The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-28
IRELAND AND
 THE NEW BUDGET Viewed From an lr,Sh
 Standpoint. Are ASquith and tlie Liberals
 10 be Trusted?
(By "Napper Tandy.") (Special to the Farmer)

things surrounded by a halo of en- chantment which a poet says is add ed to our view by distance. Not so in Bridgeport. Everyone has ample data to settle the question of trolley service, or fumes of reduction plant, and even the latest immigrant from Latin zones can give an opinion on our newly formed organization, and the "spook" of tax equalization which someone says will not always Journey free and untrammeled upon the astral heights. Knowledge Of foreign af- fairs is necessarily superficial as we lack the details and close acquaint- ton of correct ideas The paragraphs that filter through the cables for Lon don are much too small to help the American observer to more than general idea, and as there are many problems to claim his attention on this side no demur Is made.
 The press of this country as a whole seem disposed to regard the messsre mnssn that s fashes I idle opGlens ere rcS land owning Lords. while merely touching their less favored brother. Some critics detest the worst fea- lures of Socialism and declare Lloyd Georges proposals to be anarchistic in text and spirit. But the writer will not labor thes se views as it is our intention to analyze the Budget from purely Irish point of view and to point out the degree in which it will press on Ireland
 To avail of palmer words the Bud- get will rob Ireland of $10.000.00 per year. It will press on Ireland more heavily than England, Scotland or holder of a few Irish acres will be heavier in proportion than the bur den placed on the landed gentry who grace the Upper House The remain VT " distilling which demands all the bar ley grown in Ireland and as much ngain. may be ruined. The greatest harm. however. is the matter of tyrannous amount to be demanded for all transfer or sales of farms or la nd, will prevent many an Irish American from returning to close a in the old land. Spirits (not the
 kind however that fashionable New Workers have recently been inter lvfewing) have been singled out for an extra tax of 90 cents per gallon which added 10 the existing high tax will mean the crippling of Irish distiilers, the closing of waiting houses, and ruin to the small farmers who grow a few barrels of barley per year and by it's sales found a little cash for rent But why was not this extra 90 cents placed on beer, which is more extensively consumed in the British lSleS than WnlSkey. The reason IS plain Beer is the Engnshman's bev- craze and brewing an extensive in dustry employing thousands of Eng lishmen- Whislxey is more the Irish mans drink and the bulk of big dis tilleries are in Ireland. So Lloyd George thought 1t best to leave the English workng gman's beer alone and tax the Irish whom he knew as a voting force were of little influence in deciding the trend of English policies If he interfered with the working mans beer he knew his own fate, and the career of Radicalism would re- ceive a setback for decade. Touch John Bull in his pocket. and he will turn on you savagely. The tax on wnis- key means to Ireland about S6,70o.- 900. Beer only slightly taxed $205,- 900. Tobacco, $1,000,0o0. Licenses, ing land about S2,5e0,ooo.
 Emphasized by recent American writers as indication of Democratic progress is the tax affecting undevel- oped lands. This it is already pointed out may further aggravate the pow erty of decoying Irish towns by levy ing a tax on derelict buildings and sites. One cent per pound of site value will be put on undeveloped land English towns by putting on the market building lots held back by real estate speculators who seek to press the last penny out of prospec-
 
 ton of the towns shows a steady in- crease and knowing the demand it was sought to bring building lots into the market. In Ireland however. the towns are decaying, and the popuia- ton coming to this country at the rate of 5.S16 persons. the total ar irving in America for the single month of October last More land is ''un- developed' each year and this tax will grow up in corresponding ratio. The exact wording of the Finance provis- ion shows purposely 1t is intended to bleed Ireland. The text defines land developed land owing to the build ings becoming derelict, or owing to the land ceasing to be used for any business trade or industry. other than developed land" In other words when the distflIeries have to close down their sites will be taxed as "un- developed" land. Lloyd-George in- then to give the equine a post-mor- tenn fiagellation for daring to die.
 To give one instance of how Irish men returning to the old country to buy snug little place. will be af- fected. let me cite Solicitor L. J. O'Neill of Dublin who proves that on enc farm of 90 acres of which he had professional knowledge. the estate and succession taxes increased from s5T to $500. In the event of a voluntary transfer of the same farm from the wife to the husband the stamp duty or tax has increased from S2.5O to $2s0.00. If a father leaves his place to the son the tax is correspondingly high, and it is surely safe to say the old people at home will be finding 1t hard to die when they realize the amount to be extorted at their de- cease before the "bit of a place" can be passed on to the children. It will be asked what is the feeling of the people at home? or How is poor old Ireland and how does she stand?"
 At the time this proposal to fur ther burden Ireland was made a con vention of the Parliamentary Party was called In Dublin. The least said about that convention the better. be- cause 1t had a sequel in the courts and the famous Tim Healy. NJ. F. P, showed there was as much graft" and wHe-pulling in the official Irish Par ty as in the Alaskan land jobbery. or 2 certain school of politics in New York. However. although the party bosses tried to stif1e criticism of duly qualified delegates by purchasing ba- n. F.r.