Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-17
]. N. BARBOUR HITS 3.
IRISH HOME RULE.
Ex-Paterson Man, at Ulster
Mass Meeting, Fears New Law
Would Hurt Industries.

the province of Ulster attended
mass-meeing here over the week end
to protest against the Home Rule bill
for Ireland Among the speakers
was J. Milne Barbour. Barbour is
one of the heads of the Barbour
Linen Thread Company, Ltd, of Lis
bon, which controls great mills in
Paterson, N J. He is a cousin OF
William Barbour, of Paterson and
New York. The latter Barbour is
an American and is head of the Pat
erson branch of the company He
was head of the American Protective
Tariff League for many years until
recently.
Two resolutions were adopted at
the mass-meeting. The first, after
expressing the conviction Of the
meetings. that the home rule bill would
bring disaster upon the industries,
the commerce and the financial credit
of Ireland and lead to civil war, de-
clared that the business men assem-
bled resolved to hold back payment
of all taxes so long as any attempt
to put into operation the provisions
of the bill is made. The second rcso-
luton expressed "our cordial APP
proval of the various measures taken
for the defense of our liberties, in
GLIDING the organization of the Ulster
Volunteer force"
The second resolution, after a
speech by Sir Edward Carson, was
put by J. Milne Barbour. He pointed
out that the present demonstration
had nothing of a political or religious
nature, but expressed the sentiments
of representative men from every
branch of trade who could identify
themselves on business grounds with
the opposition that was being offered
TO the Legislation.
Demand Based on Industry.
1--WE demand that our opposition be
heard by Parliament" he said, mot
in proportion to our representation in
Parliament, but rather in proportion
to the efforts we have put forth to
develop the prosperity and welfare of
the country"
Mr. Barbour held that the people
of Ulster had by their enterprise and
the orderly and industrious character
of the workmen shown tPuer inter-
est in their country than had the rest
of Ireland in its ceaseless agitation.
I'm considering the principle Of this
bill" he continued, neither our ex-
perience in the past nor our anticipa-
tion for the future suggests any rea-
son for legislation of such revolu-
tionary character
'In the year 1916 the population of
Belfast numbered 30,720, while today
it is close on 100000, and in the last
fifty years the valution of property in
the city has grown from $1,4277l5 to.
$671S,6S0. During the same period the
tonnage of vessels cleared from the
port of Belfast has grown from lit
tie more than a million tons to two
and half million tons and the Gus
TOMS revenue has grown from S,Sl5,-
STE to $24. &c. 1885,"
AS an example of the prosperity Of
Ulster, Mr.. Barbour explained that in
the city of Belfast the wealth was
more than evenly distributed than In
any other city of it's size and the ratio
of pauperism-107 per 1000-was the
lowest of any city in the Uniteds
Kingdom.
Ulster opposition to home rule is so
great, Mr.. Barbour said, that EN-
ployers know that, even if they had
no opinions of their own there ex-
listed among their employees such a
hostility to the measure and such a
determination to resist it that dis
turbances of the gravest character
would undoubtedly ensue in the event
of any attempt being made to force
the measure upon them. Mr. Barbour
added that with the workers he ap-
proved the Ulster volunteer force and
considered that existing conditions
required and justified its formation.
The speaker referred to remarks
by the Nationalist leaders and held
that they indicated that the ultimate
aim of some of the Nationalist party
was complete independence, to which
home rule was merely a stepping
stone.
Proud of the Empire.
ut is for reasons such as these"
he continued, that the Unionists in
Ireland, who are proud of their posi-
ton in the British empire and proud
of the share they have taken in maxi
ing the empire what it is, are abso-
lutely opposed to the principles of the
home-rule bill. The industries of III
ster, the linen industry, shipbuilding,
distilleries and tobacco factories,
some of them the largest and best
equipped in the world, are almost en-
tirely dependent on markets overseas
not only for their supplies of raw
material. but also for the disposal
of their finished products, and the es-
Enlistment of any customs barriers
between this and the sister countries,
as permitted under the bill, would
interpose a fatal barrier to that free
and rapid flow of commerce which is
so essential under modern business
conditions"
Ulster men hold, Mr.. Borbour said,
that the hollow mockery of the rep
resentation which would be theirs
under the bill was no representation
at all, and that for them to be re-
quired to submit to taxation by such
parliament was in violation Of the
essential principles of the British
constitution.
"The men of Ulster have been asked
whom they are going to fight" Mr..
Barbour concluded "and their reply
is that they have no desire TO fight
at all, but they feel that an attempt
is being made TO force an injustice
on them and that they are entitled
to take every precaution to secure
continuance on exactly the same
terms as their English and Scotch
fellow citizens of their Just constitu-
tional rights"
other speakers at the meeting were
J. Fl. Stirling, director of the York
Street Flax Spinning and Weaving
Company, Ltd; T. f. Cooke, director
of the Great Northern railway; E. c.
Herdman, of Herdman g. Co. Ltd
and F. l.. Heyn. managing director
of the Ulster Steamship Company,
Ltd These spoke in Ulster Hall, Sir
Edward Carson and four other speak
ers made addresses to the overflow
meeting in Assembly Hall.
Especial to the Newark Star.l
PATTERSON, NOV, Ill Milne
Barbour, managing director of the
Barbour Linen Thread Company, Of
Ireland, is we'll known here. He is a
first cousin of Colonel William Bar
bour j Milne Barbour lived here
on and off for several years. He mar
ried Elizabeth Barbour, Of this city,
daughter of Sarah Rebecea and the