Omaha daily bee., 1907-12-01
LAND WITHOUTTAXES
Unusual Condition Prevails in Islands
OF Coast of Ireland.
COLLECTORS FRowNED UPON
BOatmen Refuse to Carry Them and
People Refuse Them Food.
Lax ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS
Practice Of Packing Juries Causes
Anxiety Among Men Of ALI Parties.
DECAY OF TMLAGE IN IRELAND
More Than sixty Per Cent of the
Area OF the Island is Now
Devoted TO Pasture or
Hay Land.
Boatmen Refuse to Carry Them and
People Refuse Them Food.
LAX ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS
DECAY OF TnLAGE IN 1RE1ANl

DUBLIN, Nov, 30-Cspecial.) - That
happy land where there are no taxes has
been discovered in ireland. II lies of
the coast OF Donegal and comprises the
scores of small islands which dot that
part OF the coast and which are inhabited
by q race Of hardy fishermen and small
farmers. These islands are truly part
OF the country where the kings writ does
not run, and where the people are law
unto themselves. II must be said, how
ever. that they do not need much law, for
they are among the most peaceable and
hard working people IN the world.
The discovery was made at recent
meeting Of the Donegal county council
when the rate collector whose duty it is
to collect the local taxes was called on
to explain why no money had been forth
coming for years from the islands of Cola
and Innishmane The unfortunate official
explained that the reason he had not col
lected these taxes was that he was unable
to collect them, and he then announced
that similar conditions prevailed through
out all the islands OF the Donegal coast.
II seems that the inhabitants in common
with the fishermen and boatmen of the
mainland have a constitutional aversion
20 tax-gatberers and that he was unable
TO get boatman to take him to the islands
70 serve the tax notices. On ono occasion
when - found a boatman who did not
know him, and actually succeeded in set
ting foot on one of the islands he was
marooned without food or lodging and the
only way that he succeeded In getting back
20 the mainland was by promising to take
all his tax notices back with him unserved.
All OmcerH the Same.
On several occasions an attempt had
been made to serve distress notices for
nonpayment of the taxes, but the police
men to whom the duty was entrusted Jared
no better than the tax collector. The Done
gal fishermen have no greater love for
policemen than for rate-gatherers The
tax-gatherer suggested that an attempt
might be made TO waylay the islanders on
the rare occasions when they came to the
mainland to attend the markets, and take
the clothes on them for payment Of the
rates. but this course was not approved
by the county council, which adjourned
without having arrived at any solution Of
the problem
The administration OF the ordinary erim-
inal and civil law in many districts of
Ireland IL causing good deal of anxiety
70 men OF all parties, and Mr.. John Red
mona summed up lne SITUATION very con-
cisely the other day in an interview which
had with him on his way to address a
meeting at Birr on the subject.
''rhe fact is," said Mr.. Redmond, that
the old system OF packing juries is not dead
and the result Is that It is difficult to get
an ordinary jury to convict even in a pretty
clear case whore an offense against the law
has been committed The crown says in
effect, we expect you 70 convict in every
case and the people retaliate by refusing
20 convict In any case. The fact is that.
as Mr. Gladstone said. The law comes to
us in an alien garb' II Ia often totally un-
suited TO the habits OF the people and to
local conditions and when In addition to
that we have the political unrest It is not
70 be wondered at that the people in many
parts OF ireland view the entire law and
rs administration with hostility and sus-
picion."
Waste over Island.
The decay Of tillage in Ireland and the
consequent growth OF the wasteful and
uneconomic system Of grazing is shown
graphically in a volume OF agricultural
statistics just published by the government
The following are the figures for the vari-
Gus crops In 1851 and 1906: