La Junta tribune., 1914-05-30
= MATHEW 5. DUDCEON
copyriEh,. MA. :

Inniskeen, County Louth. Ireland. -
In America We are trying In . more or
less conscious effort to make the
schooihouse the educational and social
center and the school master q com.
munity leader. In ireland without any
set purpose this result b already se-
cured. Al Inniskeen. In county Louth.
for example. John Quinn. the school
master. is the big man. BY virtue OF
his natural qualities and BY reason OF
his secretarial position in the coopera.
tive association he IL the farmers
banker. their business manager and
adviser. their agricultural expert, and
= temperance reformer. In fact he is
the commrnity leader. His school
house Is = social center for to IL the
people go for cooperative association
meetings. for temperance lectures. and
for public gatherings OF all sorts.
We have been to County Donegal
and have seen what the cooperative
enterprises centered at Dunglow have
done for . region which 10 naturally
uuproductive. Under the leadership
Of Paddy Gallagher. q native business
genius. cooperation has brought com.
fort. relative prosperity and hopeful.
ness to = community which was previ
ously Z desolate combination Of peet
bog and rocky hillside.
We have stopped here 10 see tAaSs-
suits Of cooperation when planted In
. more fertile productive soil. for this
portion Of County Louth would con.
pare favorably with the richest
stretches Of our own middle western
states.
The Avsrs0s Irish Farmer.
Anxious to ind the average small
farmer who 10 . member Of the coop.
erat!ve society and willing to talk
about its adairs. we were directed 70
Edward Meeshan. Who operated q
farm Out two Irish miles from the VII.
lase. A. ~e walked out to MeeshAn's
place the consciousness Was forced
upon us that In this section ireland 10
far from being starving ireland" The
nelds are carefully cultivated-culti.
waited ~ they seldom are In the states.
The hedges and walls are well Kept.
The heavy crops indicate . high d.
gree Of fertility. Each cottage givea
evidence Of prosperity and seif.respect.
Ing pride. Upon the faces OF those
whom We meet We see nothing to indi.
cate that the local Irish are poverty
stricken or despairin.. We md M.eg.
han on n t0acrc farm Of which he ID
evidently and Justly proud The fer.
tile fields. the stacks OF rich grain. the
high grade live stock. all demonstrate
that II b possible to make money
hereabouts and that there IL a prumis.
ing future In the local agricultural sit.
uAtion.
evyine Fsrms for Less Than Rent.
Mecshan himself. u vigorous fellow,
full OF enthusiasm and hopcfuin.s,. cx.
plains that his father prior TO his
death had bought the land under the
imperial land tenure act providing fos
an arbl'rated value ~ between Land.
lord and tenant The value once h,cd
the government pays for the land. and
then permits the tenant who becomes
. purchaser TO repay the purchas. price
In sixty odd years. each year keeping
up the interest at two and three.
foarths per cent and paying In addi.
ton . small lnstsllment UPON the
principal. He tells hov bic father ps,d,
- rent alone. 10 pounds per year,
While be himself In buyias The farm d
sow paying. ineludins bosh in,ersst
sed annual installDsats % peineipsI
osly IL pounds ~ ysas. Quite nat.
sfaIly b hes . ksoa appreciation o(
The las6 tenure lavs which essb,e1
BIN gradually . obsaia ~ fasn b.
The payment q Iess oeosy eaeh ysa,
sAaa oFisiaaiiy veat ~ ssas aloas.
nis y oos - hin ~ t0porsas,
seias. hovsvee. His lAehse 30 ore
sSosely beea Q tooase 4 nv tAsteh
% The basa. . nev G)Aeo q ~ rooe
o. . asv she1 eee ~ eov. eoujd ~,
- essaissl 10 aay Nv fFe0 ~ issd
bee4. u uuse - eeats1ouesl b ~
pseve~eo6 omeeovemeaea.
seeaoe who koeW thae WtlAls thlrt,
eeys theeeafses ~ mlgAs y ~ eR ~
p>aeo. The aatuel result ~ - -
veet Oh feDaiss go alt peenaseet n
eeovsaeats. 10 this sat1ss ssgioa .,
have ~ eeeo sbls 70 discover Q Of.
&c fFuit tsee thet ~ bssa ples,e1
lssee y ~ aeauisoelso q ~ ias1 3,
~ tenant poeeAaGesD. d eAee tier.
aM . 1eturo SSuSe tsooo IN. Whee1