The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-04-21
SHADOWS OF FAMINE
II. URBAN IRELAND
Distress in Town Centers-shortage
OF the Staple Articles of Food
Alarming.

EN'e' ''''S'
In Cork, Ireland, Patrick Hennessy
and Denis Sullivan, who trade as The
Farmers Supply Stores" were sum-
moned by a ID. |. of the r. l. c. "for
having sold potatoes at rates exceed
ing $40 los Cd per ton" We quote
from the report:
For the defense it was stated that
defendants, having failed to get po-
tatoes in the South of Ireland, got
them from the North. They were pay
ing, i'll some cases, ell, and the en-
ing at $40 los, plus carriage from
Coleraine to Cork. They were max
ing no profit, and if their stores were
closed up there would be a potato
famine in Cork
The Chairman said it appeared
from the Regulation that the farmer
could sell at SO. and a dealer could
not sell over Gl0 los.
MIR. Wynne (solicitor for defend
ants) said it was ridiculous Order
Instead Of being summoned the de-
PENDANTS should be thanked.
MIR. ORioran, J.P., agreed. and
said it was poor thanks for all the
citizens and townspcople did for the
farmers in getting them land purchase
that the farmers would not now sell
them potatoes at a reasonable price.
The magistrates were unanimous
in dismissing the case"
At Ballymena last Saturday the
Guardians that two tons of potatoes
had been purchased from farmer at
cost of ell 0s Cd per ton The
Cork dealers had paid about the same
price to vendors at COleraine and
they sold to the consumers at cost
price so that poor people should not
starve. Wesare at one with the gen
tleman who remarked that certain
farmers are not models of gratitude; !;
but no one has asserted that there
were $4,000 tons of potatoes for ex-
port in Munster after the needs of the
people were supplied. AS we have
frequently pointed out, farmers in
Aioot Jll 10 vi ldu
grown potatoes for their own domes-
tic use mainly; the surplus from the
farm found it's way to the local mar
kets, and met local urban require
ments. But the partial failure of the
crop last year reduced the supply to
such an extent that a great majority
of the farmers outside the Ulster dis
tricts where potato growing for ex-
port had become recognized indus
try now find themselves short" of
the food for home consumption. 1t
is not from the South, East, or West,
but from the North that the potatoes
| urgently required in the Northern
towns and Dublin City are sent day
by day to England-nearl 5000 tons
have been shipped for army purposes
| within the past few months, while
there is a potato famine" in every
Ulster town-and the English farmers
are notoriously holding up" their
abundant supplies for the April and
May markets. Dublin, which is sur
rounded by huge grazing areas, fares
worse than any other Southern cen
! ter; indeed, it is easier to get pota
toes at the scheduled price in any
Munster or Connaught town than in
any Ulster urban district. The Gov
ernment were warned early last year;
they did nothing; the acreage under
potatoes was actually reduced in all
parts of the country-and the crop
partly failed. Then came Lord Devon
port, with his ascending scale of
prices and the final mischief was
wrought. Had the expectation of
Irish potatoes been suspended when
we advocated that course last Novem-
ber and the Irish Party's recommen-
dations regarding prices and distribu-
tion been adopted, the Irish supply
would have been fairly divided the
farmers would have been well paid, the
townspeople would have been spared
loss and suffering, and the country's 8
! food resources would have been judi
F! ciously husbanded. But Ireland is
ruled from London, and this "muddle"
is one of the least perniciOus results of
the atrociolls system. ....