The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-11-06
llAR!NJUREs
benevolent
INSTITUTION
Which Does Service in Reliev:
ing Poverty -Shick zen Sec
ton of Ireland.
a, ., n. = n i,,,...,

DUBLIN, Nov. Among beney-
solent activities in Ireland injuriously
affected by the war is the work Of
the Congested Districts Board. Es-
tablished by Arthur Balfour when
chief secretary for Ireland "a quarter
of q century ago. it has been fostered
by all subsequent governments and
has done q vast amount ofsuseful ssers
vice in improving the cond ition Of the
ipeoplesof the West. The popularity
of these poverty-stric commune
ties is that the country is greatly
oyer-populated where the land is
rocky, bad and unprod uctive, and
much tunderSpopulated in the imme-
date neighborhood where there are
great tracts OF grazing land.
The board has power to buy land
whether tenanted or untenanted and
to distribute 1t in allotments to the
people. They can acquire this land
scompulsorily where necessary, and
under these powers have, after q
long fight, succeeded in exapropriat-
ing the Marquis of Clanricarde whose
estate near Loughrea was for a gem
Grafton one Of the hottest of storm
centers in the land war. Within the
last five years they have bought 672
estates Of 1,660,783 acres at q total
price Of over $40, 100 o, 900, and there
is q great deal more land that they,
might usefully buy and resettle. BY
direction OF the treasury, in conse-
quence of the war, these purchases
have been suspended They may con-
tinue with what money they have but
are restrained from any further un-
ldertakings till the war is over and
possibly for long afterwards. This
interruption Of q valuable and vital
work for the benefit Of the poorest
part Of the Irish people is much re-
GREETED, but seems to be regarded as
inevitable in the financial circum-
stances OF the time.
The board, besides its agricultural
work, does great deal for the pro
motion Of cottage industries. This
too has been seriously hit by the war.
Last year attention was called to a
falling OF in the! earnings Of the
board g lace and crochet classes due
partly to the competition Of Austria
which had started to make Irish
lace and partly to the dullness in
the American market. The outbreak
of the war led to economics in dress.
Lace was a luxury banned by Saw
tngs committees, and the workers Of
the West suffered for it. The earn
ings Of the lace makers which had
been closeson thirt thousand pounds
SIC, 900 year fell to eleven thou
sand. Thirty-three lace classes had
to be closed down and the earnings
OF the women employed came to an
end. "A few OF them have fortunate
Nv been able to obtain employment
as knttters for the war office. IN
some districts the amount earned by
the women had exceeded the total
rent roll, and out OF their savings
twas possible in. numerous instances
to buy stok for the land and pro-
vide capital to improve permanently.
the condition Of these little farms,
as we'll as to secure a fuller supply
of milk for the children. The board
iis doing Its best to furnish other
revenues Of employment, but SO far
Its efforts are merely experimental,
These bleak western coasts are. al
the inhabitants call them, the last
land In Europe and the nearest par
ishes to America, but the world war
has found them out.
Industrial ireland viii suffer d SER
ious war loss In the tobacco trade.
not great perhaps in financial amount
but important as affecting a very
hopeful future prospect. The coun-