The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-07-24
IRISH FARMS TOO
SMALL FOR COMFORT.
Their Enlargement Necessary
For Any Agricultural DevsIop.
ment- Sea Fisheries Planned.

The Royal Commission on Conges-
ton in Ireland. which has been taking
testimony for several years, has at
last made its final report, and IL it's
recommendations are accepted, and
put in practice it will have justified
the time spent on its work. The duty
Of the commission was TO inquire into
the conditions of the people in what
are known as the "congested areas"
chiefly In the west OF Ireland, where
the holdings OF most of the farmers
are too small TO support life I'm any
degree OF comfort, and TO recommend
a remedy. The following are some OF
the most striking extracts from the
commission's report:
"The great majority OF the people
In the congested districts and neigh
boring areas are dependent on the
land for a living. The majority OF
the holdings in the west of Ireland
are inadequate for the support OF
the occupiers, and their enlargement
is a condition precedent 10 any
marked agricultural development.
The Congested District Board should
be continued and charged with the re-
lief OF congestion I'm the province OF
Connaught, the counties OF Donegal,
Kerry, Clare and the four rural dis
tricts OF Bantry, CastletOwn, Schulz
and Skibbereen, in County Cork. The
over land purchase within their new
area, and no estate, or part OF an es-
tate should pass by direct sale from
landlord to tenant except with their
consent.
"The commission estimates that to
raise to an economic standard the
holdings within the boards area
which call for such treatment will in
volve the acquisition OF additional
land with an annual valuation Of S2,-
100000. AS the land available is
limited and as the greater part OF
the area requires resettlement, the
board should have power of acquir-
Ing land by compulsion, and the pro-
vision OF holdings for landless men,
or the enlargement OF existing hold
ings beyond the minimum economic
standard. should be avoided
After agriculture. the commission
thinks that the development of the
sea fisheries off the western seaboard
seems to offer the best hope OF i'm
proving the condition Of the people.
The possibility of the development
OF large industries in the west seems
to be limited. Boat building, barrel
making, netmaking, the making OF
woolen goods, quarrying, kelpmaking,
industries connected with peat and
bacon curing, offer the best prospect
of industrial development on a large
scale. The board should be equipped
TO buy and resell land to the value OF
So 900, 1000 each year. The income
required iy the board for carrying
out its work is estimated to amount
to $15,OOO,OOO.
1T is stated in the commissions
report that desIate the conditions OF
life the death rate n the Congested
areas is Iowa testimony TO the vir-
ility Of the race. OF the nine Irish
counties with the lowest rate, Cavan
IS the only one OF which some part is
not congested. The average death
rate of the eight congested counties
from 1891 TO 1901 was 14.6 per
thousand and that Of the rest of Ire
land 19.4. The birth rate was also
higher (apart from Belfast and Dub
linz, but the great emigration re-
suited in a decrease Of population
A..
Ireland"