IRELAND IN 1909.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 497, 3 May 1909, Page 5

IRELAND IN 1909.

■■■■ ■ . —— * : \ ■■ i LAND PROBLEMS, 1 '.■:"■.■.■ -__ . •■ ■ B (Ebr Rev. F. Snriros.); J During the preparation of this article, I r have had the advantage of frequent oonfer- t enco With the Right Honourable T. W. Rus- j sell, M.P., i vice-president of tho Board.of i Agriculture, an acknowledged authority on 1 Irish:.affairs; and an-' ardent friend of the t Irish people. At the .same time, the.writer i arid not Mi - . Russell must be held' responsible i for what is written.' and "it is quite possible i that 1 some opinion's have!been expressed with whioh Mr. Russell would not agree. •■ It hardly ; need; bo said .that; other authorities have also been'consulted.- -.[. .:''. ' j, ; . l ,;.,:'-..- , ■ '- :.The'.population; of Ireland: is, rn _ round j figures, some fouk>and a quarter.' milliohs, ( of'whom three'milhons are directly_or in-, j directly dependent on the land for. their daily . bread.: This fact alone makes'theland ■ tiori -a mostvital/one in 'Irish' politics. As ( the 'effect 'of. a single bad season, trade de- . blineSjthe people run into debt, the farmers are unable tb'pay their rent,: and many of the peasants are reduced to the verge of starvation. .-■ It is no wonder, then.'thatagitation in Ireland has been so largely agrarian, and that the peasant farmers have fought'so hard • for .their, slender .holdings. ■'..; It must; be re-" membered' that the conditions of land-tenure in Ireland have always 'been very, different from those obtainmg in-England. ; In' England the; landlord not only ownedv the land but built, the ?famhouse: ; and outbuildings, madp'the l roads, erected ■;'fences,''etc".\ 'In ' Ireland all this was done by:thb tenant. "And ' yet .previous 'to\ 1870 the; tenant:, had;.-no! security'of tenure.. He might' at any time' receive notice to quit, when all the'improve- : merits i he had effected became .'the property of.his;landlord,' who; on-the strength of these improvements, .would forthwith raise the rent. : It is not to be'wondered at, then, that farmhouses .wore neglected;,- ana that the tenant grudged :the expenditure of-labour or'money' en-his .holding.-; Even.: if'he .reclaimed a bog , thiV: might; be made an excuse for. raising his .' rent.*;; Aid' eb; "discouraged •by. his .'helpless.: gradually lost hope and ambition, and/ what was;still more serious.:the habit or industry.- Why should hei put into his: holding .more ilabpur than was absolutely .necessary ' .when.'there was 'no :security -that' he :would. reap any benefit from-his labour? : This onesided system of tenurerlargely accounts for : the poverty, the lack-of. energy and enter-', jprise,'and; the ipolitical disc6ntent;th'at,'exist3, to-day., The.causes!have been almost wholly . ■effects'to a lirge l extent , .remainj.: and; -are likely ''to:: do so' for': some 'years .to come. -In-Ulster, of course, things were differontj There!a..- tenant-right;;.had ■grown up,".;known as"the•;Ulster.Custom, by , .w.hiou.all improvements' made,by the 1 tenant, which .added .te/the.valuoof jtho'hblding re- : ;mairiod the property.of the tenant. He/could' : either sell, them'-.br ; bequeath:themj.'.and if ojooted' could, make!; the landlord give, him compensation.', In this'way;the Ukter'fanner .; . possessed : a security ;of .tenure; quite unknown . m'the'southj"and'hdldings'frequently passed from/father to' son, generation after, generation; without any sortofdisturbance on 1 the ■ part .of ,the landlord.'. 'To r'-tbis .••'equitable '. .custom;.'the; north of Ireland■ is ', mainly in- . debted '[for"' it's .exceptional ■. prosperity;, ■ and; it : was ,thk'custom-'that,'a's we: shall, see, iMr';' Gladstone 's6iigM;to.'extm'd' , .'.to'r.'the' : iest''.'6f : Ireland, though with; only, partial success. •,,:,■' :. Jiti* /■:! 1 - 1 mainly;/-at .the-,prevention..of iby" : imposing ; a: money' penalty oh' : 'the I : , evicto'rii >: Np/man'coiild.bo eyicted'from his]holding 1 . for .causes/ .other, than; 'the';;¥on-paymeht • of ■ rent .without adequate compensation.:* In a- : ,'word,'it gave legal force" to the:Ulster.Cus-' : ' .tern.'.