The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-01-10
GIRL MIGRATES.
Cross From Ireland 10 England In
Harvest Time.

harvest lime.
The Dublin "Frceman's Journal"
has capitally reviewed the last returns
issued by the Board of Trade regard
ing the question of Irish migratory
laborcrs." We take few extracts:
According to The Board of Trade re-
turns, 24,43S migratory laborers"
from COnnacht crossed to England
this year to work at the harvest there
in June, July, and August. At the
average earnings estimated by the
Board of Trade-E7 los per head
they bring back to COnnacht Il round
sum of E1S3,2S5. This is equal to
21h per cent. of the entire judicial
rent of the province. The Congested
Districts Board schedule 31,S73 fam
lilies occupying holdings under "a valu-
alton in the congested districts of
of the migrants represent about f6 for
each family. The number of migrants
has been declining for some years
This year it is 2,77S less than last year,
and -l,7G3 less in 1900. This represents
Il loss to Connacht as compared with
1900 of about l3G,OCO, or IL Is for each
family in the congcstcd districts with
holdings under e. valuation.
Seventy seven per cent. of 1S,S39, Of
the migratory laborcrs of Connacht
come from the county of Mayo. and
their earnings. about f142,0O0, repre-
sent II los for each of the 1878 fam
lilies scheduled in the congested dis
tricts of the county holding land at
and under IA valuation. The migra-
tory laborers from Mayo are this year
BIB less than in 1900. and the loss to
the county by this falling Off in num-
bcrs is E23 800. This sum is equal to
Il loss of ~ As to each family in the
congcstcd districts of Mayo with hold
ings ut II valuation and under.
The decrease in the number of mi
grants is due to the falling Off of en-
ployment caused by the increasing use
of machinery, especially self-bindcrs,
by the English farmers. The Board Of
Trade report the steady decrease of
employment of casual or harvest labor
crs owing to this cause, and the chief
sufferers are the Irish migratory labor
ers.
The migratory laborers are the small
holders of land in the West of Ireland,
or their sons, wives, or daughters. "A
large proportion Of the migrants are
girls. The census commissioners in
their report on the subject of migra-
ton published statistics of the ITEM
porary emigrants" that left the differ
ent ports, Of whom 7.74O We're females.
Mr.. j. Salt, the agent for the Achill
estate. in his evidence before the Roy
nj Commission OH Labor in 1892, said:
II estimate that the number of women
from Achill who so to Scotland cannot
he less than between 400 and 500. OF
men and boys there are fully 300 from
this estate alone" Mr.. O'Malley,
shipping agent Mt Westport quay. be-
fore the same commission, said:
about 80 per cent. Of those who book
by boat are women. The Achill Won
en- go in May and June for turnip
wedding; some of them so in March"
1t is this question of migration for
several months of the year of SO many
thousands of Irish girls, together with
the annual emigration of 5000 girls tc
the cities of America and other coun
tries, that makes the temporal con
Germs of Ireland one Of the greatest
! moral problems of Western Europe