Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-16
Prosperity and Higher Rents

During the Napoleonic wars and some
later ones the farmers of Great Britain
were unusually prosperous. They were re-
ceiving the highest prices for their products
England was rapidly becoming a great
Industrial field. and her army of workers
had to be fed The farmers of Ireland also
shared in this prosperity. But while the
English and Scotch farmers were pro-
tected to large extent. through long
leases, against the arbitrary raising of
rents by their landlords, the Irish farmer
had no such protection. He was simply
a tenant-at-will and could be turned out on
short notice, while the landlord could
charge him any rent he pleased.
In view OF the prosperity already referred
to, the Irish landlord considered that he
was entitled to share in it. and he con-
sequently arbitrarily increased the yearly
rentals quite frequently.
So long as times were good the Irish
farmer did not kick. but when times
changed and farm products brought smaller
returns, and the landlord refused to reduce
the rentals to meet the changed conditions,
there resulted another widespread period
of discomfort. 1t was at this time William Il.
Gladstone was instrumental in having an
other act passed, establishing four land
commissions of three members each, for
the purpose of fixing fair rentals
When these commissions were organized
landlords into court and present evidence
TO show that their rents were unjust. The
plan proved so popular that the original
commissions were swamped with applica-
tions and a large number of subcommls-
sions were appointed in addition to handle
the business,
The act also extended to the landlord
the same right to bring his tenant into court
II he considered the rent charged by him
insufficient. AS a matter of fact. there were
few If any such cases recorded.
Virtually the whole of Ireland was COW
cred by the work of the commissioners.
In many cases, especially in Ulster, land
lords came forward voluntarily and ac-
cepted a reduction in rents without the
formallty of trial, and these agreements
when accepted by both sides were usually
ratified by the commissions. All decisions
were to stand for seven years. and at the
expiration of that time, If either landlord
or tenant desired a readjustment, the
same process was open to them.
Absentee Landlordism
But even all this did not satisfy, and
another wave of discomfort began to spread
among many Irish farmers. The most fer
tile sources of this last condition were the
absence Of many landlords from their
castles and mansions in Ireland and the
news of their extracagances in Europe with
ers without any return in service of any
kind
Then came the next move, and an act
enabling the tenant under certain condi-
tions to purchase his landlords rights was
passed, thus creating peasant proprietor
ship, making the farmer the sole owner of
his farm. This act provided that a certain
proportion of the purchase money could be
borrowed from the Government by the farm
er at a very low rate, payable in INSTALL
ments extended oyer number of years.
In this way the number of peasant pro-
prletors in Ireland is increasing each year.
In very recent years. since home rule
seems more than a possibility. the Irish
question has again assumed a religious
aspect There are men on both sides who,
SO long as they live and have any power,
will do everything possible to prevent a
genuine settlement.
1t was unfortunate that John Redmond
did not accept the measure OF home rule
offered by Lloyd George, which excluded
Ulster from its operations.
It was equally unfortunate that Lloyd
George, In making this offer, did not, first
OF all, mako patriotic appeal to Sir Ed
ward Carson, leader of the UIsterites. to
sink all differences in the face of the pres
ent wopld crisis and give home rule all over
Ireland a fair trial