The San Francisco call., 1909-09-06

laborers have been passed, under
which county authorities are able to
borrow government funds for the
erection of decent, sanitary dwellings.
which rent for the tri1ing sum OF
shilling week. Nearly $4,000 of
these neat cottages have been erected.
and as many of the wretehed huts
swept away.
Similar work has been undertaken
for the poor dweIlers in the towns.
were tenement life as been upon the
lowest possible scale. Here. also, the
local authorities are empowered TO
borrow funds and erect sanitary
houses. which are rented at a very
low rate TO the artisans.
And in the swinging back of the
pendulum from the evils of unchecked
landlord rule point has been reached
in regard to town tenants which Will
startIe even Americans. An act which
became effective on January I, 1907.
applying to houses. shops and other
buildings in urban districts. towns or
villages. and occupied either for resi-
Dental or business purposes, or par
TALLY for residential and partly for
business purposes" provides as fol-
lows:
Subject to the provisions Of this
act. tenant of holding TO which
this act applies may. on quitting
the holding, claim. in the pre-
scribed manner, compensation, to
be paid by the landlord. in respect
of all Improvements on his hold
ing made by him or his predeces-
sors in title which at the date of
such claim add to the letting value
of the holding. and are suitable to
the character of the holding. and
have not diminished the letting
value of any other property Of the
same landlord.
Where the landlord, without good
and sufficient cause, terminates or
refuses to grant a renewal Of the
tenancy, or it is proved that an in
crease of the rent is demanded
from the tenant as the result of
improvements when have been ef-
fected at the cost of such tenant.
and for which he mas not. either
directly or indirectly, received an
equivalent from the landlord, and
such demand results IN the tenant
quitting his. the holding. the ten
ant shall. in addition TO the COM
pensatiOn (if any TO which he may
be entitled in respect of improve
ments. and notwithstanding any
agreement to the contrary. be en-
titled to compensation for the loss
of good will and the expense which.
by reason of his quitting the hold
ing. he sustains or incurs.
This is certainly drastic. but it should
be remembered that the conditions in
Irish towns are quite unlike the con-
ditions in American towns. In Ireland
the town tenant. like the agricultural
tenant. has been quite at the mercy OF
the landlord. because the landlord usu-
ally owns every foot of land in the
town. He never sells land: he rents
it. Hence the tenant has not been
able TO look elsewhere for land in case
of disagreement with the landlord or
an excessive demand in rent. He has
had TO meet the. demand or leave the
town This act simply protects the
town tenant against capricious eviction.
If the landlord wants to get rid OF him.
he must pay him not only for the i'm
prOvements he has made on the prop
erty. but for the good will OF his busi-
ness.
That land purchase and the other
great reforms have brought a steadily
increasing measure of prosperity TO
Ireland there Is abundant evidence,
none of il more impressive than the
records of the peoples savings. Here
are the figures for the savings banks
conducted by the postOffice and BY
private enterprise for the years 1881.
1896 and 1907:
1851 1896. 1907
No. accounts. 150.O97 350.Ss7 $50. 223
Total deposits $40 O10. sos SAL GA 96 S6 445 100
Education in Ireland. which suffered
grievOusly through prejudice and neg
lect, is at last receiving a respectable
measure of attention. The government
now makes an annual appropriation
of 5000 900 for improving the school
houses, and $4,000 for increases IN
teachers salaries. But the most notable
advance has been the establishments.
on August 1, 1903. OF the National Uni
versity Of Ireland, which will give TO
the country, for the first time, an in
stitution Of higher education TO be
owned and controlled by the people
themselves, and responsive to their
ideals. For site and buildings sS50.000
is provided. and annual appropriations
totaling 100000 are made for the
constituent colleges
Assuredly. Ireland is on the up
grade. The wrongs of centuries are
being righted. the curse Of landlord
ism is being lifted. economic inde-
pendence is replacing the system OF
serfdom. national university is es-
tabfished- What more. then. does Ire
land want2
A tri1ing thing-self- government.
What this demand means, why it il
made and why there will never be
peace in Ireland until 1t is granted will
be discussed presently.