THE IRISH LAND PURCHASE SCHEME.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 25 November 1908, Page 2

THE IRISH LAND PURCHASE SCHEME.

(Received November. 25, 8.40 a^m.) LONDON, .Tuesday. Mr Birrell, Chief -'-Socitetary for-' -ire- • land, spoke for lj hours, in - introducing a complex Land Purchase Bill.- He said that the sales - completed .totalled: £25,000,000, and. instead of th e_J.loo.;__- —«, 000,000 contemplated in .1905 £180,000,---000 would bs needed. Amid Nationalist cheers he announced -thit he intended to relieve the Irish ratepayers of. . prospective losses of £50,000 yearly. On the issues of stocks, .he' intended ;* to * .issue 3 per cents., increase intending . tenants' annual on ..advances, reduce the bonus to V3 per cent;,.. in- : crease the present limit of £12,000,000, , and graduate the bonus in brder^to. as-" sist the poorer landlord: to sell, t He commented on' the Dudley Commission. -■- and remarked that, the < possession of untenanted or grass lands must.be ohw tained. They must ■ decide between cattle and people, and the Government asked compulsory, powers. , Mr TBirreU explained the scope bf the Congested Districts Board,' which" ,'would consist of 18, whereof nine' were to be chosen. ... by -the local authorities of each' congested district, the country adding; a finance member controlled by an administrative "committeeTofT non-elecied . '^members. Ho -assured the 'Nationaliste;. -that if 'any measures were carried. oyer sinother session he would resign; unlera ..-.: .'this one were excluded.. (Nationalist, cheers.) " "". ." 1 ...!". 'A'JJ • ■