Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-04

I~ HARMON to now that FordS
may CO." was the headline
with which great American
~ daily announced that the re-
Gently completed Shannon
hydro-electric scheme in the Irish Free
State would supply the power to run the
Ford tractor works at Cork. These two
great modern industrial developments,
with a third, a Belgian-owned sugar
mill at Carlow, have stirred up the Irish
nation industrially for the first time In
q century. Now the Irish are gossiping
about these queer machines" instead Of
politics and horses.
These three great developments tell
only part Of the story OF 1reland's in
dustrial renaissance. It has been found
that sugar could be grown as well in the
more fertile Irish counties as anywhere
else in Europe. A government subsidy
on milled sugar was granted to Con-
tinental syndicate and another subsidy
to the farmers growing beets. Since
then there has been persistent pressure
on Dublin from farmers in other coun-
ties and from sugar companies to ex-
tend the subsidy to other parts OF the
country.
Further, Ireland has had the courage
to buy out all the privately owned
creameries within its borders and turn
them over to the farmers cooperative
societies. cooperative monopoly, II
you can call 1t that! What other coun-
try in the world would be so brave? AS
an additional part Of the picture, q
centralized Irish marketing organization
has been set up to compete effectively IN
the English markets. Thus the butter
business has been placed solidly on its
feet.
The oldest industry in Dublin-the
Guinness Brewery-haS made q new
beginning and actually Is using modern
advertising to sell the world its high
priced expensive stout-and a stout
substantial food 1t Is, tool
"Why shouldn't the cattle business
which Is such q prominent part OF Irish
farming, sprout an Irish meat inous-
try?" has been the cry Of Ireland 1oi
decades. Well, 1t has. The Farmers
Cooperative Abattoir at Waterford L
now killing pigs and sheep, ana some
cattle.
Tariff Protection m Aid.
Tariff protection has played a part
too, with the result that Irish SMOKES
are now being manufactured IN Dublin
and the old shoe business has peen ex.
tended. Factories also have been se'
I'D to provide furniture, pldlhcto, PC
sonal wearing apparel, glass bottles
candles, cards, rosary beads. etc., 1oi
Irish consumption, and jobs have peer
supplied for several thousand workers
But all these local supplies Of the neces'
saries of everyday use in the wardropt
and household Of the Irish colleen SUI
are quite incidental in Ireland's work-a'
day picture. They grow and prosper OF
Iangilish as the fortunes Of the farmer
rise or fall Two or three factories
not very large ones, either-can supply
the tobacco needs Of 100000 people
especially when the women don't smoke
So it is to the Ford works, with It's bll
export trade, the resuscttated Guinnes:
beer export trade and the productlon o.
bacon, butter, ETC., which 60 overseas
In such large quantities-it Is to these
newly born and reborn industries tina
the Irish Free State looks for industrial
| Inspiration and to provide her sons with
occupations other than farming ane
emigration. ,.,
Farming remains and will continue
to be Ireland's best bet. For Erin i
located at the door of Britain and o
Northern Europe, with an ideal climate
for root crops and the all-year-arount
air which provides automatic out-of
doors refrigeration for that marvellous
| IiQht-cured bacon and light-salted but
! ter which would spoil while you wal