The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-08
SAY IRELAND NOT
 SELF SUPPORTING Arguments of Home Rule Opponents-The Oldest
 Policeman Is Dead

Dublin, October 7.-(Special.) .)-One Of me most insistent charges of the opponents of
 home rule in Ireland is that the country
 cannot support itself, that if granted nome rule there would be an annual deficit which must be met from the imperial treasury.
 This fallacy has been pretty effectual- ly exploded by paper on Ihe fupiic
 Finances of Ireland, read by Professor Oldham at the recent meeting of the Brit ish association.
 Professor oldham presented the cardinal facts in the relations between the two countries. In the first place the revenue actually "contributed'' by Ireland is not really known; it is estimated by process
 of guessworl which, in more than one iIn- portant respect has been found to be
 wrong On the treasury returns her pres cnt taxation is over three millions ster- ling in excess of her taxable capacity.
 The Irish" expenditure, as stated Tn these returns, is grossly disproportionate to the wealth and population of the coun- try In Professor Oldhams opinion the expenditure in Ireland ought to De. In the past the debit side of the account
 has been made up in way that is in- excusably unfair to Ireland.
 It must be borne in mind that all eX- penditure in Ireland is not, properly speaking, Irish expenditure; but con trary to the terms of the act of union and the act of 1S10, The treasury set down as Irish" the outlay on services palpa- bly, imperial in character. This Is a point of capital importance, and in the home
 rule settlement it is essential that all such items should be segregated from the total amount put to the debit side of the account.
 1 Even the deceptively prepared returns of the past supply us with one startling 1 fact and it is that since the union the 1 British exchequer has received from this l country a clear net payment of 330,oW,O1o
 over and above all charges incidental to Irish government. Because a deficit i was supposed to have occurred in the | year 1909-10, when there was a heavy ar 1 rear in the collection of the taxes, the I cry was raised that Ireland was being;
 run at a loss of over two millions; that | she was not able to pay her way. Ireland can pay her own way. but under the existing indefenslble plan of accountancy
 she is made responsible not only for her
 own proper charges, but for imperial Iia- l bilities amounting to q large sum. Even l if a deficit of two millions or so for one | year could. in fact, be shown, the union would still yield to great Britain a sur | plus of BPS, 100000 sterling. Surely a profit
 able transactions for the predominant | partner
 1 Probably the oldest policeman in Ire 1 land ex-Head Constable Irwin, has died
 suddenly at Belfast. He was the fourth
 son of the seventh constable enrolled i'll
 December, 1919, by Sir Robert Peel.
 Irwin joined the Irish constabulary In 1853. and since his retirement he has de-
 voted himself to literary pursuits,
 l Ayl-, 1 1ryir tba int of of his "Boer War Diary Field Marshal Sir G. White wrote: "In accepting such | a memorial of your industry and patriotic interest I can assure you I will value |. most highly as very complete record of very important crisis in our imperial I history. The vital lesson which it teaches of the danger and great financial extrav-