IRISH FREE STATE.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17995, 14 April 1930, Page 13

IRISH FREE STATE.

COMPULSORY GAELIC. t GROWING RESENTMENT. (From a Correspondent.) DUBLIN, February 23. Tbe compulsory Irish movement is growing rather than slackening in intensity, with dire results. Wherever the Government has any body of persons wholly or partly within its power it bullies them into learning more Irish. Several civil servants who have entered the service as a result of a very stiff competitive examination in which Irish is one of the principal subjects arc being subjected to further linguistic tests. These tests arc getting more and more severe, and unfortunate civil servants • who have spent their whole day in their offices are compelled to spend their evenings at Irish classes. The result is that there is growing up a hearty hatred of the language among civil servants, and, what is more serious, there is developing a widespread sense of injustice and discontent which will undoubtedly have the effect of reducing the efficiency of the service. The sorest point of all is that tne gentlemen at the head of departments do not know a single word of Irish, and many of them are believed to be themselves hostile to the attempted language revival. Some of the younger members of the service who have been through the language mill derive considerable amusement from addressm o their superior officers in Irish, whereupon an interpreter has to be summoned forthwith. Such sport is, however, hardly calculated to accelerate promotion. Adverse Trade Balance. The adverse trade balance, ■ which has been a feature of the external trade of the Free State, slightly increased last year. Although the actual increase is negligible it has proved the opportunity for fresh outbursts by protectionists, who apparently think that it is only by a diminution of imports that the adverse balance can be reduced. The possibility of increasing exports never seems to penetrate the mind of the Protectionist, who sees in all traffic with his neighbour an evil thing. As a matter of fact, the large improvement in the trade balance m the last five years has been mainly due to an increase in exports. One article alone —namely, tractors —has accounted for an increase in exports of nearly £1,000,000. ~.. . Ford Factory at Cork. ).},,■/ indeed, of all the industrial developments that have been attempted in tne Free Slate the Ford tractor factory in Cork has proved the most completely successful. At present over 6000 men (of whom 95 per cent, arc Irish) are emploved in this great enterprise. Wages are at the same level as in the Ford works in America, and the o input per man is said to be greater than in Detroit. About 200 tractors are turned out daily, and are exported to all parts of the world, including the United States. It is impossible that other industries should fail to spring up in the neighbourhood of this suecessful experiment, and it is confidently expected that' Cork will become an important industrial centre thanks t.o the example of Mr Ford. The success of the Ford works proves that Insn labour when competently managed, is perfectly efficient, and also, that it is possible to develop export trades in the Free State. Already the annual value of the output of this single factory is greater than the additional output resulting from the tariff in all the protected industries.

Qul S’Excuse. Dublin has been entertained by a perfect example of the truth of the old saying “Oui s’excuse s’accuse. A few weeks ago a distinguished Jesuit delivered an attack on a section of the sectarian Press, which he described as being “calculated rather to injure the cause of Christian charity than to advance that of Catholic truth. He mentioned no paper by name, and the publication of the February numbers of several periodicals was eagerly awaited. Several of them apparently felt that they answered to the description, because they attempted with various degrees of indignation to justify their methods pf controversy against the attacks of the eminent preacher. ~ ■■■ Dr. Butler’s Death. ; j By the death of Dr. William F. Butler, which occurred last week, Ireland lias lost a very distinguished citizen. In his early years Dr. Butler had been Professor of Modern Languages in University College, Cork, but for many years before his death he occupied the position of Assistant Commissioner for Intermediate Education Hs was a historian of exceptional ability. As a young man he published a “History of the Lombard Communes ” which won him a reputation among students of mediaeval hisory, and during the later years of his life he published many valuable papers on Irish history. Most of these papers arc collected In two volumes entitled “Confiscation In Irish History" and “Gleanings from Irish History." ‘ His work, which was thoroughly scholarly and sound, did not attract the same popular attention as the publications of several less original but more showy writers, but Its merit was recognised among all students of Irish history as being of the greatest value. The award of the degree of Doctor of Literature honoris causa by. the National University and his election to the presidency of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland were tokens of the value in which his work was held in the world of scholarship. Dr, Butler was a most charming personality, and his premature death leaves a void in Dublin society impossible to fill.