A SCOTCH EVICTION SCANDAL.

Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 62, 10 September 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

A SCOTCH EVICTION SCANDAL.

It is not in Ireland only that what Lord Salisbury calls " scandalous " evictions are taking place— as will be scon from tho following letter sont to a London paper by "A nativo of Loch Broom " : — I hopo you will grant space for tho oxposuro to apparontly well-merited public odium of thoso guilty of uncalled-for harshnoss towards a poor Highland widow and hor six young orphans. Widow Ronald Mackay has been tenant of the meal mill at Ullapool, Loch Broom, Boss-shire, Bincoher husband's death. Rather than bo made a charge on the parish rates, aho has, with the help of a younger brother, carried on the work of tho mill and tilled tho small oroft attached to it, paying tho rent as best sho could, for those who know the mill and tho land attached to it can only marvel how sho managed to do so. Suffico to say that sho did it, and that sho sold two stiiks and a pig in ordor to pay tho last rent due. Why it was refused when offered ; why tho ground officer refused to accompany her to the agent's offioo, I know not. Tho agent of Lady Matheson, of Stornoway Castle, is a Mr. Munro, and his daughter is Miss Munro. They wero so determined to bo quit of tlio poor widow that twice they had her forcibly evictod — tho poople puttiugher in possession again tho first time. On tho second occasion everything was so secured that she oould not get at the meal with which to mako food for her family. What accentuates the harshness of the Munroos is tho fact that Miss Munro accompanied the local policeman to see tho eviction carried out ! Again : Mrs. Mackay'a grandfather, two uncles, a cousin, and hor husband proceeded her in occupancy during about 60 years, so that if sho had had tho place for nothing it had been well paid for. The man who was made tenant knew so little of the work that he got tho machinery into disorder, and ono employed to repair damages mado it worse ; so if ho knows all this, or even part, of it, Lady Mathoson's chamberlain at Stornaway may well be ashamed of it, instead of appearing to bo not unwilling to dare a question in the House of Commons, which this letter through yonr kindness will ensuro tho putting of. With the exception of threo or four persons, all the inhabitants of Ullapool signed a petition in Mrs. Mackay's favonr. Two clergyman, two J.P.s, and all tbe rest of tho community were her determined friends, and tho Crofters' Commissioners have ordered her to be reinstated until they dooide matters.