The Alaska daily empire., 1922-01-18
THE ECONOMIC POSITION OF IRELAND.

Irelands future prosperity lies primarily in sup plying food to the great industrial centers and con- suming markets of Great Britain and the continent the National Bank of Commerce says in the January number of it's magazine, Commerce Monthly Ire lands advantage is in agriculture, the greatest possibilities for industrial development lie in the manufacture of foodstufs from home grown erias
 The predominance of agriculture is indicated by the fact that in 1913, the last year for whict values of Irish exports available 61 per cent. the total made up of articles of an agricultural character, while agricultural products of indubtable domestic origin formed approximately half the total the bank points out.
 Live stock raising is by far the most importa Tt industry in Ireland and live animals the great ost single item of export. For the most part the stock raised for the English market are exported ay But 1t should be possible to export cattle in much nere profitable form than that of animals on the hoof The fact that all this live stock slaughter abroad means the loss to Ireland of the profits of siGughtering, packing and related industries. and of he important industries such tanning. which de- Dead upon the meat industry for their materi l. Moreover approximately half the cattle exported are n the lean state, despite the fact Ireland aone of the richest pastures in the world. th t ta profits of preparation for market as well Us these of slaughter lost.
 There has recently been an attempt to devel D an Irish meat trade which, unfortunately throu h lack of sufficient capital has able to coa- tihue AS far operations carried on il the limited resources at the disposal of the arge-scale company, there every indication th the meat and by-products of cattle slaughtered n Ireland could be sold proftably in Great Britain and other markets. development of this traie seems to offer the most favorable opportunity of a. pl7n yet offered to strengthen the industrial sructu of he country and at the same time benefit the az ricultural interests
 Dairying is another favorable field for deveo J. ment. Much has already been accomplished in CT Fanzing the butter trade but there still opportunity TOT great Improvement The growth of the chee e trade in the latter years of the war also an eouragng feature
 In the field of industrial activity Ireland $ The annual production of about go 900 tons co.l must be supplemented by imports from Grea. Britain averaging 4,500, 900 tons year. The high moisture content makes difficult the successful application I peat to power production and the methods of wnnin 2 peat must be greatly improved before it compete successfully with imported coal for industrial
 Not only must coal be imported but very large proportion of the materials in tha principa Irish industries is of foreign origin In the inea industry much of the flax is imported and practically all the steel used in Belfast shipyards fro {. Great Britain. Although part of the wool manC- factured in Ireland is of domestic origin this has ssually been spun in English mills and there is a ,rge importation of foreign wools and yarns. Tn oacco and rope manufactures of Belfast entirely = pendent upon foreign materials and the great seeiweries and disteries of Dublin large pro-