IRELAND OF TO-DAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18641, 23 February 1924, Page 9

IRELAND OF TO-DAY.

TRIUMPH IOF FREE STATE. GUNMEN DROP WEAPONS, i; FUTURE OUTLOOK BRIGHT. Straight, stern government has worked a wonderful change in the Irish Free State. The Budget is going to balance itself and toward the future everyone is looking forward with hope stud oonHdence, says the Dublin corresjvosdent of a London journal. The gunmen have pnt away their revolvers and have gone back to work. Ministers drive late at night away to their homes in the country, unprotected and with no need to fear molestation. The country is not settling down. It has settled down. There is no trace of the old tension, no listening for sht*s at night. You talk freely now to your fellow-passenger in the train or to your neighbour at the dinner tabled Those who knew- Ireland during " the trouble " will realise what this means. Six months ago there were 12,000 men in the gaols. Recently 10,000 of them have been released, and nothing has happened. Some of the 2000 who remain were imprisoned for political crime and some are of the politico-robber type. Orime is admittedly above the normal. That is an inevitable aftermath ot mo " gunmen days." Unemployment Dole Doomed. The political gunman exists no longer, and the crime statistics now are swollen | only by the robberies of the loafer type j of man who possessed himself of a tcI volver and hung on the skirts of the political movement for loot. The Civic Guard is working well and gradually rounding up the robbers. Tho manner in which the financial situation has been dealt with reveals as well as anything the strength of the Government, Economy was vital, i-ad it has been obtained with a relentless hand. Her a are some of the measures adopted:—

The cost of the army has been reduced from £10,000,000 to £4,C00,000 per annum. The pay of a private used to be 235. Successive cuts have brought it down to 13s 6d, and the pay of officers has been reduced in proportion. The unemployment dole is about to be cut off altogether. Public feeling is almost unanimously against it. There are, at present, only 32,000 unemployed, and con* fidence is expressed that they will all bo absorbed within the next few months. Many forms of administrative economy have been adopted. Rates, for instance, are now collected in some counties by the Post Office at a cost of 3d in the pound instead of 8d to the pound as before. The experiment is proving a success and is likely to be extended. Revival o! Ancient Games. Tourist traffic has not yet been reestablished, but the Government is turning its attention to this matter, and a great rush during the coming summer is anticipated. New roads are being made, and a great new trunk road is to be built between IKiblin and Cork. No serious attempt has yet been made at rebuilding, but it is intended soon to take this in hand. One interesting experiment concerns local government. Where, for good reasons, there is a public demand, local councils are being wholy superseded by a paid commissioner. Naturally the success of this largely • depends on/the commissioner himself, but I am assured that the ! plan is working well in some districts. Some genius has remembered that? the common platform for all - Irishmen 'is sport, and the Tailteann Games; are to be revived in August. That is an inspiration. All the population of the Free Stato is now either training for or talking of the Tailteann Games, which are wrapped around with the history 'of ancient Ireland. ' V These games were played for nearly 3000 years before the Norman invasion, 800 years ago and were inaugurated with: royal ceremony. The revival will bo a national landmark and teams of Irishmen will come from all over the world. >