The Irish standard., 1905-04-29

said.
Martin Kenny formerly held about
% acres of pretty good land. His
rent was ELS. He was served with
a writ from the High Courts. He had
eleven children. OF these three girls
and one boy are in America. He
lived by laboring work and the work
his wife got in the district, supple
mented by the money sent home by
the children. He did not know a
single instance, he assured me, of an
evicted tenant getting outdoor relief
John M'Donagh held farm of @
acres when evicted. He had three
sons and two daughters. They were
all in Australia. They supported him
self and his wife for years past.
Con. Telly and his brother held 81
acres and roods. The old rent was
f26 12s. They went into court and
got first term rent fixed at f19 some
time before being evicted. They now
/ lived by whatever laboring work they
could pick up. The same thing applies
to all the other evicted tenants in the
Woodford district.
Mr.. John Mullen, District Council
lor, with whom ] had an interview.
corroborated all had already learned
about the industry and thrift of the
evicted tenants. He said not one of
those people to his knowledge had re-
ceived one penny's worth of outdoor
relief They sought for nothing but
work. With what they earned them.
selves and the help they got from
their friends and relatives in America,
he said, they had kept their heads
above water.
In striking contrast to the Gin
dolence" of the evicted tenants was
the hard laborious work in which
l saw the constabulary, who occupy
protection huts on several parts of the
estate. engaged. observed these
great stalwart men deeply immersed
in the task of polishing the nickel
plate and pumping the pneumatic
tires of their splendid bicycles pre-
partory to a spin over the country in
the bracing air of the afternoon in the
discharge of their duty, of course.
That is the work Mr.. Tener delights
to witness, and not the idle evicted
tenant putting forth every human
exertion to secure food for himself
and his family, and to preserve them
free from the stain of pauperism.
Mr.. Shaw Tener, was informed,
took it upon himself some time ago
to interpret the mind of his noble
master upon the evicted tenants
question. a man named Michael
German. who had bee nevicted with
the rest on the Clanricarde estate,
went to Mr.,!Tener last year, and
asked him was there any chance of
his getting back his holding under the
Act of 1908. Mr.. Tener's reply was
that it was against the Marquis of
Clanricarde's principles to restore the
evicted tenants, no matter what they
might offer, for their holdings. Mr..
Tener. however, was graciously
pleased to declare that as he knew
German to be an Industrious man
he would recommend him to the
Estates Commissioners. with a view
to getting a holding somewhere. Cor
man has since gone to America, but
his family are still in occupation of
the hut in which they were given
shelter since their eviction.
Il close this article with an inter-
view which had with the respected
parish priest of Woodford, the Rev.
Father Bowes. AS is natural to ex-
pect, Father Bowes views with the
deepest concern the position of the
evicted tenants in his parish. He told
me that every visitor to the district
can readily verify for himself, that a
more industrious, sober, honest, hard
working body of men could not be
found in any part of Ireland. No
person (he declareG could lay to the
charge of any one of them crime or
outrage of any kind or description.
In circumstances, gloomy and dis
|heartening, they had evinced spirit
of industry and of thrift beyond all
praise. They saved themselves from
the workhouse, and they steadily set
their faces against any system of re-
lief that brought with it the brand
of pauperism. They were not indebt-
ed, to the rates or any charitable
agency for bite or sup. They lived
by the labor of their own families,
who went to- America after the evic-
tions. Some of the members of each
evicted family have from time to time
gone to America, and they constantly
year after year send money to help
to support those at home. ut is a
hard struggle" said Father Bowes,
"but the hope of getting back to their
old homes sustains them and keeps
them up"
1t is a pathetic spectacle, said,
to see these poor people waiting so
patiently for the day of deliverance.
"Yes," he answered; "And believe me
no settlement can ever be effective
or lasting that does not provide for