The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-14
COGhLRN BRlSCOE. Seeretary of
the ri; Town 7enarts lee9vs.
Town Tenants League Will
Do It, Says It's Chief,
Coghlan Briscoe.

Special Cable to The Tribune.
tn UBLIN. May l3.-'Thc class that
does not agitate goes to the
wall'' These words quoted by
- Coghlan Briscoe, the leader OF the
Town Tenants league. the other
day. may he taken as The motto of this
fighting band, And SO far their fighting
policy has not been barren OF results, for
il by nothing more than their own very
informing agitation, they have dispeed
the delnsion that the landlord problem
has been settled in ireland. They are
now making arrangements for a conven-
ton in this city OF the local town ten
ants organizations in the four provinces:
and hope there TO display the nationa.
which neither the Irish Nationalist party
nor the British government can well af-
ford to ignore.
They have a broad initial measure to
their credit already. the town tenants
act OF 1905. which partly admitted their
claims and wholly proved their useful
ness, They still claim. however, that the
urban landlord In Ireland is allowed the
same scope for leGalized plunder as his
rural cousin enjoyed in the black days
OF eviction and famine The act of 1905
only relieved the lot OF tenants. paying
their rent by the year. a relatively small
and embarrassed number Of people. Even
this entering wedge. however. Mr.. Bal
berry" though To the leagucrs IL was very
insufficient indeed. Why shouldn't sheer
honesty of mind they contend. urge the
accepted TO those classes who stand most
In need OF it,
Agitation Has Been Effective.
AT present the Irish townamen have
three grievances against the landlords
insecure tenancy high rents and the lack
OF facilities for purchase, All these con-
cessions have been made 10 the peaSantry
owing almost entirely TO persistent and
violent agitation by the farmers of the
4 rl,.. fnu hl
harder to unite. for urban poverty ana
soualor have been accepted as among the
lesser and more necessary evils or the
time. But men like Cogblan Br!scoe have
been forcing home to the puolic con-
| science the close affinity Of the two
agitations, The message of the Town
| Tenants league declares that 1t is no
more iii and proper TO have rack rents or
| unprovoked evictions or iron clad leases
in the town Than in the country
Like their grsdece2ss95rSi, IN the arc Land no1
combining themselves to oratory. Direct
~ a case of eviction arises that can be
| fought on behalf OF the tenant they take
their coats off and fight il. Within the
| past three months alone over $lo,OOo has
| been awarded compensation to town
| tenants Nothing but concerted hghtlns
pluck OF the first water would have won
| This sum from the hitherto unmo!ested
town landlords. but il Is only a small part
| OF the whole The total amount accord
| Ing TO Mr.. Briscoe. that the Town Ten
ants league has save to it's clients
pockets has been quite half million
Great Change in Ulster.
| The condition that first turned Mr.. Bris-
! GOES attention to the need for a Town
movement OF this character was, In VI
ster particularly. the miserable housing
| OF the working classes. Despite the Ter
vtd religious bitterness, OF the uIster
farmers against anything savorlns Oh
"A 'Paplsh'' Ireland, the Protestant tarmI
ers OF the north are now enjoying fnral
| reforms they at one time worked their
| blind utmost 10 prevent, Inc oistel
! townsmep OF today are displaying nuch
| more favorable spirit.
| Portadown. Lurgan, Derry ana even
| Belfast are becoming keenly aware OF Tue
| need FOR cooperation with thelr coWpa-
| encmics-the slum- -jobber, the Jerry
builder and the INSCRIPTIONS landlord.
| And the Town Tenants league. as inc
rlost handy instrument at hand TO eN-
press this common sentiment, Is nahlNs
favorable progress in Ulster
Here there seems 10 be the embryo OF
Il real town party, one OF thos9 ne"
growths which. under home rule GOV
crnmcnt will sweep aside arlincial Ill :
visions and render meaningless many OF
the old phrases about the oppression Oh
q Protestant minority, l.,
Finally, the Town Tenants League mas
this very important bearing on America
that II is the most hopetui OF an LII e tlie
suggested checks on emigration: Ihere
we're Two facts which stood out from THIS
years increase in the Irish outflow one
was that we'll over three -fourths OF thG
voyacers were destined for the United
States. the other that quite as iaigG =, :,
:. reduced scale of rents to suit the &c
prcciated industrial values oi presen, . Guy
ireland. with an inducenent Ior loWb ,Sti,
tenants TO own their own holdings, WITH
some security OF tenure at any rate, J,
Is the estimate OF Coghlsn Briscoe that