The Irish standard., 1911-07-15
England Has Led to Wholesale Rob-
berry Poor Nation Tied up to
Rich Empire.
Everything in Government is Over
paid With the Exception of
Education.
Not Only Does Ireland Want Home
Rule But it is the Master Pas
sion of the Race.

A recent issue of Reynolds News
paper (London), contained special
article from the pen of Mr. John b.
Redmond in which. among other
things, the Irish leader gave these rea-
sons why Ireland should be a SELF
governing nation:
Let us consider some Of the prac-
tical reasons why Ireland wants Home
Rule. Ireland is governed by a Par
lament at Westminster, necessarily
ignorant OF Irish problems and over
burdened with other work, in which
her representatives are out-numbered
and outvoted by seven to one. If tho
Parliament at Westminster had all the
knowledge necessary for the good gov
ernment Of Ireland. instead Of being
made up Of men the overwhelming
majority of whom never laid a foot in
the country or studied her history or
her problems. If. in addition to this.
Parliament were animated by sincere
grievance. neither the knowledge nor
the goodwill would avail for aught, be-
cause of the simplest of all reasons
the want of time.
The amount OF work which the m-
perial Parliament is supposed TO do,
and, Of course, does not do, is appaI-
Ing. All the internal local affairs,
large and small, Of England, Scotland,
Wales and Ireland; all the finance, 10
cal and general, Of the Empire, the
army and navy; the affairs of the Col
agenda OF one single Parliament The
necessary result is, the work is not
done because 1t cannot be done. Three
days year only, as a maximum, and
sometimes. in times of stress, one day
or no day at all, constitute the provi-
sion for the discussion Of all the rev.
enue and expenditure of Ireland.
amounting TO many millions, and COW
crng the whole field of administration
and government. 1t is ludicrous, but
it is also criminal Let me recall how
it has worked out in some Of its prac-
teal consequences.
The Union Has Robbed ireland
1t has led to the wholesale robbery
of a poor nation tied up in partnership
with u rich Empire, of whose every
need and extravaganza she is forced to
pay share. A Royal Commission
reported that in 1894 Ireland was over
taxed by $125OOOO0 annually in viola
tion of the precise terms Of the ACT of
Union. Calculated on this basis, tho
Union has robbed Ireland to the ex-
tent OF $2.OO0,00O,OOO. Lord MaoDon-
NELL in recent speech, declared that
according to the Treasury figures Ire
land had paid in the last ninety-three
years the stupendous sum Of $685.
100000 "over and above the cost Of
Irish administration during that Pc
riod. The tribute is more than an En-
pire's ransom"
Since 1894 the taxation of Ireland
has risen by nearly s1o,Oo00Oo year.
The population has fallen by about two
hundred thousand. The cost Of home
government has risen from 6 as. Cd.
to G1 5s. per head Of the population.
lreands contribution to the army and
navy and Imperial expenses generally
has decreased from $25,O00,0OO in 1859
to less than s10,00O,000 now. owing to
the rapid and inevitable rise in the cost
of governing Ireland against the will
of the people. So that Ireland and the
Empire both lose by the present sys-
tenn. The only class that profits by it
is the Irish official class, which is RI
diculously over-numerous and over
paid. Scotland has larger popula-
tion than Ireland. She has nine hun
dred and thirty-eig Government off,
cials assessed for income tax, and their
salaries are $1,575,000. Ireland has
four thousand five hundred and sixty
such officials, and their salaries are
$7,175,0OO.
| Burden Of Taxation in ireland.
Everything in government in Ireland
is overpaid-except education! The
grants for primary education in 1910