The Owosso times., 1921-04-29
QUAKERS
Relief FOR IRELAND
SEND COMMISSION TO INvEsTI-
GATE NEED AND WILL DIS
TRIBUTE FOOD, CLOTH
ING AND MONEY.
SAY NINE LIVE ON 81 WEEKLY
Bread and Tea All Suffering Have To
Keep Them From Starvation,
Report States.

dertaken by the American Committee
for Relief in Ireland for the feeding.
clothing and sheltering of the thou.
sands of helpless women and children
who are now without these necessi-
ties OF life and are starving in the
Emerald Isle. In fact, just as was
true OF the Hoover campaign in war
torn Belgium, 1t Is only with the con-
sent OF the government authorities
that the work could be and is being
accomplished
The first step in the American cam
paign was indicative of this spirit Of
humanitarianism. The Society of
Friends, the great Quaker organiza-
tion of the United States, was asked
to investigate the need for relief and
to undertake the entire distribution
OF the relief when the funds should
have been raised and the needed sup
plies made available.
To this end, commission appointed
by the national headquarters of the
Society Of Friends, was sent to Ire
land early in the year. This commits
sion, after receiving permission for
the visit from the English authorities,
moved into Ireland and set up head
| quarters from which all Investigations
have been made and all reports of the
dire distress existent relayed to this
country.
| The commission, headed by c. J.
| France, brother Of Senator France, Of
Maryland, has examined witnesses
and consulted with the authorities in
Dublin. Belfast, Lisburn, Cork and
other Irish cities and studied condt
| tions in several counties. Every
where, they report, they have met
those who have lost their all, hungry
children and unemployed men and
women. Mr.. France, in a cabled re-
| port, had the following to say of con.
ditions as they were found by the
commission:
"In August 232 families were COM
PEELED to leave their homes. Several
hundred women and children, scant-
| lily clothed, fled from their homes on
the night Of the general burnings and
made their way during the night to
| Belfast, over twelve miles of hillside
! roads. Mothers carrying children
this distance arrived at Belfast the
| following noon with bare feet bleed
ing from the journey and were shell
tered by the local committee, headed
by Bishop MacRory.
I'm Cork at present the Cork Dis
tress Fund, headed by the deputy lord
mayor and local business men, has
been distributing from $2,400 to $4,000
weekly among 500 heads of families
aggregating 1000 men, women and
children, who were rendered destitute
by the burning of the city, but only
| $4,000 now remains In this fund, and
there are, in addition, several thou
sand other families in acute need
which they have been unable to as
sist. We are instituting plans for a
complete study Of the local emergency
and future reconstruction needs here.
"Spicer and Longstreth. of the unit,
reporting on the counties OF Roscom-
mon and Westmeath, estimate a need
OF $1,000 weekly for destitute famil-
les of workmen and $4,000 for restor-
alton Of farm buildings DESTROYED. Ba-
ker and Furnas. of the unit, recon-
mend $50 weekly to relieve urgent
distress Of twenty families in County
Longford In the towns of Longford,
Granard and Ballinalee.
wilbur and Price, of the unit, re-
porting ON Counties Seligo and Lett
rim, visited six destroyed creamer-
les, and estimated the cost Of rebuild
ing and equipment is $4,000. These
six creameries affect nearly 1000
farmers and their families, and II they
are not rebuilt this spring there ia
grave danger that the farmers will
have to sell their milch cows and thus
terminate the butter-msking industry
in the regions affected"
The report includes full summary
OF the precarious situation Of the eX.
PEELED workers in Belfast, where 5000
shipyard workers were driven from
their employment last July, and thev.
with their dependents, some 10000
persons in all, have since been de-
pendent on relief. Director France
transmitted an appeal to American
labor on behalf Of these starving
workers. issued by joint committee
Of the Belfast Labor Party and the
Belfast Trades Union Council. This
section Of the report reads:
During the past six months the ex-
PEELED workers and their dependents
have been maintained through con-
tributions received largely from la.
Dor groups in ireland, England, and
Scotland. Large sums have been
raised by Irish workers. whose
wages average $40 weekly In all.
some 100000 has been distributed.
Widespread unemployment in Eng
land has ended hope OF further con-
tributions from this source.
"The commission has found among
these expelled workers families OF
from. five to nine persons subsistins
on one pound sterling. $500, n week,
doled out by the local committee.
Their rent and coal cost 50, leaving a
similar amount for food Thnv vera