The San Francisco call., 1909-07-24
TENANTS ACQUIRING
LANDS IN IRELAND
New Laws Are AIleyiating Con-
ditions in the Emerald
Isle
Sales by Landlords Are to Be
Made Compulsory in
Amendment
Continued From Page 5

districts, where the land is
mostly good, there are very few
people on the good land, but
great numbers on the bad land
adjoining?
The main answer to both queries
is to be found in the course of
Irish history during the last 500
years, though, of course, eco
nomic causes have contributed,
especially during the nineteenth
century. The various 'planta-
tions' of Ireland. the acts of set
tlement and corporation. and the
substitution of English land ten
ure for the traditional Irish
methods of land holding have
profoundly affected the agrarian
development of Ireland.
The chief incident, however, was
the Cromwellian act of settle
ment, under which most of the
land owning population impli-
Gated on the royalist side were
banished west of the Shan
non
The commercial restrictions from
which Ireland suffered during the
eighteenth century forced the
people to look for subsistence to
the land, and the agrarian un-
rest was intensified by the penal
laws against Catholics) which
prevented the greater part of the
population from acquiring any
beneficial interest in the land
Congestion and subdi-
vision of the holdings went on
until the great crash of the fam
Inc. In many cases the land
lords were forced to effect clear
ances. either by their creditors or
because of the difficulty of OBJ
tanning rents from pauper ten
ants. In certain districts the
greater portion of the population
died, and whatever may be the
most potent causes of the con-
solidation of holdings about the
time of the famine, there can be
no doubt OF its extent
while part of the land formerly
occupied by small holdings was
utilized for the creation of large
grazing farms. some of 1t was en-
ployed for the enlargement of
the small farms swept away were
urieconomic, but the sudden ma
ture of the changes undoubtedly
caused great suffering and left
bitter memories.
This tendency to consolidate farms
was given an impetus by the in
numbered estates act OF 1S4S,
which replaced many of the old
landlords by new men, a large
number of whom, looking upon
the owning of land as a purely
commercial transaction, and dis
regarding traditional rights of
the tenants, raised rents or
evicted tenants and consolidated
the holdings thus vacated.
"The rise in the price of beef led
to more land being cleared by
eviction and thrown into grazing
farms. On the poorer land many
of the Inhabitants were left un-
disturbed. because 1t was not
worth while to resume possess
sion. Many of those evicted set
tied on unreclafmed pieces of land
in the neighborhood and added to
the congestion, and some carved
out new holdings for themselves
on the waste land along the
western 1ittoral, and started the
almost impossible task of VIM
ming a living from land inca
pable itself of supporting life
according to any decent stand
ard
Here is the whole story-confiscatio
Just land laws, congestion, starva
IN. To the credit of civilization tn
aborate injustice of 800 years is no'
progress of extinction. Landlord
n is disappearing, and ireland, fitte
nature to support millions in pros
rity, is passing back into the owner
ip of her own people.
1.-The next letter in this series B
ugh Sutherland mill be published
l. eli -....