Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-17
Problems of Finance
And Boundaries Now
Confront Ireland

Dublin. Jan. 30. (MaiD-TWO I'M
portant questions arising under the
Anglo Irish, Treaty nave Yet to be
Gealt with: the clauses on finance
and the Ulster boundary. Internal
troubles have prevented these Ques-
tons from coming up for definite
settlement. but the Free State GOV
eminent is planning to tackle them
both in the near future.
1t will be remembered that the
Irish delegates to London undertook
that Ireland pay its share of the war
debt and of war pensions. and the
sum payable was to be fixed after
inquiry as to how much ireland
ought to pay. allowance being made
in Irciand's favor for over-taXation
in the past. The payment of from
100000 to 50.000.00 pounds sterling
in compensation to the victims OF
outr2gcs will involve the Irish budget
in deficit, and the amount payable
to England under the treaty will add
to the difficulty. 1t is accepted as
certain that the IRISH Free State
must float a loan and start with
national debt. Until now taxation. as
fixed in the British budget, has pre-
vailed in Ireland, the Irish govern
ment taking over the money so rails
ed. But this year will see the tlrSt
Irish budget. and the taxation will
all be imposed and collected by the
Free State.
On the subject OF finance the gov
eminent is optimistic 1t is attempt
ing Immediately the final settlement
of the land question. which may in
volve as much as 70,000,000 pounds
sterling. The British Land Purchase
Acts transferred from the landlords
to tenant proprietors the greater
part of the land in Ireland, but the
job was left unfinished. and all over
Ireland. side by side with farmers
who own their farms and are paying
for them in annual instruments less
than the rent, are some thousands of
farmers still paying the old rents.
The government now proposes to
make land purchases complete and
compulsory. Every landlord must
sell and every tenant must buy.
AS regards the Ulster boundary,
preparations are being made for the
appointment of the commission 10 fix
the boundaries of the future Moth
ern Parliament. The treaty pre-
scribes that the boundaries be read
juSted in accordance with the wishes
tcrminc how those wishes are to he
asccrtaincd. The decision will de-
pend on the area taken for inquiry.
II the voting were by counties, both
Tyrone and Fermanagh would I'M
doubtcdly vote themselves into the
Free State. With similar areas as
voting units. parts would stay with
BcIfaSt and parts with Dublin.
The treaty brought some difference
or opinion between the British and
irish delegates as to what il meant,
the latter contcnding that it meant
the transference of large areas, and
the former urging that all they
meant was the rectification of the
frontier line. The boundaries COM
mission was to consist of one rep
resentative of the Free State. one of
the Northern government and one of
the British government But Sir
James Craig. the Ulster Premier. and
his colleagues have from the first de-
clined to be bound by any provision
of the treaty in this regard, as they
were not parties to it.
The Free State government has n
staff working on the whole boundary
question. which issues statements
periodically pointing out the
anomalies of the present situation.
which gives the Northern govern
ment power over many districts
which deny it allegiance
Whichever view is taken of the
meaning of the treaty two important
towns-Derry and Ncwry-must be
affected. They are both right on the
edge of the border, and both nave
Nationalist majorities; vet it is I'M
likely that the Northern government.
would without strong comn,,s,on
part with either.