Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1913-10-02
IRISH HOME GOING
MOVEMENT BEARING
FRUIT, He DECLARES
Tide I. Turning and Sons Of Erin Art
Returning to Their Native
Heath. According to
Statistics.

Washington. Special That the tide
of Irish national life. which has been
steadily ebbing for IS years. has turned
and that the old sod promises to take
on new vigor, is the claim made by
Francis j. Kilkenny. originator OF the
Irish home going movement. In "A
statement to the press Il year ago. he
asserted that a new era had already
dawncd for Ireland. which is now sub
stantiated by figures OF the recent Irish
census
For the first time in more than 20
years, according 10 official reports.
said Mr. Kilkenny 1.-The population of
Ireland shows an increase. Dnrng the
fiscal Year ended June 20, 1872 the
birth rate exceeded by 1.O2 the loss
by death and emigration For the
same time the deaths from all causes
Were the lowest since 1871. and the in-
failt mortality the lowest ever record-
ca, being only s6 in every 1000
Drift of Population.
The population OF Ireland was al
shlsh water mark in lSll the official
figures for that ye.r being s.175l24.
lbetWeeii lSil and 1851 the loss by
dr;tth and emigration amounted To
Over l,6Oo.0r Census statistics for the
10 years GUIDED in 1861 showed a de
crease of oyer II per cent: in ISL the
returns showed Il 81. per cent decrease.
IN ISL, about ~. per cent in 1891, 3
pei cent. aii,i - 1901. . per cent. For
ne decade on 81. 1T MAS about Y
pc: cent, aliN for "a single year.
thefe Is si.nNh y increase instead OF
the Consistent decrease. ! am satisfied
that tha next l0-gear census figures.
lnsteAd nl showing u decrease. will dis
Ilas a most satisfactory increase in
tho population of the island The con-
sns returns Of April 2 l9ll m;lke the
total populations 439n.2l9 viz a192048
haaleS 2,laS,lI females. being Il de-
crease from The prior census of IS, 556.
or The smallest since the decade ISL
issi however In one province u.ein-
stcfl there WAS an increase of 9215
o, nearly ! per cent So it is; shown
mai ireland at the time OF her low
tide has about half the population that
she had 20 wears ago: and that she is
therefore the only country in the civ
llizea world whose population has been
terribly depleted through restrictive
legislation
The largest relative decrease dur
ing he last census decade was i'm the
province of cpnnaught. where the loss
Was -. Fer cent. or about $4,000 out of
population of 81 900. More than
nnc-half of the decrease i'm lrelands
population during this period was in
That province, where Industries are
lacking and the soil Impoverished.
Turned to Cities.
AS in America. the trend of the
population of ireland has been towards
the large cities. In 1S46 over sc per
cent of the population MAS found in
the rural districts. while i'm 1911 this
percentage bad decreased tn about &c.
but the back To the soil movement
returning from the congcstcd cities.
In the matter of density of popll-
latinn. 1T appears that tine number of
acres to each person has i'm re.lsetl b.
nearly three-fonrths of an acre within
the ist 10 years. The arabic acreage
three acres in ISL to nearly four acres
IN 1911. or ;ln increase Within the past
80 Years O1 a'luut once acre uf arabic
land To each iili.iliiant
ireland has suffered heavy loss
from emigration. The drain upon her
population in this direction even dur
ins the past five years averages 10000
annually; in 1907. $4,000 left ireland
for otil"r countries: i'm 1908 $4,000;
1909. 2s.00o 1910. $4,000: 1911 10000:
1912. 10000.
From May I, ls5l To March 81.
l9l' Eear]v i.20O.Oo0 motives of Ire
land e.niSrated to other countries. The
larger portion If these cmigrants were
between the ages of Is and 50 years
RcmuneratiNe employment in Ireland
for men and women will help largely
TO check this drain upon her popua-
ton
One good sign OF Ireland's growing
prosperity is the increase i'm the num-
be: OF inhabited houses. The number
of Inhabited houses in 1911 was re-
ported al SGl.S19. or an increase of g.
al over the returns for 1901 while the
returns also show that a better and
more modern class of cottages is be-
ing built than in former years. An
Other sign promising great things for
the future of Ireland is that the vast
estates formerly held by the absentee
landlords ore now being cultivated by
the irish "ccupiers of the soil who.
under the land act of 1903 and suisse
qucnt acts, have become the owners
thereof. The land acts of 1903 and
l?o9. the lahurers' cottage act of 1906
and the old age pension act of 1908
were enablin% measures which have
given much relief and encouragement
To the Irish people.
Census returns Indicate also that
the people OF Ireland are Keeping
;iAi'e,tst oi lie times in education. This
fae is n hopeful sign OF progress for
il is Il wcl recognized axiom that the
prosperity OF 3; country increases in
the saiilc proportion rs its educatio
and industrial advantages.