- -lie consent of the 1 : landlord..was .required,' before the tenant could 'sell the ■goodwill, and landlord and tenant had ; ■■■ the'.rijjht.to contract themselves'out.,.These r provisions-were .'fatal'!to .the success of: the , Act'.,; 'Landlords: were. still: able 'to' carry; on \ evictions,;, and;; they- made •;• the ; tenant-pay. the;,cost by'.the', simple; bxpedir 1 enfr^f'.raising'; his/rent; 1 The r Act k \wa'9 bvi- ; . doritly/inadequate.arid-ill-considered; and'sb 1 ■ .in I ,:,'lßßiiMfJ'Qladßtone introduced and passed A -.a-?second . aWe.d?atv>giving," ! ':and, V did ito a' extent, give t what; were Tniown' \ as:-.tli'e' three/F's, Viz., Fixity:of; ;■' Rent,';'an'd.Free Sale. \ ■•This Actvwasian irh-. | J- menso.advanceon.that of 1870. -It gave the ;. 'tenant,-.'for/ithaV.first time, ;a:.solid.;interest " in;.his- holding'.:.';; It: provided'that- no, rent: '.■ should -be, charged on; the' tenant's improve-' |- : (monts. ..'•'.■ Still,: it: failed to, give the tenant' i'. adequato protection.;; The Land Court, which ' : on; appeal 'fixed the amount; of., rent or: com- >■ penßatiori\to. be! ;paid,:;became':packed';with I .the:>.landlord's; nominees,-;■ arid.;these •■'■„ very j naturally:.considered ..the. interests - of the"' ;, landlord before* those of [the tenant.:;;.' Under 1 ;. the.'Act of ;1881 the .'tenant had the, right of. V 'soiling his -interest, and .improvements. in>-thb" >, jpen. market, >'subjectit.o: the; knd]o^d'k'^ighii.' , : :' 'ur;.pre-emption,.'i.e., 'thb7randlofd;^^^coiild'.'pre^' 1 ! -vent ;the'; tenant's '-.'selling ;his';"'interest'-' to: the' !; :highest,bidder, -by. giving' nbtice'.of'; nis.; own' \ intention; to -purchase, it.;-.. He. could' then; go' ■'■'' : to: the.;Land;Cpurt, ask.-.thffCourtlto: fit-th©' 1 value, of :th6.;tenant's;interest;-and : . buy : the "■ ..tenant • ouji.'- :;As. the : Court:, generally: fi-Ted' the' }..:tenant' 8j,interest \at '.considerably ■■'. below 'its J : market-:falue,-:the landlord!' could''• then/him-, ( self,: enter,the market' and sell, the' tenant's y interest, .in.this.:way:!,frequently.:making a •;■ profit on imprpyements wholly created by the •' 'tenant;:.; The.'ihjustic.e'of/this .abuse-'of.-the ' Act isfobvibus; created;bitter;feeling,'and .to .'. a'-,!large!,extent::;.defeated:. l the ;intention!.;of; '.' •jPaTl.ianient/-.:; : '.:.The', dual ownership ibecame a t constant 'source''.of friction, and; conflict.';:;. ','■' r. Evictions.':';;;;;! r -'i^-\y'-)^'^.[-' : :V^.Teimis;.''refase'di!-.to.';pay:',;tHeirV-;reritV-:.and- • landlords ruthlessly 'evictedthem.'' .';■ The.'doc--3 .trine wasipreached from nlatform, press;,and. 1 pulpit that no man -should take a farm from 1 which; another had -bben'evicted.'; Those who '. ventured;te';disbbey,-the'decrees-of.the!Land 3 -, Lbaguo were boycotted; and in many .cases as-. 3 saulted and.killed;''"When.they,were afraid 3 to the. meh,-' members ;pf the league' 3 'mutilated_ their..: cattle, : or' drove'' them into ■'.' pits to!die, of ■ stafvatiori.. iWomen and chil T ! J, dron.';suffered; with' their;!;:male.'.'.relatives! '; Under.such lawless laws'it;was;not;only:the| , • landlord v who! but; thb: tenant' alsoj t as'by refusing to ! ibay;reht he lost" his tenant-1 a; .right,;, which: might.be worth.; hundreds 'of l pounds.,: It.was;shoTO.again and. again.that. , men- who refused-tb"pay.back had.plenty .of, j money,"and had';,dohb'very'well,but of raeir l; •■holdings^\'.lnVone';''(!aM l , ';a;.''.priest occupied'an. i. excellent honse'ahd 23 acres of .land, at -the t Nominal rent of :£22s. a year,-and yet; with-, r. hold'-the!rent.'::At the same time, it.must s : be!;admittod that; someievictiohs. involyed' a. i good deal!bf suffering, though the; harassing: descriptions'.that; have appearedin'thonewss papers-are often -much 'exaggerated. :You. 3 .hayo; heard/of: the'. Suffragettes' ,who-chained, , themselvo's:'to : the grille .of.:.'the !House.'of - Commons. ''.The-ac'i was' not original. .:■ As 1 long>ago as;lßß7,a:priest'named : Father. Little 3 Ichained; himself;-tp the!door.o'f;.a.cottage in -; County: Clare,': in ; order tb prevent an evice tibri. , :v ;l.t. would,!be. interesting ' to', know a whether 'the'' .Suffragettes.' • ever - heard 'of ;- Father.; Little's".'oxploit.-,'..'■: Dr..