IRISH FARMERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19986, 29 June 1920, Page 2

IRISH FARMERS.

RELATION TO SINN FEIN,

An Irish farmer, writing in the “ Daily Mail/’ urges thAt in these days of murder and .outrages in Ireland, it, is worth remembering that the Irish farmer is at heart no more a Republican than the English landlord is a. Bolshevik. Since the disappearance of landlordism by the operation of the Land Acts there is no worker more independent, Prosperous and contented than he. whose grievances were formerly the centre of Irish political agitation and unrest. It is an outrageous misconception which figures him as 0 lean and lazy idealist, dreaming of Cuchulain. grey geese and Brian Bom; longing for the return of the Crehon Law, and expressing Ins sense of natiounlitv by taking au occasional potshot ,’at a policeman. From daw n to dark he and all his house are engaged in tilling the soil which formerly 'it was not worth his while to cultivate, but which now, by the grace ot God and the Wymlham Act. is his own. He. may have'bought the big house evacuated hv his landlord predecessor, and as often as not is the proud possessor of « Ford car. What is his attitude to Sinn Fein? It must be remembered that he is in n minority, and having no grievance is no longer of political importance. To-day, as in the, rebellion of 1916. Sinn Fein depends not on the farmers but on the landless men. poorly paid worker*, tho clerks, poets, shop assistants, barbers and labourers iu tlio towns. The farmer embraced Sinn Fein during the war because it was the most effective method of onoosing conscriplion. Like some English fanners, but with more reason, ho hated conscription, and avoided military service by every means iu his power. It is understood that, when the fear of dmfcription was removed, the young farmer became less punctual. in his attendance at volunteer parades and was very loth to lend his horses and cats [is aforetime for Sunday marchings and political excursions. But for obvious reasons lie must keep in with Sinn Fein, fie knows just ns well as the Sinn Fein loaders themselves that the demand for an independent Republic } s a erring for Hio moon; that the dream will never bo realised, and that it would he a had day for him if it were. Yet he lias a very natural-dislike of taxation, cud he knows that the u resent agitation has weakened the Executive'and made the tax-col lector more timid am! less officious than of yore. At a wedding in Bar. try recently a farmer from East Cork told me that he had been making more than £‘2ooo a year on his farm of about SCO acres. In reply to my question ns to whether ho had not to pav n heavy income tax. Davil a penny.’! quoth he. “None of us do. The Sinn Fcinern would bo mad If are paid taxes to the English Government, and we don’t want to ..anyway.” He knows very well that tho indenenaont Republic ivould not spare him.