The Irish standard., 1908-11-14

In discussing this resolution Rev.
Michael O'Flanagan declared that Irish
men had been begging charity in Amer
lea for the last thirty years, and if the
same perseverance and the same energy
had been expended in raising Irish
produce and making Fish textiles and
goods. they would have got a pound
from America through business for ev-
cry ha'-penny they got through char
ity. He believed that Americas would
consume from $7o,oo0,ooo to s1oo, ,0co, ,oo9
worth of Irish goods if the people of
ireland would produce the goods. He
said that a similar market for agricul.
tural products exists in England, and
could be supplied by Irish farmers if
they would show proper energy ta.i6
industry. Similar opinions were ex-
pressed by other speakers and consia-
,erable, interest has been excited by
these conferences; SO that It may be.
assumed that tie people are a:rW;sa;;ke,iine
to. their opportunities. g H..
Sir Horace ,PluHkstt. r;:;ho has been
especially active in trying to improve
the condition of the farmers of Ire
land. says, "The settlement of the
land question and the new system. vt
governmental aid to agriculture are
proceeding rapidly; and doing great
good, but along neither of those two
lines of national advancement, nor
along both combined, is agricultural
prosperity to be attainel. The. result
depends entirely: upon. voluntary indi-
vfdual effort and co-operatior.. The
British market will take all the produc
we can send and the, more We sand of
uniform quality-and this can be done
by co-operation-the more it. will pay
foi our produce. 1t follows tha. every
dairy farmer in 1relani is not only
interested in seeing that every farmer
In his district forwards the best butter
he can produce, but he !, also concern
ed to see that farmels in. other dis
tricts do the same. The ownership of
| the land by the occupier, whicn mas
been brought about by legisls ton, will
not of itself give the Irish farmer the
prosperity he hopes Cor. It is not
only the farms, but the habits of the
people upon the land which need i'm
provement. Capable unde: certain in
huences Of surprising industry, they
lack the qualities which secure the
fruits of industry, because theic edu-
cation and economic circumstances
have not developed the industrial habit.
They are surely clever in thei: re-
sourcefulness and shrewd in their bar
gainings, but as rule in the manage
ment of their farms and commercial
dealings they display total lack Of the
most elementary principles Of either
! technical or business knowledge In
spite of a passionate devotion to t,1e:l
country, they emigrate to America
whenever they can obtain the money tc
pay their passage, and seem to have
no fixed purpose or ambition to do.
velop the resources that lie arcunl
them.''
i The tendency of which Sir Horace
Plunkett speaks is illustrated by the
recent census, which shows that the
area of Ireland under cultivation il
1905 was 2,999,0s2 acres, while in .s7:
the area was 5,332,s13 acres and il
1895 it was 4,932,0o1 acres. That /,
the principal reason why Ireland /.
rot so prosperous as she should be W.
der the circumstances.
l. The factories of Ireland are confined
almost entirely to the northern provirc,
OF Ulster, although a few mills ant
other textile manufactures are scat
tered in other parts of the island Th'
textile and other manufacturing indus
; tries have enjoyed unprecedented AMI
/ extraordinary prosperity for eight o
ten years. which was interrupted TEN
. porariiy. let us hope, when the PAM