Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-24
SEEK COMPROMISE
UPON HOME RULE
Dublin Advocates Frame
Amendments to Govern
ment'S Scheme.
WOULD ENLARGE POWER
OF IRISH PARLI LAMENT
Dual Administration and Divided
Responsibility on Finance Meets
With Criticism.
Foreign Correspondents o. The Star.

Foreign Correspondence o; The star
LONDON. April H. 1918
There is a movement on foot in Dublin
among some home rulers to draw up a
statement of amendments which might
be made to the governments home rule
scheme. This is being done in the hope of
getting unionists to consider the amend
ed scheme a 3 a possible compromise. How
any compromise. in the unlikely event Of
its being arrived at could be grated on
the home rule bill has not yet been sug-
gested 1t is understood that Prof. Bast-
able. who is a home ruler, is one of the
group who are active in the matter.
There is provisional committee, an
executivce committee and a subcommit-
tee The subcommittee has recently
drawn up and presented a report giving
some indication Of the nature and tend
ency of the amendments which they are
likely to recommend" SO that the execu-
tive committee, and If desirable the pro-
visional committee also, may indicate
its approval or disapproval of the sug-
gestions. or may refer other features OF
the home rule bill to 1t for investiga-
ton.
Basis of Amendments.
The amendments which the subcommit-
tee has put forward are based on two
general PROFESSIONALISM, that the re-
sponsibility and authority Of the Irish
parliament should be incre ased, and, sec
ondly, that such further safeguards, II
any, as may be thought desirable should
be provided by changes in the compost
ton and powers OF the Irish houses OF
parliament rather than by any increase
of the direct authority Of the imperisi
parliament
On finance, the subcommittee criticises
adversely the complex system of dual
administration and divided responsible
ity," which. in its opinion, would prevent
either the imperial or Irish parliament
from exercising an effective check upon
expenditure" 1t suggests that impor-
tant reserved services such as national
health and unemployment insurance. la
Dor exchanges. old-age pensions and the
work of the development commissioners
and road board should be transferred i'm
mediately to the Irish parliament, and
states
If these reserved services" are so dealt
with we think the initial subsidy Of
s.. 800 900 should be increased to $5.OOo.UV
for the first three years. diminishing
reaches $1.5OOOO0. at which figure II
should remain.
Total Subsidy, $63, 100000.
The effect of this amendment would bt
to provide a total subsidy of $63. 25OO O(
during the first twenty years of self
government instead of $2S. 2JO.OO as pro
vided by the bill.
There is an alternative recommends
ton, that either all services except land
purchase, post office savings banks and
noIice should he transferred immediately
or else they should be transferred at
fixed dates not exceeding two years from
the appointed day."
The subcommittee reserves definite rec
concentrations on land purchase pending
the production of the governments bill.
but agrees that in this matter the legis-
lative and financial responsibility for
completing the transfer should remain
with the imperial parliament
On the taxing powers Of the Irish par
lament it suggests that the authority
of an Irish parliament to make INDEFINITE
reductions in imperial taxes should be
restored and that new imperial taxation
should only apply to Ireland by means
of the increase of existing taxes leaving
the Irish exchequer free to benefit by the
product of all new sources OF taxation.
The schedule of constituencies and
mehod Of election TO the house of COM
mons the committee considers should be
based upon constituencies returning not
less than three members and provision
for minority representation in each con-
stituency. The subcommittee finally rec
ommends that the numbers and powers
of the senate should be increased. 1t be-
lieves the power OF the senate TO oelay
legislation should be increased from one
to two years. and that its numbers should
be raised from forty to sixty.