- Hamilton, 'of - Dflblin, toldfmo ho.;could.'remember,Jseeing :.. an .'eviction: carried, out by imeans of a rope o put round' a' cabin'. - A team of horses;was. t attached td'the Tope; a.;crack 1 - of the whip t wasgivonj and the whole building collapsed.. i ;.. At: length „the war/between .landlord , and i tenant:becamo so'desperate that the'-land-, b lords asked that: Parliament: should an o erid;tb the'strife'by buying them out. ,Corir' scquchtly/,';in .1885,.' the Tory-Government,' t' acting with :the' Nationalists, appointed the: .. IrishvLarid.'Commission for the purpose of i land purchaso, 'and voted £5,000,000' to , ho : r! loaned by, the Commission to the tenants, in s order to cnablo them to buy out. the Inud--0 lords!, interest., [rhoßumwas ridiculously, in-. 1 adequate, but still the Act established-a new, p principlb in land legislation,' a principlo that, ] has so.far proved highly successful, /arid in' t my judgment is likely to prove: still more;so; and tho. Tory, Government deserves .every ' credit.',for its The purchaso .'money' 3 was to bo -advanced by the' State, and' re-' ' paidwith intorcst in forty-nino years by the a tenant. In 1838 a further sum of £5,000,000 i was voted, and in 1891, under,'Mr.-Balfour's •' Act,: the Imperial credit was pledged to tHo i'" extent of £33,000,000 to oriablo Irish tenants '. to purchase their holdings, and. a Congested :- Districts 'Board was. formed for, tho purposes' '■: of enlarging and consolidating farms, dovelopi- ing industries, etc. This' Act, was amended d in 1896 by enacting that the:maximitrii sum a payable by 'the tenant 'purchaser should not oxcood an instalmeni of & .per 'cant...oa the.

purchase money; Immense benefits have also been conferred upon the- tenant by means of tho Land Court, On application by the land-; i lord or tenant, that Court fixes.the rent for 15,, years, at the expiration of which, timo a second application can be made by, either party, and it is provided that in fixing the rent tho Court shall have regard to the timo, money, and labour spent upon the holding by the tenant. .The. tenant, however, cannot go into Court so long ..as he owes any arrears, and, of course, if-he refuses to pay the rent he can be evicted. By means of this tribunal rents have been lowered all round, and notwithstanding certain drawbacks it has . undoubtedly been an immense boon to tho fanners. - -~ Aot Of .1903. - But tho most important of the Irish Land Acts is the Act of 1903, known as Wyndham's Act. This provides £100,000,000 .for the purpose of land purchase. The landlord is paid in cash, and, in order to induce him to sell, also receives a bonus of 12 per cent, on the purchase money, whilst, at the end of 661 years the tenant, who has paid 3J per cent, per annum' of the purchase money, be- ■ comes the owner. " During the .years 1870 to 1908 no fewer than 300,000 tenants have bought their holdings, and - tbns the difficulties incident to dual ownership are gradually being : removed. The Act of .1903: has been especially . successful. Under it £82,000,000 havo been ' applied for, and , £30,000,000 actually paid, whilst'in the! case of applications - represeating' £52,000,000 the terms between landlord and tenant have been agreed upon, but await completion for want -or monoy. Indeed, the very success of the Act has led to. its. partial failure. The landlords have proved more willing to soil, and the tenants to buy, than was anticipated,' , and to make • matters worse the Boer War upset the' money-market, so that for every i £100 -provided by tho Government, it 'had ' to raise £113,-and £30,000,000' has already been, issued at that loss. . / . Thß. New Land Bill. In consequence of this breakdown of the financial part of the Act of 1903, the pre-, sent Government h&s introduced a Bill providing for an additional £80,000,000, making £182,000,000.in'a11, the National Debt Commissioners to provide • £5,000,000 a year in cash, and the Govoramoflt to raise a further £5,000,000 a year by the issuo'of stock! In regard to the £52,000,000 required for existing agreements tho landlords will be offered the option of taking the purchase money in Btock.at the market price, subject to a minimnm of!£92, or they may take it partly in cash and partly in stock at 2J. If ho refuses: stock, the owner must wait until cash is available.- In regard to future - transactions, the Bill-proposes-to take: power to issue'new, stock at 3 per,.oent. . instead : the former "rate, thereby necessarily .increasing : :the tenant's annuity from-3} .to 3i, ; whilst : the - bonus given to the landlord is to be regulated by the price/ agreed upon, the lower the: price tho nigh'er the! bonus given, but in no'case to oxoeed-12 per cent. - of the purchase-money. 