The Irish standard., 1909-02-20
THE BIRRELL LAND BILL.

The Dublin Convention Of last week,
with only 10 dissentient votes out of
1000, accepted the Birrell bill subject
to amendment before it's passage in
the Commons. Such practical unani-
nifty on the part of the delegates shows
the falsity of the report about DON
nybrook fair.
BY putting itself OH record as favor
ing Mr.. Birrells Irish Land bill the Dub
lin Convention renewed the truce be-
tween the Liberals and Nationalist in
Parliament. In fact, the convention
expressly refused to instruct the party
ito oppose and embarrass the Liberal
Government by every means in it's
power" It's attitude, as heretofore un-
der John Redmond's leadership, is to
be that Of independence but not hostil-
ity, policy under which it attacked
the Governments education bills but
secured the passage of the Irish uni
versities bills last year and the promise
Of further land reforms next session.
The purpose Of Mr.. BirrelIs bill,
which was introduced last November
but dropped for lack of time to con-
slider it, is to modify and broaden the
Land Purchase act of 1903. That act
is based on the principle Of voluntary
bargains between landlords and ten
ants, the purchase money being ad-
vanced by the state on loan. The land
lords receive payment in cash, instead
Of in stock guaranteed by the Govern
mont, as before 1908, and the sum of
$60,0O0,000 is provided as bonus from
the state in order to induce landlords
to sell at prices fair to tenants. Tho
total purchase money which the state
is pledged to advance for tenants is
$5oO.o0O.000, and the tenant purchasers
repay the Government for its loan in
equivalent Of rentals extended over
Il long series Of years, so as to provide
for interest and sinking fund.
After five years operation Of the act
of 1903 it has been found that the orig
inal state loan of $780, 900 900 for land
purchase would be far too small, and
that probably $9oo,ooo,ooo will be
needed. Over $165,OOO,OO0 worth of
Government stock has been issued for
land loans and bonuses, and as the
Government agrees to pay cash 1t has
had to borrow at considerable loss.
But it has achieved surprising progress
toward a. settlement of the Irish land
question. The Government bonus has
made the landlords eager to sell, the
easy terms of purchase have made the
tenants eager to buy. AS a result there
is a block in the Land Commission
Court. In addition to completed trans
actions, purchase agreements to the
amount Of $26o,ooo,ooO have been filed.
but the Government announces that it
cannot undertake to advance more than
$s5,0o0,o00 cash in any one year at
loss.
To relieve the strain on the state Mr..
Birrcll in his new bill proposes that
the landlords who have already agreed
to sell shall accept Government stock
at fixed discount or part
stock and part cash, and that
in future transactions they shall re-
ceive only stock, the bonus only being
cash. But the most radical features
of his bill relate to the congested dis
tricts, consisting Of the entire west
ern seaboard from Donegals to the
western part Of Cork. where most of
the tenants holdings are "uneconomic,~
or insufficient to furnish bare subsist-
ence for the cultivator. s. This part Of