Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-12-27
LAND PURCHASE BILL.
British Government is Too Busy and
Drops Measure.
IRISH GRIEVANCES OLD STORY
Promise Made to Take Matter Up at
Next Session.
NOT LIKELY TO BE FULFILLED
Many Anomalies of the Irish Old Age
Pension Act.
a = -
VI LIKELY TO BE FULFILLED
APPLICANTS BY THE WHOLESALE
More Want Money Than Census List
shows 90 ne Eligible 90 RE-
ceive It-FauIty Britt
ish Statistics.

DUBLIN. Dec. 26-(special. )-That hope
ful looking measure, the new Irish land
purchase bill which It was thought would
speedily bring about the resumption of the
transfer OF Irish land from the landlords
TO the tenant farmers, is dead already.
1t has perished in the slaughter Of the in
nocents and its abandonment forms only
another argument for the necessity OF an
Irish legislature to make laws for Ireland
Il is necessary, Of course, that at the
end of a session of Parliament a certain
number OF bills must be jettisoned, because
there is no time to consider ana pass
them and It is the practice OF every gov
ernment 70 drop those which 1t considers
least important. ireland does not matter
to an English government, which is over"
burdened with the task of legislating for
England, and the Irish land bill, which
was one of the most important measures
for ireland brought in for several years,
had to CO. 1t 1t true that Mr.. Birrell, the
chief secretary for Ireland promises that 1t
viii be carried over to the next session OF
Parliament, but the probability is that
there will be no next session for the pres
ent government, and even II there Is II
Will be too busy getting ready for gen.
TO pay much attention to the claims Of
ireland from whom It has nothing TO
gain OF lose at the polls.
Ola Age Pensions.
The old age pensions act continues to
furnish All sorts of puzzles for the admin
istrators. II now turns out that total
of isa.1ss persons claiming to be more than
seventy years old have applied for PEN
sions in ireland. The official census re-
turns show that there are only $4,000 per-
sons over seventy In ireland and 1t is es-
timated that $1,000 of these are in receipt
OF poor law relief and therefore ineligible
for pensions, so that on the face of the
official figures there should be only 152, 900
persons Of pensionable age, and. Of course,
a number Of these should be in circum-
stances which would render a pension un-
necessary.
The English papers have raised q howl
about Irish dishonesty. but the trouble
seems TO lie. In the inaccurate English sta
tistics It is well known that there was no
provision for the registration OF births in
Ireland until long after the youngest living
septuagenarian was born, and It is also
well known that the irish peasant is very
shy as a rule, about telling his age. II Is
fair to assume that Inaccurate answers
man, and that the prospect Of a pension
has induced many persons to tell their real
age
The difficulties which are being thrown
in the way OF applicants for pensions
however. are likely to shut off good
many persons who are entitled to them
have just been looking at form which
the small land holder whose income Is
less than $3.50 n week. Is required to fill
out. There are no less than thrty-fouI
separate headings under which he or she
is required to estimate his annual receipts
He is expected to set forth separately his
profits from the sale OF cattle, sheep
horses, pigs. butter milk. poultry. eggs
honey, corn, flax, hay and straw, pota'
toes, turf, fish, seaweed and turnips. He
Is also required to state the value Of ths
farm produce which he consumes himself
in the course of the year, and another form
requires the applicant TO estimate his earn
ings every year from agricultural labor
weaving spinning knitting, needlework
lnee. crochet and fishing. OF course al
this Is impossible 20 an old man or woman
who cannot read or write. and there is nj
doubt that this glaring piece of red tap'
VIII shut out a number of persons wh'
are genuinely entitled to pensions.
BiE sum Left the Poor.
The village OF ArdstrEw County Tyrone
has Just had a windfall under the will o
Mrs. Knox Nof Auckland. New Zealand
who was born there. She has left 5000
for the deserving poor of the village ant
$500 for the Improvement of the Ardstrav
Presbyterian church Her total estat
amounted to about 10000. OF which $3.50, %
goes to various Charts BILE and public in
stitutions, and the balance to relatives VIII
live in or near Ardstraw.
An amusing story OF a prisoner who al,
not want his liberty has just come to m
from the north. It seems that two mem
hers OF the Royal Irish constabulary wer
il structed to take a prisoner from Belfas
10 Derry. All went well untll they reachet
Portadown. which is a great railway juno
tion. and at which they had TO chang
trains, They had few minutes 10 wal
and they went to the refreshmsnt roor
with their prisoner, but stayed too lon
and just emerged on the platform TO sc
the Derry train starting to move. The con
stables. intent on catching their train
nade a rush for II and jumped ABOARD
forgetting all about their prisoner. VIII
was left standing in amusement on tn
platform. The policemen. when they real
lied what had happened, saw visions G
dismissal. and when the train reached III
next station, twenty miles away. they &c
out and hired a horse. and trap and drov
back to Portadown. Their first calL G
course. was at the police station. and ther,
20 their amazement and relief, they foun
their prisoner sitting. waiting for then
He had decided that il would be unfair
escape from two policemen who had treate
him 30 well.
Another nemaEkable case OF Irish Ions
evity has just come to light by the deaf
OF Bartholomew o'LeaTy OF Bariin. nea
Bantry. County Cork He was born /
lTS7, and was therefore III years old whe
he died. lie worked regularly as a far,
laborer until he was 100 years old. and fc
the last eleven years he has done a goo
deal Of light farm work. He was IN onl
a week before his death, and this. he a,
clared. was the first illness he ever ha,
He never spoke word OF English. a
b. though he understood Il when spoken
him. and he frequently declared that h
would never speak amy other than his nl
kirs toaga@ FIX CULLEN.