'Under the Act of 1903 the landlord was tempted to charge the highest price possible 'for .-his land, as the higher the price charged to thetenant the larger the bonus from the Government. ' Under this arrangement the Duke of Leinster has received no MessVthan £80,000. in bonuses, ■ equal to . £9000 a year. /This absurd arrangement is to be reversed, .whilst'the burden of tho loss '.from:. : of -stock ,-is. to be 'shifted ' from,: ilthelrish ratepayer to -'the 1 • Whether- . the Bill ;oyer !■' jbecomes:, law: ,or . not,' ' its':! ; pro- '; 'p'omls';;'.- 'aiis!- very;. i generous as regards : tho flnsb; people, and;, One-is .not surnrised-to ! .find.that itjhas receiped. - with almost ' unanimous-,-approval- ;by ' the Nationalist .- press -. and '.members.:of-. Parliament. Tlie provisions as they affect tho landlords also • appoar -to mo ;'very_ reasonable, .so _ that I !. shall. bo surprised if tho'- approaching session of' Parliament does not. eeo it - passed 1 into law. ■ t Districts. ■ The .second'part of the: new Land Bill' ;. deals .with oongested ' districts. These ex- ', irt - mainly west 1 of tho Shannon, and may . bo'defined :as electoral divisions where the [ 'average/rateable valuation head^'isiWV- ,dor•3os.";V 'A population'of over 500,00Qlives, J, in [ theso"'areas, ;and,to!..-bHow...tho cxtremo poverty of tho .people, tho average valua-: ■ tion is only- a little, over, £1 per head, Po- • ' tatoes and oats _ are the only crops,; and tho ". methods- of agricnlturo' aro .most- primitivo. ' To relievo this congestion'and consequent •' poverty, a, Congested- Districts Board was,' ' appointed under tho Act of 1891, and has i done, and ris stilT doing; as far as its funds ■ allow, admirable' ' work. ' ; Enormous sums 1 have been'spent on marine works; tho. do- . velopmont of fisheries, homo industries, and .forestry; and all these aro' .in' - :them- ' solves useful.! But r.they have n6t ! accomc; Wished ..much in tho. relief .of oongestion. Thojiboard;-therefore . offers ' grants ■to imt. enlarge .holdings;-;;but, as show- ■, 'th'o condition ;of the peasantiy, :'stipu- ! > . lates'-that the dung heap shall" first bo re-.', i; moved from tho front or tho house, and tho ),' cattle 'and fowl; and; hiimaii beings put, un-. J der different roofs. ■ also aims at trans- )■ ferring-; small farmers' from tho congested I districts and settling them :on the' large un- : 5 tenanted grass-lands in Connau'ght. - . -But - this has been found by no means easy, i First of all, the "board haa no compulsory i powers, so that it'ean purchase only where s tho owner is willing to sell., And, fiirthe'r, s tho tenant, "notwithstanding the poverty .of ) his_ holding, is not very willing to migrate; f whilst tho.landless poople that reside, in the i neighbourhood of the untenanted lands aro jealous and -angry that thoy should • bo !, settled by peoplo from other districts- rather, :' ithan.;. -by.' themselves, whom■ they! regard as j, having ; a superior claim'. Tho board is,ham- . pored,also'by wont-of funds. -Tboso diffi- [ culties/the new Bill proposes to meet by t reconstructing the... i Congested ;v: Districts j Board, enlarging its area, giving it oompuli sory powers,; a!na increasing its income: from j £86,000 to £250,000' per 'annum, besides" I granting £1,000,000 a year for tho purposes of land prrchaso. Various objections'have , been' -raised to these proposals.. It . is: said . that to break up the ranches will ruin the / cattle,industry;.that it-will lead to conflict j between the now . .tenants and .. tho old : inhabitants;- that/many -of tho new tenI ants will have neither the capital nor the f lmowledgei required for the cultivation'' of . such holdings, 'and Avill thus be -unable to • pay their instalments; of the. .'purchase money;''etc. All these objections-have:&>me L foundation; At tho sanio time I bclievo j that these difficulties may in timo bo ovoroome, and that if the proposed policy is j.' steadily adhered to, it will eventually lead t to; increased peaoo and. prosperity for Iro- , land. When the tillers or tho. soil are mado the ovraers, as has already:been,done to so; [ large an extent' in Franco, Belgium, DenI mark," Norway, etc., industry and thrift will e' bo stimulated, arid the agitation • against - landlordism-will come to an end. : ';;