The New York herald., 1922-07-23
BY SHAW DESMOND.

DESMOND.
was the first spur to national action.
and at this time, despite the British
occupation and the war. Sim Fein
Land Courts were held and laid the
foundation of the Land Arbitration
Courts, which will in the future ad-
minister the whole of ireland. except
Ulster. In the period from May. 1920.
to June, 1921, these Land Courts dealt
with nearly three hundred cases. rep
resenting $3.50 acres in twenty-three
counties. The story of the holding of
the courts is itself story bristling
with adventure. for they We're declared
illegal by the English Government
and held under threat Of prison and
worse.
Outwitting the British in
Cork Meeting of the Court
Mr.. Darrell Figgis. one of the prime
movers in the inquiry commissions
held on the same lines as these
courts, told me the exciting story of
how when in Cork the police held the
City Hall against the commission the
Commissioners just sent a camoufiage
party of citizens to the hall ito keep
the enemy interested" while they
went on to the School Of Art, taking
the evidence there of leading mer-
chants and manufacturers Of Cork,
some of them Unionists. and being in
formed Of the movements of the Brit
ish forces by a system Of couriers Or
ganized from the local volunteers.
Forced from the School of Art they
took their flock of witnesses to the
County Council Chamber.
When the police had occupied all
the public buildings in the city the
Commissioners coolly went back to
their hotel, the Imperial, where they
continued the interrupted session. and
upon the District Inspector OF Police
| threatening the management to turn
out every guest he had. the Commits
sioners sent couriers to collect every
Cork citizen available, "again to in
terest the police" the stage crowd
gathering before the hotel.
At this point the august Commits
sioners discovered a violent desire to
inspect the Henry Ford motor car
works, and took with. them their en-
tourage of experts and witnesses,
others joining en- route. and. quite
unknown to Mr.. Henry Ford, I fear
they finished their sittings In one of
his buildings, to their great comfort
and Joy.
Yet it is the work OF these Land
Courts and Of these Commissions OF
Inquiry which is going to determine
the whole Of the new experiment and
the whole future of economic Ireland.
myself have been present at one Of
these Land Courts held at midnight
in Clare, saw every decision taken
down by court registrar and know
that every decision made by every
Sim Fein court will be respected by
| the future Government of Ireland.
Minimum of State Action
Is Wanted in the Industries
All these small holdings will be
linked up on cooperative lines, be-
hind them a minimum of State action
and subsidy. The Fisheries Commits
sion states: I'VE do not foresee a
dole fed industry. 1t is the intention
| Of this scheme of organization to dis
pense with such doles.'
Cattle breeding in Ireland to-day is
chaotic, no farmer knowing anything
about cattle strains whether for milk
or meat, 1t is the intention of the
Irish Government to buy a big central
farm, upon which data will be pre-
pared as to the best cows and the best
bulls, &c, and from which State bulls
- o..
| throughout the country. What is
called "a mutual agreement between
the State and farmer" has been pre-
pared, under which the State enters
into an agreement with selected
| farmer. One-third of the farmers
stock is to be sold off by him and re-
placed by equal numbers Of pure bred
stock introduced by the State, the
farmer during the period of agreement
controlling his two-thirds of the stock
and the State experts controlling its
one-third. The State will not pay the
farmer any rental. but the farmers
ordinary profits are assured to him by
his retaining for his own use the pro-
ceeds Of his two-thirds of the cattle In
milk. fattening and young stock. In
addition the farmer would receive from
the State an amount representing the
proceeds Of the remaining third. cal
culated on the average monetary pro-
ceeds OF his own two-thirds. so secur-
ing him against any loss under the
agreement. The farmer of course is to
feed the entire herd-both his own and
that OF the State.
The cost of all necessary "perma-
nent" improvements in feeding. stall
ing, &c. would be incurred by the
State. this 20 be repaid by the farmer
as a loan.
A Way for the Unifcation
OF the North and the South
AS time goes on other central farms