The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1911-11-02
SALTWATER MINNESOTA. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER . 1911

Then the Irish industries have
steadily declined. Under Grafton
they fourished. / cannot bring
out this point better than by quo
ting two extracts, the first from
the History of the Commercial
and Financial Relations between
England and Ireland" and the other
from the last census report from
Ireland.
The first is as follows: s'The
Irish Commons did much to foster
new prosperity. They could not
spend huge sums of money like
England in promoting trades and
manufactures, but the sums they
did spend were wisely allotted. The
Industrial aspect of Ireland rapidly
changed. Ruined factories sprang
into life and new ores were built;
the corn-mills, which had ceased
working so long, were everywhere
busy; the population of the towns
began to increase, the standard of
living among the artisan class rose,
and even the condition of the peas
antry changed slightly for the bet
ter. Dublin, instead of being sunk
in decay, assumed the appearance.
of thriving town. In fact, the
independent Irish legislature set
itself to promote the material pros
periLy of the country in every pos
sible way, and there is no doubt it's
efforts had much to say to the really
surprising commercial ogre S S
which was made from 1880 until the
years Immediately preceding the
Union.
The Irish fisheries became the en-
Wy and admiration of Great Britain,
and agriculture increased rapidly.
Various manufactures in Ireland
began to thrive; the manufacture
of hats. of boots and shoes, of cam
dies and soap, OF blankets and car
pets, of woollens, of printed cot
tons and fustians, of tabinets and
of glass, all sprang into Importance,
while the linen manufacture which
had decayed during the American
War, quickly revived, and in ten
years the exports of various kinds
of linen doubled"
The second is as follows: The
number of persons engaged in Ire
land in the production and distri-
button of textile fabrics has fallen
away very considerably during the
past thirty years. The totals re
corded were, for 1871, 1913, 864, and
for 1881, 129,7S7. In 1891 there
was practically no change at 129.-
1884, but in 1901 the numbers EN-
ployed had fallen to 109,5S8 Re
| ferring to the returns for the later
year, the Commissioners observe:
In this marked decline of over
fifteen and half per cent. the
males diminished by 1854 and the
females to the extent of IL, ,432
| Looking at the principal textile
manufactures, we find that by fal
the most important industry in the
country, viz, the fax and linen in
dustry, has lost over II 900, nearly
one-fifth of it's workers, while those
employed in the manufacture O.
: woollen goods have suffered cor
: responding reduction.
: Then as regards education, it i
a well known fact that Irish educa
tional facilities are fifty per cent
below any other nation of Europe
, in civil government, the taxes hav'
: increased one-hundred per cent
per head Of population, during th'
past fifty years.
Compare the cost of civil govern
ment with Scotland, with just abou
5 the same population. The tota
: civil government Of Scotland j
d $l2. 1856. 100000 against Ireland
/ i $22. .735. 100000.
Ireland's judiciary costs $1,000.
e 600 per annum more than Scot
Y lands; the Irish police, three time
: as much. The. civil servants o
e Scotland number 963, and are KEEP
d at a cost of ST. 555. 100000 per an
t mum. Ireland has 4539, at a cos
g of 81, ,O62. 900. .Od per annum. Pc
d head of population the cost of civ
j. government is tWice that of Eng
!, land. In fact Ireland, the poores