The Irish standard., 1908-11-14

l
evidently is.
PROSPERITY AND NOT POVERTY
II is glad news for all lovers of Ire
land to read in this Issue from the pen
of William E. Curtis, of the Chicago
Record Herald. that poverty II, longer
exists in the Emerald Isle but that evi
dences of prosperity ara visible every
where. except in remote districts of the
West. He goes so far as to say that
Ireland enjoys more prosperity at the
present time than either England or
Scotland. 1t is hard to believe it, but
those who have recently visited the
old country bear testimony to the
correctness of his statement, and the
Dublin Independent partly tells the
same tale.
In almost every Industrial center in
the United Kingdom FOR some time
hack, the state Of trade has been most
t,iscouraging and a large number of
people have been out of employment.
but Belfast alone has been conspicu-
Gus exception. Shipbu!lcling is -four
lshtng there. and it is preparing for the
York of building what will be the larR-
est liners afloat. The linen trade was
rather dull all year. most Of the mills
and factories only working hale time,
while some were closed altogether.
Now the trade is improving. the num-
ber of looms at work is increasing,
some factories are working full time,
and others have added an hour to their
half time. while there is a general feel
ing that better times TO. the linen trade
are coming. especially when the Ameri-
can tariff rates are revised. Though
Belfast is the metropolis of the BLACK
North" every well-wishcr of ireland
will not grudge it's prosperity.
The other parts Of Iceland. particu-
;arly the East and South. are In a fair
~ prosperous condition. and but few
/
Many of the evicted tenants are being
restored to their farms OH easy terms,
and the laborers and poorer people are
better off than formerly The farmers
who have bought their land outright
! from, the landlords unter the Act of
1908. are making great improvements
in fencings draining, repairing of farm
roads and by increasing the fertility of
the soil in every way.
They are now the sole proprictors of
the land they cultivate. and the knowl- :
e,lge of that fact stimulates their i'll
'austry Many years ago when British
statesmen charged the Irish tenants
at-will with laziness and want of thrift.
the English political economist. John
Stuart Mills, declared the Irish people
would be fools il they were industrious,
because the more they improved their
farms and enhanced their value. the
higher rents they would have to pay
the landlords. Writing along this line
Mr.. Curtis says:
THE first. and In many respects the
most important. consequence of owning
farms is the contentnent that it has
given to the people. TIER minds are
at ease. Their anxiety as to their fu-
ture treatment from their landlord o,
his agent has vanished and the mis-
fortunes which often distressed them
have disappeared. In their investiga
tons the commissioners and the in =
srectors employed by them have me.
very few tenant purchasers who have
any fault to find with the conditions
under which they are now living. We
have met several mer who had los,
their cattle by disease and others whose
crops had failed, but they seemed to
be cheerful and were confident thai
with care and industry they would
soon be on their legs again. There ii
no question but that +he standard OF
living In every respect has. been raised
since the people of Ireland have bee !
allowed to own the farms they TIL,
This appears in their personal appear
snce as we'll as in the food provided
for their tables. 1t is due to the great
er self-respect that has been inspired
by sense of proprietorship. A man
who owns his farm and has a perma-
nent right of possession that cannot bs
disturbed for any reason naturally
rolds his lead higher and feels n great
! er degree of Importance than one who
pays rent and is likely to be evicted al
any time. Furthermore. when a ma
realizes that he is working for him
self he is apt to show more zeal, and
energy than when he is working fo:
someone else. The most important
and fundamental benefit that the Irish
people are enjoying from the ownership
| of their farms is the elevation of their