The Irish standard., 1909-09-18
COST OF RULING IRELAND.

~
gone by, England made gain of $27,-
100000 year out o. Ireland. but Mr..
Whitley, secretary of the exchequer,
recently announced in parliament H.,
reply to Mr.. Hazelton, an English
member that for the current year
it is estimated that the revenue con-.
tributed by Ireland will be insufficient
to meet the cost of purely Irish serv-
ices by $5.915,000."
On hearing this authoritative state
ment from an official Of the British
treasury, the Nationalist members
cheered loudly, and Mr.. John E. Red
mond exclaimed: Translated INFO
plain words, that reply means that
now Ireland is run under the uni,a
at loss to England of over a mill
lion pounds year." What better
proof of England's incompetency to
govern Ireland could be adduced than
the announcement made by Mr.. Whit
ley?
1->~sS ySoAo ooSb "hCIl luS pOpuld.
ton of Ireland was nearly 1000, 900,
or one-fourth of that Of Great Britain,
there was 4,s61,465 pounds in taxation
going into the imperial treasury from
Ireland; at the present day when the
population is 4,25O.0OO, or one ten.h
that Of Great Britain. the taxation Is
nd IT.
! cost of ruling Ireland under the I'm
ion become that 70, the current year
tile revenue contributed will fall short
nearly six million dollars. The ex-
penses have overtaken the taxation
and eaten up the profit. and now the
British taxpayer has to make up the
deficiency out of his own pocket.
No wonder that Mr.. Thorne, one Of
the English labor members, declared
that it would be better to grant the
Irish people Home Rule and let Chem
pay their own way than to have that
state of things exist. The London
Morning Leader having thought til"
matter over, sensibly observed:
There is no logical escape from
the dilemma propounded by the Ma
tionalists. If Ireland is not paying her
way. the Union Is financial loss to
England and ought in her interests,
to be abolished. If she is more than
paying her way, then England is dis
honorably making money out Of un-
just taxation. For the purpose or
argument 1t does Iot matter which
is true-the moral of both is the
same"
1t is curious state of affairs after
1903 years of British legislation for
Ireland. When the Irish parliament
was abolished in 1900 by Pitt and Cas-
tlereagh, the population Of the coun-
try was as large as it is now. Tie
population of Ireland in this year OF
grace, according to natural increase,
should be 100000, instead of VIVA,
1T Is, had there been no artificial fam
ines and enforced emigra ton under
the accursed union that links Ire
land to Great Britain. The smaller
the population grew year by year, the
more the Irish had tI pay for imperial
purposes In taxation, and now with
it's reduced population and increased
taxation. there is deficit to meet tho
cost of governing the country. A
British commission. some twenty
years ago, reported chat Ireland was
outrageously overtaxed and recon-
mended that the robbery should cease:
but the British parliament from that
time to this has made no. amends to
Ireland and constantly increased TIM
taxation for the Boer war, and lately
for the building of dreadnoughts. Eng.
land, all the time. has been the book
keeper for Ireland. and now one Of
her financiers makes the announce
ment that England 10 ruling Ireland at
a loss!
1t was frequently said in past years
by English statesmen that the Irish
did not possess the ability to gov
ern themselves. Now British states.
man proclaims that England is unable
to govern them profitably and that the
revenue contributed 10Y Ireland this
year to meet the cost OF purely Irish
services" under an administration CT
British officials has fallen short b.
more than one million pounds sterling
This announcement has opened the
eyes of the English people. They will
agree wifi Mr.. Thorne that 1t is bet
ter to let the Irish govern themselves
than to have the English be taxed for
governing them from Westminster.
THE GAS LIGHT PROBLEM, ~.
At the meeting of the City Council
"a I