Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-21
TO EQUAL|ZE LANDS
Working of Wyndham Act in
ireland.
APPROVED BY COMMISSION
Effect on Agreements Between Land
lords and Tenants.
CONTINUOUS DISTURBANCES
Few Landlords Able to Get Along
Peacefully With Those Who
Till Their Soil.
APPROVED BY COMMISSION
CONTINUOUS DISTURBANCES
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and. tn,
Chicago Record Herald.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
DUBLIN. June IA. 1903.
While the conditions of the agricultural
class in Ireland are by no means ideal,
a great deal has been done to improve
them At the present rate of progress.
however. 1t will take from twenty to
twenty-five years, if not much longer, to
accomplish the results intended by the
Wyrdham act of 1903, which was expect
ed to bring about the Irish millennium.
That act provides that an owner of
large estate may sell to his tenants the
holdings they occupy, and his untenanted
land to any one who desires to buy 1t
in such tracts and such prices as may be
agreed upon corresponding to the in
come now derived from that particular
property. No landlord can sell a few
acres here and there of good land under
this act although. of course, he is at
liberty to dispose of any part of his es-
tate at any time at any price that he
may consider proper. But the terms and
privileges of the Wyndnam act can only
be enjoyed by a community of tenants
in the purchase of the whole or a con-
siderable portion of an estate A board
Of commissioners, which sits at No. %
MerrlOn street, DuDnn, is authorized 10
use its discretion in the application OF
the law and in granting its privileges
to those for whose benefit it is intended.
Nothing can be done without their ap
prevail. The landlords and the tenants may
arrange their own bargains to their own
satisfaction, but they must be submit
ted to the board before they are car
ried out.
Approved by Commission.
approved by the commission. including
the area sold, the price and other terms.
the government is expected to furnish
the purchase money from the public treas
ury The landlord Is entitled to receive
the cash in full. and the tenant. who
pays nothing. gives a mortgage, as we
would call 1t. upon the property to the
government for sixty-eight years or less.
and agrees to pay an annual installment
of 81 per cent Of the purchase price of
which "a per cent is interest. and 112
per cent goes into a sinking fund to
cove, the purchase money at the end OF
5iXty-eight years.
y purchaser may pay off the mortgage
at any time he pleases and receive
it whenever he chooses. subject to the
mortgage. which follows the land and
not the person. If he Is unable to pay
his annuities the government can turn
MIN out ana dispose OF the lana. SuOJeCt
to the same terms and conditions, to
another person. 1t can make no allow
ance for crop failures or cattle diseases.
1t cannot extend or modify its credits.
The terms of the loan must be carried
out with exactness, because II the COM
mission had authority to make excep-
tons there would be general confusion.
Thus far since the act has been operative
the farmers have been fairly prosperous
and have been able to pay their slight
annuities. And the landlords, who, ac-
cording to the report of the commits
sioners. are getting average of 6s per
cent more than they were receiving as
rents for their land by the investment
of the purchase money. 1t is entirely prob
able that time will come when many
Of the tenants will not be able to meet
their obligations or will refuse to pay
their annuities to the government. The
whole scheme is loaded with dynamite.
as many benevolent undertakings are, and
all sorts of complications are likely to
arise before the great estates of Ireland
are divided in small farms. owned and
cultivated by peasant proprietors.