Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-10-02
HOME GOING
MOVEMENT BEARING
fruit, He DECLARES
Tide is Turning and Sons of Erin Are
Returning to Their Native
Heath, According to
Statistics.


steadily ebbing for Is years, has turned
and that h old sod promises to Jake
On new vigor, is the lain made by
Francis J. Kilkenny, originator of the
Irish home going movement. In a
statement to the press a year ago, he
asserted that a new era had already
dawned for Ireland. which is now sub
s~tantiated by figures Of the recent Irish
census.
For the first time in more than 10
years, according to official reports
said Mr.. Kilkenny. 1.-The population Of
Ireland shows an increase. During the
birth rate exceeded by 1.102 the loss
by death and emigration. For the
same time the deaths from all causes
We're the lowest since 1871, and the in
rant mortality the lowest ever record
ed. being only Sc in every 1000.
Drift Of Population.
The population of Ireland was at
figures for h a e a being S,175,124.
Between 1S41 and 1851 the loss by
death and emigration amounted to
over 10000 90. Census statistics for the
10 years ended in 1861 showed a de-
crease of over IL per cent; in 1871, the
returns showed a 6h per cent decrease;
IN 1881, o Az per cent; in 1891, 8
per cent, and In 1901, S per cent. For
the decade ended 1911, it was about III
per cent, and now, for a single year,
there is shown an increase instead Of
the constant decrease. I am satisfied
that the next 10-year census figures,
instead Of showing a decrease, will dis-
play a most satisfactory increase in
the population Of the island. The CEN
sus returns of April 2. 1911. make the
total population 1890, ZIG, viz: 2,1s2.0 4s
males, 2,19S,171 females, being a de-
crease from the prior census Of 6s, 556.
or the smallest since the decade 1871
ster). there was an increase Of 9,215.
or nearly l per e So it is shown
that Ireland at the time Of her low
tide has about half the population that
she had Is years ago; and that she is
therefore the only country in the civ
terribly depleted through restrictive
legislation.
The largest relative decrease dur
ing the last census decade was in the
province of Connaught, where the loss
was 5k per cent. or about $4,000 out of
q popuiatlon Of 611,ooo. More han
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 beer towards
the large cities. In 1886 over SO per
cent of the population was found In
the rural districts, while in 1911 this
percentage had decreased to about sc,
put the back to the soil" movement
IS maxim progress and many are now
returning from the congested cities.
In the matter Of density of popu-
lation, 1t appears thai the number of
acres to each person has increased by
nearly three-fourths of an acre within
the last 30 years. The arabic acreage
per person has increased from about
three acres in 1881 to nearly four acres
n 1911, or an increase within the past
80 years Of about one acre of arabic
land to each inhabitant.
ireland a suffered a heavy loss
from emigration. The drain upon her
population in this direction even dur
Ing the past five a averages 10000
annually: in 1907, $4,000 left Ireland
for other countries; in 1908, $1,000:
1929, $4,000; 1910, $4,000; 1911. 10000;
from May 1. 1851, to March 81.
1911, nearly 1920, 900 natives Of Ire
land emigrated to other countries. The
larger portion Of these emigrants were
between the ages Of Is and IS years.
Remunerative employment in Ireland
Tor men and women will help largely
ton.
One good sign Of Ireland's growing
prosperity is the increase in the num-
Der Of inhabited houses. The number
of inhabited houses in 1911 was re-
ported at S61,879, or an increase Of 81
721 over the returns for 1901, while the
returns ais 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 are now being cultivated by
the Irish occupiers Of the soil, who.
under the land act of 1903 and subseo
quent acts, nave become the owners
thereof. The land acts Of 1903 and
1909, the laborers' cottage act Of 1906
and the old g pension act Of 1908
were enabling measures which have
given much relief and announcement
to the Irish people.
Census returns indicate also that
the people Of Ireland are Keeping
abreast of the times in education. This
fact is a hopeful sign of progress. for
1t is a well recognized axiom that the
prosperity of a country increases in
the same proportion as its educational
and Industrial ADVANTAGES