The Detroit times., 1913-11-03
IRELAND'S RURAL
CREDIT SYSTEM
LESSON TO U.S..
Problem of Keeping Good Farm
ers on the Land Is Being
Solved in Emerald Isle
POVERTY GIVES WAY TO
HEALTH AND COMFORT
Bill Which Gives Tenant Chance
To Own His Own Place
Working Wonders

NEW YORK, Nov. l-Hsarst's
Magazine for November will contain
an article by U. s. commissioner
Weinstock. now investigating rural
conditions In Ireland for the United
States government In which he de-
scrlbes the wonderful improvement
In the condition OF small farmers due
to the operation of the Irish Land
act, the rural credit system which, In
modified form. is being considered
by the Democratic administration.
Mr.. Weinstock's article says:
Ireland Ii to-day an object lesson
from which America may richly profit.
ancy and absentee landlordism had
succeeded In 80 Degrading and impov-
Crushing the Irish peasantry that they
economic wretchedness The Irish
farmer had lost all ambition and hope.
He had found that the more thrifty
increased his own burden. Every time
that he would better his rented land
by careful husbandry, he would sim:
since the rental value was determined
This destroyed within him ambition
hope OF regeneration lay In making Of
the Irish tenant q land owner and In
| nlllnK him with the knowledge that
he himself and those near and dear
| would pront by every stroke Of work
| put into land which hereafter was to
DO his and his family's for all time to
4 come.
of Parliament had been earnestly nght::
K for rh the bR az the r sse
ton OF a royal commission with power
to apprsise the value Of the big Irish
landed estates, condemn them and pay
the owners the appraised value. plus
twelve per cent, bonus. The Commits.
sion was to have further power to cut
up these great estates into small t t;Hn
plan. that Is, making the payments dun
In annual installments spreading over
period Of from re, Nifty e sixty years S;;,...
opposition In Parliament: all the vest:
| ed interests we're unalterably opposed
IT. In fact II was not passed ~ no S Sm1'
meni that Parliament in its own de-
Tense reluctantly had to pass the msa-
| aotment OF this measure have exceed
ed the most sanguine expectations or
its most enthusiastic supporters, They
have completely regenerated Ireland
| and it's peasantry. Under the laws pro-
visions over three hundred thousand
farm tenants have been converted into
landed proprietors. all within a period
To-day Ireland scarcely recognises
itself. The change has stimulated every
man and every woman In the land
Hope fills the air and the outlook tol
this hitherto unfortunate land wal
never so bright as now.
| Ireland, formerly regarded ~ one Oh
the most poverty stricken countries LII
the world. now promises to become.
per capita. one Of the richest countries
AIDED by, the :stab .m; ,s Of an
which has Sen. out dv ABLE S so the
Converted into, tillaEe.. Modern cot.
iS svs t D w the place .' Of e the former
wretched and unsanitary novels oecu-
pied by the rural worker. These cot
We're the old novels, BY dirt and Nth.
and mowers Their windows are neat :
and nna tnsy
and foriorn aspect OF the home of the
At a conference held by the Amer
loan Commission At Albert Agricultural
College In the niburbs OF Dublin, John
piop h.d dhs for.m ps psnt in ser
Bill said among other thing: that
:sa hf1 ae sssr Ssiore SSt that ths
had generally come to And to what =
low ebb of poverty and misery and
| wretchedness bad government could re-
duce q people. Now. for the first time
In Irish history. a great delegation had
come to little ireland from the great
est, most enlightened and most pro-
sressive country In the world. to learn
and TO proht from little Ireland's
knowledge and experience. Another
speaker pointed out that the new lana
conditions In Ireland were developing
a higher and better breed OF men and
| women.
Aside from the moral and intellectual
regeneration going on in Ireland II 10
a country that from being one Of the
| poorest under the system OF tenantry.
Is destined to BECOME. under small land
ownership. one Of the richest. per Gap
tia in the world. Not only this. but
ireland 10 destined to set the world q
pace In the matter of crtmelessness
Under the new conditions II - likely
in time to rank the lowest in Its per-
centages Of crime, intemperance and
pauperism.
Comparing the conditions In Ireland
| with those Of our own country we md
that the last United states census has