Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-01-10
RELIEF FOR IRELAND
British Parliament Passes Two First
Class Measures.
MUST NOW BE WORKED OUT
Benefits Depend on Way in Which
They Are Applied.
NEW SCHOOLS ARE ALLOWED
One Dominated by Catholics and One
by Presbyterians.
HOUSING ACT IS VALUABLE
Gives Power to Build WOrkmen's
Dwellings by Taxation, Rentals
to RccouD for Expendi-
ture Only.
HOUSING ACT IS vALUABL

DUBLIN, Jan. e-(Spectal )-Now that
Parliament has risen, 1t is possible to take
stock Of what ireland has gained this
sos don. Two distinctively Irish measures
OF the first class have been passed into
law and It remains with the Irish people
to determine by their administration how
useful they will prove from a national
point of view. The greatest, of course, is
the Irish Universities act which removes
forever the injustice worked to the youth
of Ireland by the fact that her only uni
Versity, Trinity college. Dublin. was in the
hands Of the Anglican church authorities.
The two new universities nominally un-
sectarian, but the National university Of
Dublin, of which Archbishop Walsh has
been elected chancellor, will be under
Roman Catholic influence, and the new
Queens university at Belfast will be
dominated by the Presbyterians. Thus the
three great religious denominations In
ireland are placed on an equal footing.
The great question which is now being
discussed is the compulsory teaching OF
Irish in the new universities and am sorry
to say that there is a good deal of bitter
ness displayed on the question. European
scholars cannot understand how the uni
Versitles can be described as Irish. " the
national language is neglected, but there
seem to be some Irishmen who think that
to teach Irish would In some way lower
tho educational standing of the universi-
ties. Strangely enough the institution at
Dublin which has taken to itself the name
National. seems to have become the chief
scat OF the controversy. There is now little
doubt that Irish will be taught at Belfast,
but there is ntill considerable doubt about
its Introduction at Dublin.
Housing Act Beneficial.
The other first-class Irish measure Is
the Irish housing act which may be made
a very useful measure II II is properly
administered by the local authorities The
housing of the Irish working class in the
past has been a scandal and II has been
too much TO expect that landlords or
tenant farmers, in the present unsettled
state of land tenure I'm Ireland would do
much TO improve It. The new act gives
power 70 tho local authorities 10 raise
money by taxation for the erection of
worklugmen's dwellings, which shall be
let at rents sufficient only to recoup the
expenditure
some minor measures have also been
passed. but the great measure for which
Irishmen have been working and looking
for generations-home rue-seems far
off as ever. The liberals have been
strangely silent about It recently. and It is
feared that they Will forget their promise
TO make II a plank in the liberal platform
at the next general election, their war
on the House of Lords and the fiscal con-
troversy. will give them an excuse for
saying that minor issues"-like home rule
must wait.
More Pay for COnstabuIary.
The constabulary act, which has also
been passed.. is a measure which will bene-
lit the rank and file of the police force
but It will cost the Irish taxpayers $sOOOC
year, and complaint is justly made that
more than this could have been saved II
tho increase of pay to the men had beer
coupled with a reorganization of the com.
missioned ranks. The fact is that the
ordinary policemen In the Royal Irish con
Stabulary are wretchedly underpald and
GVorworked, while the officers arc under
worked and overpad The force has beer
rduced three or four times. but the mum
Der OF officers has remained the same
the only result OF the reductions beinl
that each officer retained a smaller com
mand. with less work. at the same pay
Each commissioned officer receives an al
lowsnce OF $3.50 a year for horse and s2a
year fer a groom. whereas not more thar
half OF them need a horse more than hal
dozen times in the year. There are yer!
few grooms in Ireland either who ar,
receiving more than S75 a year. 1t Is esti
mated that the cost OF command in eacl
county In Ireland works out at about $50.
O00 and that the work could be done jus
as we'll for half the sum.
Women PRupers Fight for Eggs.
The master OF the workhouse at Kilrush
County Glare, is nursing several inJurie
which he received few days ago in al
ENCOUNTER with band OF mutinous wome
panpers. The women decided to go OF
strike one morning because they had no
eggs for breakfast. and they marched I
the pantry, where they found the master
and demanded that they should receive tn
same food as was served at his table
WheR he refused, they promptly began I
throw crockery and kitchen ware at him
and anly stopped when there was nothin
left "a throw. Three OF the ring leader
were brought before the magistrates late
In the day, and although they complaine
that they were treated like black slaves
in the workhouse, they were sent 20 ia
for two months.
~ Oldest Map In Donegal.
The mantle of Charles Kelly the oldes
man IN Donegal who died a few days ag
at the age of III. has fallen on Brya
O'DonnelL who lives in the parish OF Inve
as did Kelly Bryan is lO7 years old an
as keen a patriot as was Kelly, He hs
never been known to wear any garb bu
the Irish kilt. and he does not unde, stan
q word OF English. lie is still very actiy
and walks four miles TO mass every Sur
day. He is immensely proud of telling
his former prowress with the blackthorl
and when called ON him a few days as
during trip through Donegal, he told n
with great pride Of the great battle b,
tween the parishes OF Inver and Glentis
In which he took part nearly ninety yeal
ago. The Inver men were getting the be-
OF H. but the women of Glenties file
ahair stockings with stones and came
the rescue Of their men. These amazon
fought so effectively with their nov,