Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-07-05
IRELAND LOSING MEN
Railway Returns Show Islands De.
clining Population.
GAIN IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND
Wealth of Nation Begins to Show De-
cided Increase.
MANY SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT
"Willie Johns" Latest Exploit Gets
Him in Trouble.
SIX MONTHS IN JAIL AT DERRY
His Attempt 60 Pose as WRrdeF of
InstitutiOn Cause of Arrest
Unionist Intolerance
I'm North.
SIX MONTHS IN JAIL AT DERRY

DUBLIN. July 4-(special THE declin-
Ing population OF Ireland and its effect on
the prosperity Of the country are the fea-
lures Of the report of the Viceregal com
mission on the Irish railways, which has
Just been published. The evidence given
by the representatives of the railways
shows that from 1891 to 1906 the population
OF ireland decreased by 92,370, while that
Of England and Wales increased by b,46l,l8
and that OF Scotland by 6S9,s8. There are
however. Il is stated hopeful signs OF an
Improvement In the condition of the coun-
try. Emigration is steadily decreasing and
even migratory irish labor is diminishing
in Great Britain. while the revival Of agri~
culture is providing more work for Irish
men at home.
in spite OF these adverse conditions, how
ever the Irish railways have shown a won
derful record Of growth. Taking the rev.
enue for five-year periods during the last
fifteen years, II showed the following in
creases In each period sl,760,000 N,7SOOO0
and 81, ,347. 600. or a total increase of nearly
$5OOOOOO for the fifteen pears ending 1906,
compared with a like period ending with
1891. The following figures show the in
creases in the various departments during
the same period:
Passenger tTaIIlO ....sss..s..s..ss.ss NEsAlOtNyV
Parcels traffic ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Il0,OO
Merchandise and mineral traffic.. 1,7S,000
Live stock fic..................,... SSOVJ
Increased tonnage ..,............,l4 4SOVOO tons
1t was also stated that the return fares
charged to passengers were much lower
in some cases as much as 20 per cent--than
the return fares for similar distances in
England. Against this, however, must be
set the fact that travel in England is much
more luxurious than in Ireland
"winie Johns" Exploit.
willie John" the Derry Captain Koe-
penlck," whose exploits l have mentioned
from time to time. has at last overshot the
mark and landed In prison. II will be re-
nembered how he posed an Inspector
from Dublin" and confiscated half the fire
arms IN North Tyrone and how he obtained
board and lodging for week In Donegal by
passing himself off as his hostess long
lost son from America. His latest exploit
was 70 obtain several days entertainment
in Limavady by posing as warder in
Derry jail. He presented himself to the
landlady of public house whose husband
was spending a term of retirement In the
Derry institution for trifling difference
of opinion with the excise authorities.
He brought many affectionate messages
and also hInted that he might be able TO
, smugEle n few luxuries into the imprisoned
publican. He was entertained royalty for
more than a week. when a police sergeant
who knows him, met him on the street and
made inquiries which resulted in his arrest.
willie John" was tried at the Crown
sessions In Derry He conducted his own
own case SO ably that the jury reported
that II was unable to agree. The judge,
however. having ascertained that 1t stood
eleven to one for conviction, remarked:
g. . al
gentleman. but l think he had better try
again Thus encouraged the jury agreed
on a verdict OF guilty and Willie John
will spend six months as a guest in the
institution of which he posed as warden
Typhoid From MusseIs.
The Belfast authorities have started &
determined crusade against the ancient
practice OF gathering cookies, mussels and
other she'll fish from the shores of Belfast
Lough, and offering them for sale in th'
town. In the old days when Belfast wa'
not so considerable a city, the Lough wal
fairly clean, but with the growth of thu
city, the waters of the Tough have become
polluted and a large number of cases o
typhoid have been traced to the consump
tion OF she'll fish from these infected areas
Several people who have made a living 70
years by this trade have been prosecuted
and heavily fined. In one case a medica
expert said that he would as soon eat
solid mass OF typhoid bacteria as she'll fisl
from the Tough.
I have referred several times to the lacl
OF protection against fire in the smalle
Irish towns and even in more importan
places novel scheme has been put for
ward in Newry where II was proposed l.
trair the policemen stationed there as fire
- aNNta
policemen were quite willing to undertak
the service, but the proposal was vetoe
by the chief commissioner of the roya
Irish constabulary at Dublin castle, VIII
held it would interfere with their dutie
as policemen.
intolerance I'm North.
An example of Unionist intolerance ha
just come to light in County Tyrone. TIL
newly elected county council was equal
divided between Nationalsts and Unionists
but the duke of Abercorn who is the great
est landlord in the county and a very goo
one, was chosen unanimously to fill tn
post OF chairman. The Nationalists, O
course. fully expected that the Unionist
wolld return the compliment by voting 10
the Nationalist candidate for the vic
Craftsmanship, but instead Of doing so the
used their majority OF one-gaiped by tn
election OF the duke TO the chRlr-to eleC
their own man. This is especially uT
gracious In view OF the fact that I'm mos
OF the southern county councils. where n
Natonaiists have an overwhelming ma
Jority, II Is the inevitable rule TO elect
Unionst 10 the vice chairmanship.
Now that Cardinal Logue has returns
home definite pronouncement on the a
titude OF the Catholic hierarchy toward n
Irish university bill 10 expected. Tt
bishops have been holding their hands unit
they obtained lead from the cardinal an
he save Il almost at once by condemnin
the bill IN its present shape. The seneri
opinion is however. that the bishops wi
do their best 10 secure its improvemeI
! and failing that accept II as a good de,
better than nothing. The chief objection
the Dill As II stands now Is the refusal
the British government 10 affiliate Ma
nooth college-the Cstholic training scho
for the elergy-as a constituent college
the university. +. X. CULLEN.