New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-28
HOME PULF AVID LAND.

By far the most interesting specula-
ton concerning the impending Home
Rule act for Ireland has to do with the
widely changed agrerian conditions IN
that country and their relationship 10
the demand for autonomy. As we have
already observed. that demand Is now
radically changed from what II was at
first The terms which Mr.. Redmond
accepts with professions Of entire salts
faction and with eKultation would have
been contemptuously scorned and re
jected by Nj Parnell. while not the
most advanced and radical Home Ruler
to-day would venture 10 propose or
would for a moment support if proposed,
the terms which Mr. Parnell demanded
as an irreducible minimum and which
Mr. Gladstone purposed and strove TO
grant What is the explanation of this
extraordinary change
It is probably to be found chiefly In
altered agrarian conditions which have
resulted from British largely Unionist
legislation In the beginning the
Home Rule movement was almost on.
tirely agrariau Mr. Parne's original
organization was called the Irish Land
League. II was the precursor Of the Ma
tional League and the Nationalist party.
All observers I'm Ireland I'm 1879 and the
half dozen following years were agreed
that the land question was fundamental
to all social industrial economic and
political questions. Absentee landlord
ism and extortionate rents were the root
Of the trouble Peasant proprietorship
would put an end 10 distress and aGta-
ton. That was the belief Of competent
Judges, and upon it the British govern
ment, especially under Uuionist admins
tratiOnS, has been acting
There have been enacted I'm our time
dozen laws dealing with Irish land
ownership. Two Of these. I'm 1869 and
1870, preceded the Home Rule agitation
and we're almost negligible I'm results
Under them only 6,93f persons acquired
land through government advances ~
something more than 100000. NJ
Gladstone's land act Of 1881 advanced
only 81 10000 and enabled only 731
persons TO purchase, results which also
we're negligible. But from 1880 to 1903
came a series Of seven laws, enacted by
Unionist governments, under which the
gigantic aggregate Of more than $780,
100000 has been advanced by the gov
eminent and 216,s07 persons have be-
come land owners. Finally, there have
been two more acts, by Liberal govern
ments resulting in SOB purchasers re-
ceiying nearly 100000 aid. The
grand totals In forty-three years are
23O,175 purchasers, with advances Of
1888, 364.625.
Now. 1t is obvious that in a country of
only 100000 total population and of
only about 100000 acres Of arabic
land 10000 individual purchases must
have gone far toward general peasant
proprietOrship, and in those circum
stances, unless the judgments of thirty
years ago were strangely mistaken, there
must have occurred profound change
in the popular attitude toward the ques-
ton Of Irish government. The willing
ness TO remain not only within the Brit
ish Empire but also part Of the United
Kingdom, which is now manifested. but
which in Mr.. Parnells day would have
been denounced as treason to Erin. may
thus be explained. If so, the vast loans
Of the British government TO Irish land
buyers may have been peculiarly wise
and profitable investment