The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-02-25
AWAKENING or IRISH FARMER
Local Cooperative Organizations
Have Established Many Societies
for Improvement.

49, ID
So much has been heard recently OF
Irish politics, home rule, and the like
that it is hard to conceive of the Irish
taking an interest in anything but
Red1nondism. There is a movement
in Ireland, however, that is attracting
almost as much interest in the rural
districts as the political question and
is, if anything, more practicable at
this hour, says the Chicago Tribune.
It is cooperative organization
among the farmers known as the
Irish Agricultural Organization So
ciety, headed by Sir Horace P1unkett,
devoid Of political significance and
devoted to the improvement Of the liv-
ing conditions of the Irish farmer as
vel as the improvement of his land
and methods.
The country people Of Ireland have
lived in a state of abiect and help
less poverty for SO many generations
that it requires more than the OPP
portunity to encourage a countryman
to attempt any reforms in his home
or his methods of working the soil.
It is not sufficient to tell him that he
now has the right to own his land and
build himself. a conforta BILE cottage
and barn, he must be encouraged to
do it. Ireland is a land of ideals, the
1rishman IS always striving toward
something, and until the improvement
of his life and estate is incorporated
in the rank of his ideals it means
nothing to him.
The purpose OF Sir Horace Plum
kett's writings of Father Finley's
work in Ireland for a generation has
been to arouse some sort Of enthus-
iasm on the subject of rural better
ment, to turn the ardent patriotism
of the 1rishman into the channel OF
agricultural improvement, and it
seems at last that some such en-
thusiasm has been aroused and the
mass Of the rural population is aWak-
ening to the need Of a rapid and
sweeping revolution in the conditions
of the country people. If Ireland is
to have home rule, Ireland must be
se1f-reliant, and no nation in which
the country people are Impoverished,
unskilled in their farm work and
badly housed can be self-reliant.
These local cooperative organiza-
tons have established creameries,
credit banks, poultry societies, Hax
societies, and agricultural societies.
The cooperation not only makes the
individual farmer wea1t Ter but
arouses interest in rural questions of
all sorts and affords a medium
through which the Individual farm
5er may be reached by those who have
something to contribute toward his
education The effort is to make men
in Ireland rather than money.
s The tremendous Importance OF
building up the rural districts Of a
country can scarcely be realized. How
much the financial standing and pros
perity of nation depend upon the
happiness, comfort, and contentment
Of the country people it is impossible
to estimate. No nation can be great
while the peasantry starves. so if Ire
land is to stand upon her own feet
all the ardor Of Irish patriotism
should be brought into play in the
development of the soil and the peo-
pie who work it.
One thing which tends to show the
spirit Of the present organization is
the fact that Father Finley, a Roman
Catholic priest, and Sir Horace Plum
kett, Protestant and Unionist, are
co-Workers in the promotion of the
movement.
An auxiliary organization, the
United IrishWomen, has been gaining
numbers recently. It's purpose is
more particularly the improvement
of home life and the things pertaining
to women in the country districts OF
the island. Those things of a more
or less Intangible character which can
not be deliberately promoted like a
business proposition but which make
the social life Of people are IN the
Women's hands.