit Galway they can reach it cheaper
from England than from Dublin
That may appear strange to our
readers, but it is a wel-known fact
Goods can be shipped cheaper to
Galway from Liverpool or Glasgow
than from Belfast or Dublin, To illus
trate the heavy freight rates at pres
ent charged by Irish railway COM
panies, controlled by the British, it
may be mentioned that the cost of
sending stone from Belfast to Cork is
so great that an exhibitor at the Cork
exhibition was obliged to ship his
stone from Belfast to Glasgow and
then from Glasgow to Cork with the
result that the freight charges were
three-fourths less than if he had ship
ped by the direct land route.
There is an indication that brighter
days are in store for the ancient city
of Galway. The Canadians are dis
cussing fast line from the Dominion
to the United Kingdom and are consid-
ering the ACCESSIBILITY of establishing
terminal port ON the west coast of Ire
land. In recent speech on the sub
ject Lord Killaum said that ireland
lies like derelict on the ocean
while the trade and commerce of the
world pass by her Shores and he ia
vored making a p@rt of call of Galway.
The Canadian papers. which are
friendly to Ireland, say that more than
thirty hours would be saved from
Halifax to London if Galway were
made port of call. The Quebec
Saturday Budget says of it:
'The proposed course would not ma
terially affect the trade and commerce
of Liverpool. The mails and Irish
freight landed, the steamers could, if
necessary, pass leisurely on their way
with their British cargo. The govern
ment should consider the claims of
Ireland in this respect when the ques-
ton Of subsidy comes up before par
lament next session. And Britain
owes to Ireland some concession OF the
kind apart from the fact that ma
terial advantages would accrue to her
SELF
The Irish members of parliament
should exert all their influence to
make Galway port of call for Ca
madam steamers. OF course, the Brit
ish ministry will oppose anything that
may be beneficial to Ireland. but if
Canada insists upon making Galway
terminus for it's line Of steamers,
Arthur j. Balfour, Joseph Chamber
lain and Secretary Wyndham may not
object If Galway is made a port of
entry for Americans the city will once
more regain some of it's former i'm
Eortance and the railway connection
between it and Dublin will be i'm
proved. Wyndham himself declared
that what Ireland nest wanted was
the development Of traffic. The estab-
lishment of a port of call at Galway
would develop traffic in Ireland. and
we hope that Canada will speak out
for Galway when tie matter comes I'D
before tie British parliament at the
next session.
EX-A1ayor james D. Phelan. of San
Fra NriSco WRITES from T nn1o,, II, +1,o