"IRELAND'S IDEAL."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1193, 31 July 1911, Page 4

"IRELAND'S IDEAL."

Sir,—The above is the heading of an interview with Messrs. Redmond, Hazelton, and Donovan, the Irish Nationalist party to Australasia, which I read with very much interest, and very much regret that that great countryman of theirs, the great lato lamented John Balance, was not living to welcome and hand to thenj tho policy ho introduced in this Dominion twenty years ago. ' Over twenty years ago when Mr. John Dillon, M.P., was iu New Zealand, in returning si voto of thanks to Mr. Ballanco at a great meeting ho addressed in Wanganui, ho declared that in all, his travels in tho Homo land, America, nnd Australia, or .elsewhere, he had never listened to a more convincing speech in favour of Homo Btilo than the ojki on that occasion by Mr. Hallance, which lasted fully an hour. But one great thing that most concerns the delegates, a.'ul all us Nationalists at tho present time, is thn sinews of war for the final battlo with tho Lords, Dukes, and liarons, and I was pleased to sco by Mr. Donovan's statement that tho Nalional funds were invested in three trustees of the party. I had been aware that Dr. O'Donnell, Bishop of Kapu, Mr 3 John

Redmond, leader of the Irish party, and Mr. O'Mahnny,- merchant, of Limerick, had been trustees for years, and I am sure that there is not a Nationalist throughout tho world but has implicit confidence in them. Tho Hon. Mr. Paul, in moving at tho great meeting addressed by tho envoys at Dunedin a few weeks ago, that a collection be then taken up—and which resulted in the magnificent sum of nearly i!soo—declared that the Irish party was the only political party which issued a balance-sheet, duly audited, of coutribu- ■ tions to- its funds. 1 havo not noticed that the Wellington Reception Committee have as'yet issued or . published tho financial result of tho meeting in the Town Ilall here. All we could learn from the officials (the. treasurer) was that tho two lists in his hand represented .£220. .Now, I think it is time that all who contributed in Wellington should demand the balancesheet should be published. If the chairman and directors of tho Bank of Now Zealand declined to show a balance-sheet where would they bo landed at the annual meeting? And what is tho Bank of New Zealand compared to the Home Rule Company, which has millions of shareholders, who havo boon paying calls, to my knowledge, for tho last thirty years, and for which, they expect 110 money dividend? Tho only dividend they hope for is Home Kulo for Ireland, which is now assured, and may it come soon, .so as to break down that cursed barrier which divides my countrymen in Ireland. I cannot beliovo that tho Reception Committee will refuse lo publish the lists, with tho names and amounts contributed. Of course, if thero are any who would not like to seo their names in the press, "a friond' could bo entered. .As I write I have a photo group of tho committeo beforo me, which-I am given to "understand by a friend of mino has appeared in all tho weekly illustrated papers ill New Zealand. They are a? appearing in tho group, reading from the left: Back row, W. J. Feeney, P. J. Griffin, E. Dwyer, W. Perry; middle row, K. M'Callum, 'I'. B. Dwan, H. H. Casey, James O'Sullivan, J. Dwyer, E. J. Fitzgibbon (assistant-secretary); .front row, Martin Kennedy (treasurer), Dr. Cahi 1 (chairman), J. J- Burko (secretary). When the envoys havo done Australia, I have no doubt tho result of their labour will result in something like «£GO,ooo—and there the people will see that a balancesheet is shown.—l am, etc., JAMES O'DEA. July 26, 1911: -