DISTRESS AND EXODUS FOR WANT OF EMPLOYMENT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IX, Issue 429, 1 July 1881, Page 11

DISTRESS AND EXODUS FOR WANT OF EMPLOYMENT.

Loughbea, April 28th. In many, if not in all, the small towns of the West tke condition of the labourers and artisans is simply deplorable. Hence, the exodus is assuming alarming proportions. The stampede is. of course, matter of delight to those whose policy is to have more land laid down into grazing farms. But will our rulers allow this dangerous policy to be carried out to its logical and bitter development ? It would appear this is their design when they introduce into their Land Bill a clause to facilitate emigration. By a return lately procured by a member of the House of Lords of the twenty millions of acres composing the area of Ireland, there are twelve millions in grass, three and a half millions in tillage, and four and a half millions waste, much of which is reclaimable. Now if our rulers were really anxious to increase the wealth of the country, instead of encouraging emigration they would at once purchase up the waste lands, and profitably employ the great portion of the people who are flying from the country. If they adopted Mr. Mitchell Henry's scheme, thousands could be profitably kept at home, and a basis would be laid for a small proprietary, and in this they would have the co-operation and good will of all classes in Ireland. In this town it is pitiful to see the number of able-bodied men, women, and boys who can find no employment. One would imagine that the spring season would bring with it treans of earning honest wages in tillage operations. The fact is there are no spring works worthy of the name. All the land up to our doors are laid down in graßs, and no poor man can get a perch for tillage purposes. Practically speaking there is no employment. We have no manufactures of any sort, and the great staple for employment— land —is locked up in the hands of graziers. The result from this state of things is that hundreds of able-bodied men and women, anxious to be employed, are now in a state of idleness and semi-starvation in this town. With the exception of a few who are employed on the convent buildings and seminary, there is no work of any public description worthy of the name. In vain have the authorities been importuned to open up some useful woiks within range of the town. There seems to be some hope of the railway to Attymon. This would give employment to the greater number of our labouiers, and support to their semi-starving families. I bear the Midland Company have clauses in their bill for making the railway to this town. Surely the Government should give all assistance to the company. Great anxiety is felt about the success of this scheme. It would give immediate employment for the next

coming hard months, not to refer to the vast permanent benefit it would confer upon the town and the surrounding district. Be assured that I do not exaggerate when I assert that large numbers of the class alluded to in this correspondence are in a state of semi-starvation . Surely our rulers should devise some means of employment for those destitute able-bodied of this district. — freeman.