The Irish standard., 1905-01-07
SPECTRE
The Distress in Ireland Becomes
Alarming.
Tardy Moves to be Made by t le
Government.

With reference to the resolutions
adopted at a meeting in Dublin on
December 10th, calling upon the Gov
ernment to extend aid to those in the
Nest of Ireland who have been rend-
cred destitute by the failure of the
potato crop, the Irish Castle" Office
declares that the distress in Ireland
will not be acute before the end of
January.
Meanwhile the Government is talk
ing tardy steps to prevent famine.
The meeting of the Irish Parliament
airy Party to discuss the distress in
the West of Ireland, and consider
means to force the Government to
provide for the immediate necessities
and put the Land Act in operation in
Connaught and other poor districts"
was held under the presidency of John
kuulnond. \ resolution nas passed
condcmninG the Government for the
existing distress in Ireland demand
ing that immediate steps be taken to
relieve it. and also demanding that
powers be given for the distribution Of
lands i'll the poor districts.
The meeting was held in the
Mansion House. Dublin, and there
We're present John Dillon, Il. c. Har-
rinGton. Joseph Devlin. Sir II. G.
Esmonde and Il majority of the
Nationalist Members OF the House of
Commons. Resolutions We're unan-
imously adopted, the preamble of
which is rs follows:
Owing to the failure of the potato
crop such as has occurred at regular
intervals in the last sixty years,
aggravated this season by Il terrible
shortage in the earnings of migratory
larvesters, and Il sharp fall in agricul-
tulMl produce, the population Of con-
siderable portions of the West of Ire
land has been plunged into acute dis
tress. which in many districts will re-
suit in famine unless the Government
takes prompt measures
One resolution holds the Govern
ment directly responsible, because it
pcrSiStently refused to take the neces-
Saly steps to relieved chronic restitution.
and earnestly calls upon the Govern
mcnt, even at the eleventh hour, to
apply the provisions of the Land Act
in the West of Ireland, as far as pos
>ible without legislation, and at the
earliest moment Introduce in Parlia-
ment Il bill amending the Land Act to
apply to the problem in question.
The resolution concluded as follows:
I'VE feel bound to condemn in the
strongest terms the conduct of Irish
landlords, in agsravating the distress
by pressing for full rents and arrears
II this disastrous year, and issuing
ajectment processes by wholesale. We
relieve that these proceedings are the
result of a deliberate conspiracy, to
Use distress for the purpose of coercing
he people, to agree to the purchase Of
heir holdings at ruinous prices"
When William O'Brien. NJ. p, who
is now living near Westport, County
.inyo. was interviewed the other day
IN the situation he said:-
"The distress vas narrowing to con-
emplate. But" said he, lin the name
# God let lis not give the outside
world the opinion that Connaught is a
lopeless place, with famine every
CIV years, and the charitable world
,ound to come to the rescue. The
ruth of the matter is that Connaught,
m the whole, is exceedingly rich land;
eaving out certain tracts it is as rich
IS many parts of England. Connaught
,as immense possibilities, and might
,e made a land Of happy and smiling
industry.
1T is the conditions, not the soil, and
he people that are hopeless. And till
lie conditions are changed-and the
aw has declared that they ought to
10 changed, and shows us the way to
hange thenl-therc will be failures of
he potato crop and the spectre of
anime every few years. The same old
hastily round"
1.-The people," Mr. O'Brcn continued,
live on hopeless little holdings-in
| he boys and moors and on the NOUN
| aims. On the rich lands there are
| ,'irtually no people. Some of them
,fter Il few years run to waste, grow
lothin" but rushes. 1t is to every
,ody's interest that they should be
cultivated. Connaught's want is not
he charity of the world, but great
scheme of redistribution and the de-
'elopment of her real energies. BY
he new Land Act. the State recognizes
hat, but. Mr.. O'Brien added. sadly,
the opportunity is slowly awaited of
or not at all.
:. The irony. he said, was that, though
the West of Ireland required the Land
Act most the West has benefited the
least. Some twelve million pounds
worth of land had been bought during
the year. but in North and West Mayo
scarcely tenant had profited. Yet
one Of the greatest purposes of the Act