Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-01
Especial Correspondence.)

Especial Correspondence
tn UBLIN. Dec. 22.-Now that the
t British tnS budget has $, been ars thrown an%
general election is approaching
Irishmen OF all parties are asking what
Ireland may expect to gain in the next
parliament. and there is a surprising
unanimity of opinion that the time
has come for a union of all shades of
opinion to insist on better treatment
for Ireland. The impression seems to
be held generally that whichever of
the English parties wins viii do so by
a very small margin. and that the
new government Will be at the mercy
or the Irish members of the house of
commons.
In view of this the question of home
rule becomes an urgent one 1t Is be-
lieved that even the Tory party would
not be averse to granting Ireland q
large measure of self-government. pro-
vided it were not called home rule. and
that the so called Unionists of the
north would not object If their senti-
mental objection to what they know
as Separation could be humored.
Lord Mcdonnell. Unionist himself,
has outlined a scheme, TO which he
believes the consent of practically
everybody in Ireland could be obtain
ed for the establishment of an Irish
national council with control over pure.
ly Irish affairs, with an Irish treasury
responsible to It, This would not mean
the Withdrawal of the Irish members
prIt oh, Ii.,,, har hax
would continue to sit to safeguard the
interests of Ireland in dealing with
matters of imperial interest The ma
tional council would have all the pow
ers of a legislature. including that OF the
purse, and would be elected by popular
vote. l have reason to believe that
Lord MacDonnell has sounded a num-
Der of the leading Irish Unionists on
the subject and obtained their approval
to the general lines of some such
scheme. and 1 am told that even the
extreme Sim Feiners would also agree.
NATIONALISTS MISTAKE.
The tactical mistake of the Irish
Nationalist party In not voting against
the budget which would have borne
so hardly on Ireland after all has had
good results. Nationalist and UnioniSt
local bodies and men of both political
faiths have united in censuring the
party and in the end much better
feeling has grown up all round. Even
the Unionlsts now are convinced that
the interests OF Ireland are not safe
in the hands of the British parliament
and they are ready. l am told, to agree
to some scheme OF home rule. which
would give them fair representation
and still afford Ireland the protection
which Il would enjoy as an integral
part OF the British empire.
A most interesting report has been
prepared by the royal commission
which was appointed two years ago TO
investigate the working of the Irish
railways, and although IL will not be-
published for some time I am In a
position TO state that 1t will come out
fiat footed for the naturalization of the
Irish railways. The proposal is that
they should be purchased at a fair val
uation and worked by government
department to be created for that pur-
pose. The low price at which their
stocks are selling now would favor
such a project and would also JUSTIFY
the government in spending the money
necessary to bring them up to date and
make them efficient The total caplld'
invested In these railways is now VIZ
Si2, sos and the average DIVIDEND is o'St
per cent. 1t is estimated that the pur-
chase could be completed by govern |
ment bond issue of $3.50. 600 600 at 2ls per |
cent. which could be exchanged for
the scrip held at present by the share |
holders and debenture holders. The net |
receipts would be sufficient to pay tho
interest on these bonds and leave sur
Mus OF s.. $50 900 a year which could be |
applied to betterments.
QUESTION OF TIME.
The Belfast chamber of commerce
has adopted resolution approving
proposal to extend Greenwich time to
Ireland. At present there is diner
ence of about % minutes between Eng
lish and Irish time. and 1t Is claimed
that this causes q good deal of confu-
sion and trouble to travellers between
the two countries. AL tho railway