The Irish standard., 1911-05-20

instance, farm near Ballinrobe
known as the Kilernin Farm. On this
alone thirty-six two story houses have
been built on the most approved plans.
Every house is really serviceable and
having a fine set of out
houses, and to each house there are
allotted twenty-one acres of land. 1t
must be remembered that in Ireland,
especially in Connaught, that is con-
a moderately large farm. In
this area, where there are thirty-si
Irish homesteads, thirtysix thrifty,
Irish families there where
formerly but three houses stood. The
same has been done on another tract,
Cloonacastle Farm. A new Ireland
surely this is, and a new Connaught it
will be-
Surely if anything will check the
woeful tide of emigration, 1t is the
apportioning of the land to the people.
The Irish peasantry, above all people
on earth, dearly love a piece of land
and homestead. They will know in
this new Ireland that is in the maxi
ing, that their every effort toward
improvement is put forth under condi-
tions of stability, and that no landlord
or agent can come to put a new tax
on their industry, or to turn them out
on the roadside.
What is taking the place in the
West is. of course, in a measure true
of the other parts of the country. A
few days ago in the County Louth 1
drove through what was formerly an
enclosed demense of 1000 acres and
belonged to Lord Rodin. 1t was pur7
chased by the land commission, and
ed into thirty-six farms, upon
which so many comfortable two-story
dwelling houses have been erected.
The Summing Up.
To sum up: "a The farmers Of Ire
land are vastly better off than they
were formerly; but, on the other hand,
it must not be concluded that Ireland
is on the brink of prosperity, and If
the people are not prosperous. it is
their own fault The tstsrper still pays
rent either to the landlord; ff he has
not sold out, or to the government If
he has. This really amounts to mort
gage held on the farm by the govern
mont, which it will take two or three
generations to liquidate in the form
of All annual rent. What is more, goes
out to the country. (2) The condi-
ton of the farm laborer has i'm
proved; his housing is infinitely bet
ter than it was, and his rent is much
better.
(3) Another class whose condition
has been greatly improved in Ireland
is the aged poor, who are helped by
the new pension act. Every person
over seventy years of age, whose in
come from all other sources does not
amount to 1915, is allowed this pen
sion by the government. The money
advanced in Ireland from this source
during the past year amounted to
about $12,O00,O0O. 4) AS l have said,
we have considered only one phase to
the question. Ireland Is an agricul-
tural country, and that will always be
her main industry. She could sup
port probably five or six times her
present population. But it is not a
question of support alone; it is a
question of employment, and agricul-
tural Ireland cannot give employment
to as great a number as she did for
merly. The other day in the County
Louth ! saw five rcapers and binders
harvesting in a field where formerly
there would be perhaps fifty farm
laborers. What is more, the little in
dustres that did <exist have one by one
disappeared. Flax mills formerly gave
employment. to a great number Now
the flax which makes the linen Of Bel
fast is for the most part imported, all
ready for the loom. from Holland and
Belgium. Even the wheat that is
grown in Ireland is shipped abroad
unmilled, and the -four consumed by
the people is imported The railroads
are owned by English capitalists, and
the stockholders impede rather thar
help the opening up of Irish indus.
tries, such as mining These are q
few, and only few Of the facts tina
must be borne in mind, before VIZ
conclude on one hand that Ireland |:
on the brink Of prosperity, or on tht
other, that the people are to blame Il
prosperity is not already here
Dana ooa>;un. Ernlf~h