La Junta tribune., 1914-04-04

Dublin. 1feland.-Poverty and de
tress and squalor and hunger u sttll
present In the slums Of some Of he
larger cities Of Ireland. But over ~
richer rural parts Of ireland hes come
intelligent organized industry and -
thusiastie energy which make 4 -
rich and prosperous ~ the richeel
portions Of the great middle west b
America Rural Ireland II unqusstioar
ably regenerate ireland. The process
Of regeneration II progressing. Pros
pertty 10 crovdinE out poverty and In
vading even those regions which have
heretofore been considered the natural
stroasholds OF poverty.
How Property Came TO irslsWd.
There are several contributins
causes for this changed condition. The
land tenure laws have done wonassa
Under old conditions the slightest b
dication Of prosperity upon the pass
Of the tenant. II Il were only new car
or. the wife . clean apron. meant Q
raise In rent. II was TO the advant
age Of the tenant farmer to seem moss
miserable than he was. The system
put premium on squalor and ragged
ness and slovenly farming. No oas
could safely whitewash his cottage o.
plant tree or cultivate . flower. NoO
all 10 changed. Three hundred thou-
sand farmer tenants are now purchas
ing their holdings under . benedcent
law. which permits the purchase Of the
land without the advance payment oi
4 cent The only obligation upon tAe
purchaser 10 that be pay annually ~.
per cent. upon the value OF the I'tie
farm ms interest and less than one-tali
per cent ~ an instailment upon III.
principal. Under this Law the entire
tenant class are acquiring their homes
by the annual payment OF sums aggre
eating considerably less than the for
mer rent.
Piunkstt Teaches Cooperation.
There can be no doubt that rural
Ireland Is making business success OF
farming. But II is not doing It's busi
ness In business.like way because OF
any spontaneous Impulse on the par,
OF the Irish farmer. II In rather be
cause business.like Irishmcn went
about organizing the business pro
ccdure Of rural enterprises In q mos,
business-like way. The leader Of these
businesslike lrishmen is Sir Horace
Plunkett To him ireland owes NOR,
'<han Il will ever realize. From the
frst his propaganda was educational
His proposition was that the Irish
farmer must be taught the eiicacy Of
combination IN industries. He did no,
believe In subsidies or subventions
Nor did he believe that relief would
come through leeislstioa or through
state aid In any form. A. Father Fin.
lay. professor OF econimics In the NJ
tionai University Of Dublin. says: "Ts.
fafmep' best resources be held to b.
themselves. and in their own insel!L
sence. seifrsliance and mutual trust
and these resources Il vas bis pur
pose 10 develop"
No GneevNtsrs oimeuisiss.
There seemed TO b most exccllen,
reasons Why he could not succeed. Th,
Irish people were dispiritcd and dis.
courased. They were suspicious and
afraid Of all new movements. Sir
Horace Piunkett himself belonged 10
the dcspised landlord class. with which
the people had been long In constan,
conflict.
As Father Frniay says: In religion
he was . Protestant and Ills sppea,
would be 10 q people predominant, y
Catholic In . country where religious
aniasonisms prcvaAs every sphere Of
social life. In poiIticS--so far as h.
was = poiitician-he was . unionis,
and those whom he proposed 10 Innu.
ence were Estionaiists by . vast ma
jority. kssuiy Suspicious Of any policy
which threatened 10 divert the mind
of the nation from the political sirns
on which u wAs passionately bent"
Il 10 not surprising. therefore, that /,
was only after moro than year Of
etfsauous s6osts end afssf mors than
nfsy public meetings had been held
than ID 1870 . BODY of Limerick farm.
- hnally ccnsested % esasblisA Q co
operative creamsSy. II was asain owe,
o yoAs beeoso . seccal oue eollcved
snk ~ ~ ssd u 1881. hevsvss,
seveetsea creamsries we're st worn
aa1'ot ~ go of ieeo thirty hoo beeu
eeBanlsed. THEREAFTER the coopsestive
socisties vess ofganised more rapidly
Now co'opefatioa and eoo1 busiucss
nsshod prsvali throsshout ireland
Thseo ere ~ eoopsrativs 20.
/ eepeaee eeoo ~ islApd. .Wnh = as
uogoee ~ - Ghogo cabllai q oboul
nilltea dcllsSs thslf annuai turn -oves
~ tVolye 4llteo tellass s-s..s-.,.s... =