The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-11-14
INDUSTRIAL IRELAND
AFFECTED BY THE WAR

Dublin. Nov. i3.-(Correspondence
of the Associated Press) Among he
nevolent activities in ireland injur-
iously affected by the wa is the
work Of the congested districts board.
Established by Arthur Balfour when.
chief secretary for ireland a quarter
of century ago, it has been fostcred
by all subsequent governments and
has done a. vast amount Of useful
service i'm improving the condition of
the people Of the west. The peculiar
ity of these poycrW-stricken com
munitics is that the country is great
ly oyCr-populated where the land is
rocky, bad and unproductyc, and
much undcrpopulatod in the immodi-
ate nCighborhood where there are
great tracts of grazing land
The board has power to huy land
whether tenanted or untenanted and
to distribute it in allotmcnts to the
people. They can acquire this land
compulsorily where necessary. and un-
der these powers have, after a long
fight, succeeded in eXpropriatng the
Marquis of Clanricarde whose estate
near Loughrea was for a generation
one of the hottest of storm ceniers
in the land war. Within the past
five years they have bought 672 es-
tates of 1,G60, 7S3 acres at total
price of over $300O0,OO0, end there
is a great deal more land that they
might usefully buy and re-settle BY
direction of the treasury. in conse-
quencc of the war, these purchases
have now been suspended They may
continue with what money they have
but are restrained from any further
undertakings until the war is over,
and possibly for long afterwards. This
work for the benefit of the poorest
| part of the Irish people is much re-
gretted, but seems to be regarded "a
inevitable in the financial circum
stances of the time.
The board, besides its agricultural
work, does a great deal for the pro
motion of cottage industries This,
too has been seriously lit by the
war. Last year attention was called
10 falling off in the earnings of
| the boards lace and crochet classes,
due partly to the competition of Aus
tria, which had started to make Irish
lace" and partly to the Guinness of
| the American market The outbreak
of the war led to economies in dress.
Lace was luxury banned by saving
| committees. and the workers of the
west suffered by it, The earnings of
| the lace makers which had been close
to thirty thousand pounds t$150,000)
year, fell to eleven thousand Thir-
| ty-three lace classes had to be closed
down and the earnings of the women
| employed came to an end. A few Of
| them have fortunately been able to
obtain employment as lnitters for
the war office In some districts the
| amount earned by the women hal
exceeded the total rent roll, and out
of their savings, it was possible, in
numerous instances, to buy stock for
the land and provide capital TO i'm
prove permanently the condition of
! these little farms, as well as to se-
cure a fuller supply of milk for the
children. The Board is doing its bes'
TO furnish other revenues Of employ
mout, but so far their efforts are
merely experimental. These bleak
western coasts are, as the Inhabitantf
call them. the last land in Europe
and the nearest parishes to America,
but the world war has found them
out.
Industrial ireland will suffer
serious war loss in the tobacco
trade, not great, perhaps, in financial
amount, but important as affecting d
very hopeful future prospect The
country is particularly well suited for
growing tobacco. Some years ago it
was permitted b. the government
which had formerly forbidden it. EX-
periments were made und-r govern
ment auspices and growers were en-
couraged to put their capital into to-
hacco crops. Successful crops Were
grown notably in Meath, Wexford and
Louth. Irish tobacco had passed be-
yond the stage Of experiment, and had
outlived the wit of the comic papers. !
Pipe tobacco, as well as cigars AM /
cigarettes grown in Ireland, found a |
good sale, but it is now declared thai
the tayes in the new budget will /