Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-12
Laborers' Cottages in Ireland.

to Washington. is the author of the act
OF parliament which authorized loan
of s22.500000 to build laborers' cottages
the latest official returns. 1850 COM
Portable new homes have been provided
in different parts of the island. and are
now occupied by families of farm labor
erS and other workinSmen in the rural
districts Each cottage has from an
acre to an acre and one-half of land for
IL garden. Some of them have barns
and other outhouSes. They are built OF
stone and brick of the most substantial
character, with roofs of slate or tiles.
Most of them have four rooms-two
rooms upstairs and two downstairs
with large windows. furnishing plenty
Of light and ventilation. The cost varies
from $3.50 to $1,000 for a cottage. and is
paid by the government. with funds de-
rived from the loan mentioned. The
tenants pay an average rental of CA
LIS Cd a year, which is equivalent to
about $24 in American money, or 81 a
month. This covers the interest upon
the cost Of the cottage and AN install
ment which will cancel the indebt edness
at the end of sixty-eight years. If the
tenant owner for whom the cottage is
built desires to pay for the property
and get fee simple. he is at liberty to
do so at any time. but | did not hear of
any such case. Most of the tenants are
willing to let their Indebtedness run
along indefinitely. They can sell. lease
and at any time. The incunbrance goes
with the property and not with the man.
and is assumed by the purchaser.
OF Questionable Value to People.
1t IS difficult to estimate the vast
or
plished 1t Is gradually changing the
standard of life among the laboring
classes throughout Ireland. 1t has not
only furnished comfortable and decent
homes for more than twenty-three thou
sand families. who had been living in
miserable. filthy cabins for generations
but it has done much to improve the
health. 1t will strengthen the physical
constitutions of the coming genera tons
by placing them in healthful homes and
clean surroundings.
MIR. John Redmond in a speech in the
house of commons said that the agri-
cultural laborers of Ireland had been liv-
ing under conditions which We're abso-
lutely fatal to health and the habits of
cleanliness. and which. in almost any
other country in the world would have
proved fatal to religion and morality as
well. But the Irish agricultural laborers
are remarkable race of men. highly in
telligent keen. brave. patriotic and self
sacrificing in their patriotism. They have
preserved through poverty and squalor
deep. religious. spiritual feeling, and the
highest possible standard of morality.
Ireland's Commerce Now Recognized
Through the efforts of Mr.. Boland NJ
p. the foreign commerce of Ireland is
now given independently in the statistical
reports of the United Kingdom. and the
table shows the imports and eX-
ports for recent years:
Year ImportS Exports
1891 1904 .....s3 i. Is, -: ei?.s9s 30
iss; '..''.''.' sfs Az In , ,as Sas
1t will be noticed that there was con-
siderable increase every year in both
columns. but the increase in exports was,
larger than in imports. This
increase was particularly noticeable in
livestock shipments to England. In 1903
there were So. 40 head of horses, mules,
cattle. sheep and swine shipped from Ire
land to England. and in 1907 the ship
ments had increased to 2.O2o.292 head.
The exports of butter also increased and
Ireland now has the lead among the ma
tions that contribute II the British
poultry market. In 1907 the value OF the
poultry exported from Ireland to Great
Britain was Gt2J,44l.
Ireland ought to furnish all the bacon
that the British people eat. Irish bacon
is the best in the world. and brings the
highest prices. but notwithstanding that
fact more bacon was imported into Eng
land from the United States. Denmark
and Canada than from Ireland.
Character of Exports and Imports.
The exports of manufactured goods
linens. woolens and other teXtiles-from
Ireland during the fiscal year 1907 eX-
ceeded e20OOo,NO. The imports of sim
liar articles amounted to G27. 100000. The
Irish import vast amount of bacon
from the United States when they ought
to supply their own market.
The following table will snow the com
merce between the United States and Ire
land during the last three years:
Imports from Exports to
Irolu and Irnln md