Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-14
IRISH SLUM PROBLEM
Campaign for Improvement Has Been
Started in Belfast
FOUR HUNDRED HOUSES BOUGHT
City Making an Effort to Weed Out
Most Questionable Places.
DUBLIN MAYOR PAID BY KING
Chief Magistrate Draws Salary Of
81 800 as Army Captain.
LADY ABERDEEN AS EDrTRESs
" Ife Of LORD Lsesteaant Carving en-
CampaiEn 90 Improve Health of
the PeopIe-Mosushiner
Causes Trouble.
DUBLIN MAYOR PAID BY KING
Chief Magistrate Draws Salary Of
81 500 as Army Captain.
LADY ABERDEEN AS EDrTREsI

problem has become acute In Belfast and
tbs corporation Is now discussing plan
for acquiring and destroying more than
500 houses in the shankhin road district
II Is true that the situation is not so bad
as IN Dublin. which has the unenviabIe
record OF possessing some Of the worst
sIums in the three kingdoms. and Belfast
has done much in the past to redeem
itself from the reproach of slumdom- The
great Improvement carried out about
twenty-five years ago By which the spien-
did thOroughfare known as Royal ave-
nue was created and was one of the most
important undertakings OF its kind ever
tackled in ireland. but the new one prom
ises TO surpass even that
The immediate spur which has stirred
the corporation into activity Is report
by Dr. BaiIlie. the medical officer of
health. who declares plainly that he can
not undertake TO keep the city free from
epidemic disease long as areas like
that now 10 be dealt with are allowed to
exist
This district he says. owing to the
closeness, naxrOwness and bad arrange
msnt OF the streets and the houses and
the want of light. air and ventilation. IS
dangerous 20 the health OF the Inhabitants
and the evils connected with the houses
and courts. and the sanitary defects can
not be remedied other than by an i'm
provement scheme for a rearrangement
and reconstruction Of the streets and
houses
Lord Mayor I'm Pay of KIRs.
The election OF a new lord mayor of
Dublin has directed public attention again
TO the fact that DubIin's chief magis-
trate draws salary of s1.s0o year from
the British government as "a captain In
salary ana IL is felt 20 be a little absurd
that Dublin's chief magistrate should be
paid By the English king. especially
for many years our lord mayors have been
most peeceabie persons and all stsuach
natlonaiists.
Lady Aberdeen, the wife Of the lord Ileu-
tenant, has been carrying on npapaganda
for the improvement OF the hsalth of Ire-
land which has compelled the admiration
Of even the most consistent opponents Of
the Castle government. Nov she appears
in thu role of an editor. She has under
taken the editorial control OF ''slainte.' a
monthly magazine which will be issued 10
a few weeks By the women's National
F. Health association. II IL intended TO make
the magazine thoroughly popular and Il
will deal with the health of the people In
language which they can understand. Ar
ticies viii be written BY eminent specialists
on the prevailing maladies in ireland and
how TO deal with them. and close watch
viii be kept on all movements for better
control OF the public health work The first
number will contain an article b. DR.. Pratt
Of Boston. Mass
Clerk EIeetioa stIu Unsettled.
The election OF a petty sessions clerk at
MAlin on the Innishowen peninsula. to
which I referred some time ago. is stin
unsettled and apparently the justices viii
have TO SO on holding meetings and trying
to agree on a clerk until 1870 II appears
that the candidates have at every election
secured an equal number OF votes from the
resident Justices. but one OF them has Sc
cured majority OF ghe votes Of the non
resident justices These. however. were
thrown out because none OF the nonresI-
dents could show three attendances at the
petty sessions during the last three years
One OF the candidates. tired out by the con-
test, withdrew. but his place was promptly
taken b another and the dreary farce was
re-enacted few days ago. As the situa-
tIon siancs now the only hope OF electing a
slerk Is 10 wait until the nonresident jus
tices qualify for votes. which viii be IN
Isia The appointment. which Is worth $50
. Esar. has been vacant for a year.
Trouble In whIsssy Case.
tedge john Walker Craig OF the Ferna-
nsgh county court Is al Ioggerheads With
the local masis,raies because OF their re-
luctancc 20 send a man 10 prison who was
caught making whisky but forgetting to
pay the revenue tax on II. The eyidsncs
vEs pretty cioar. for the police not only
found large quantity OF the materials
which gsnsraEy go to make the national
beverage, ea they found a number oz
keEs of tie poteen itself. and excellent
pateeH Il vas. they declared in court Ffve
81 ten Elasistrstes decided that there was
evidence 10 convict. but five voted for
dial ia ag the charge, and the easc stood
s'-- te the next court day. Then the five
vsa had voted to e6nviet changed their
r-irts and voted for dismissal. but the
o.asr five also execuied a vote face ana
tee situation vas as before. The matt r.
was then 6roasht before JOdSs Craig. who
declared that the attitadp Of the maeis-
tratss toward the enforc.ment OF the law
was . public scandal and announced his
intention Of reporting them all 10 the lord
chancellor from whom they receive their
commissions as justices OF the peace and
who has the power to deprive them OF this
honor.
Government Refuse= wAI.l1y BIu-
The BaIlieboroash. County cavSn. guard
isns are also IN trouble over whisky. but
this tinns Il is whisky on which the TAX has
been PAID and which received the govern
msnt's stamp Of approval A few weeks
sGo the board invited tenders for tho
supply o. whisky for the workhOuse in
Urinary and asked the local dealers 20 send
m SAMPLES Half pint samples were sent.
bnt the board agreed that N could not
properly judge the whisky from 30 small
auAnuty. % the dealers sent quarts and
ehareed Tar them The beard ordered the
siH % Be- paid. but nov the local govern
menr board has stepped In and declared
thai fhs guardians who drank The WHISKY
mnst pay for Il out Of thslr own pocksts.