DR. HAUGHTON ON IRISH MANUFACTURES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IX, Issue 456, 6 January 1882, Page 9

DR. HAUGHTON ON IRISH MANUFACTURES.

On Thursday, 6th October, the Key. Dr. Haughton, F.R.S., delivered ft lecture on " Irish Manufactures " to a crowded meeting of the City of Dublin Working Men's Club, held at their rooms, Christ Churchplace. The chair was taken by Mr. Thomas Dowling, J.P., who said that, notwithstanding Dr. Haughton's high attainments, nothing distinguished him more than the thoroughly-Irish heart which he posr sesaed (cheers.) The Bey. Dr. Haughton said he felt very grateful to them for the manner in which they had received him by anticipation. He would have had no right to accept their invitation if he were not a bardworking man himself. For forty years he had worked as honestly and as hardly with his brains in the city of Dublin as any of them bad worked with their hands. He had first to call their attention to the natural sources of power of which it was possible for them to avail themselves. These were sunshine, rainfall and man's work in tilling the surface of the ground. All that they could do in the way of industrial results depended on the sun. He could only say with respect to agriculture that it was the primary source of all our power. In addition to sun heat scientific thinkers conclnded that they hid other resources independent of they own industry aad brains, namely, coal, compounds of sulphur, water-falls, and the tides and winds. It { was a popular fallacy to suppose that Ireland was as well off as other countries with respect to coal. On the contrary, she was terribly handicapped in the manufacturing race by her want of coal. He had calculated that the burning of a ton of coal when used for steam < engines in manufactures, was equivalent to the labouring force of ten men, women, and children for a whole year. England, Scotland, and Wales were at present producing 100,000,000 of tons of coal per annum. The greater part of that was burned for the purpose of manufacture. Therefore, the 100,000,000 tons represented the annual labours of a 1 ,000,000,000 of men, women, and children — which was nearly the whole population of the earth. Three-fourths of all the coal of Europe and Asia happened by mere accident to be stored up under the feet of Englishmen, Scotchmen, and Welshmen, while Irishmen were left in the cold. But Providence had given them more brains than the English and Scotch. (Applause.) And they might find some comfort in the reflection that there were lying untouched under the soil of the United States of America thirty times as much coal as England and Scotland had. (Applause.) It was not unpatriotic for him as an Irishman and English subject to say that in a not far distant future the sceptre of the world would pass quietly, and without bloodshed, from the country that had coal to the country that had thirty times as much coal. (Applause.) There were fifteen millions of Irish in America waiting to receive their children and grand-children who should go there to govern the world from that side of the Atlantic. That would be a noble revenge to take on England. (Applause.) And it would Le greater than they thought, i because the honest potato-eating Irish race produced more children ' per family than any other race. (Laughter.) He now asked their to three questions — namely, what Ireland had done in the 1 way of manufactures under her great disadvantages ; what Ireland had not done — for he would deal honestly with them in the matter— and what Ireland had now to do. He asked them to join him in a tribute of admiration of what Irishmen did a thousand years ago. Their skilful brains and delicate bands produced the wonderful gold filagree work of the cross of Cong, which they could see in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, and which was the envy and despair of modern jewellers. They also executed the Book of Kells, which might be seen in Trinity College, the tracery of the letters and delicacy of outline of the pictures of which were almost wonderful beyond conception. All the artists of Dnblin and England had tried in vain to imitate this work, with the exception of one Dublin lady. It was well known that Irishmen scattered through Switzerland, France, and Italy, executed similar work there. What Irishmen did a thousand years ago he called on them to do again. (Hear.) He would not go into question of the selfish conduct of England in stopping their woollen manufactures, but would only quote the words of King William 111. on the subject. It appeared to him that his " glorious, pious, and immortal memory " had been hardly dealt with on the subject. When the English Houses of Lords and Commons petitioned him to discourage the woollen manufactures of Ireland, his reply was, "I shall do all that in me lies to discourage the woollen manufacture in Ireland, and to encourage the linen manufacture there." That looked as if he wished to divide the manufactures between the two countries. Whatever his intentions were it was certain that the linen manufacture had since thriven enormously in Ulster ; and from what he heard stated at a meeting of the Social Science Conger* — (laughter) —so called from their capacity of eating and drinking — he believed Munster and Leinster were quite as capable of growing flax as Ulster. In the year 1864 ten millions' worth of linen were exported from Ulster. No country in the world, except.France, produced so much linen as Ireland. A great deal of nonsense was talked about the manufacture of porter and whisky. He admired the teetotaller, but be admired the temperate man more. (Hear, hear.) He believed the manufacture of those articles to be useful to the country, and theirusc in moderation calculated to promote cheerfulness and the enjojSient of life. (Hear, hear.) Ireland was at present manufacturing porter and whiskey to such an extent that her only competitors were Scotland and Barton-on-Trent. He now came to what Ireland had not done. She had not worked her marble and granite quarries on the west coast of Donegal. Twenty years ago he discovered a stone at Carlingford which he declared to be the beat in the world for paving. He reported to the Corporation that the stone found in Mayo, Ballintoy, and Carlingford were better than the setts from Penmanmaur ; but when contractors were asked could they undertake to lay down a certain number of Irish paving stones in a they could not do it. There was great fault there. Again. Ireland was able to produce the best butter, but was in danger of

losing the trade, because the farmers would not make it Dp in th* way required. The farmers said their fathers, and grandfathers, and aunts made it up into certain firkins, and they would do the same. (Laughter.) His friend Canon Bagot, however, was successfully educating the people as to the way in which they should make up their butter ; and there was no doubt that, if it were sent to London made up in the way in which the people in London wanted it, they would buy it in preference to French or Danish butter. Another point he would like to mention was about ducks. Live ducks were sent from this country at Is. 4d. a pair to Cardiff, wheie they were fattened in three weeks, and sold again at ss. a pair. Why was net that done in Ireland T Everyone knew that while small prices were paid to fishermen here, a guinea was paid for a turbot. Still, one of the most promising of Irish industries was their fisheries. During the misfortunes of 1879 a large donation was received from Canada, with a request that any surplus remaining over should be spent in developing Irish fisheries. The result ha* been most satisfactory. In one instance £200 was supplied to some deserving fishermen, who afterwards caught £1200 worth of mackerel, which was divided amongst fifty men. The most gratifying feature was that the money lent was afterwards honestly and faitnfully repaid. (Applause.) That there was a mine of wealth in Irish fisheries might be judged from the fact that whilst 792 Irish boat* were employed in the herring fishery, the boats from other countries, including France, employed on our coast in the same fishery numbered ß93. He was informed that it was the highest feat of skill on the part of a carpenter to make a coffin. What were the Americans doiag f They were sending ever apples to Bristol in coffins. (Laughter.) The Irish artisans would have to meet that by producing better coffins than those made in America. The learned lecturer concluded by saying that henceforward every man, woman, or child in the country must work with all their might to advance the prosperity of Ireland by her industries. But they must do it on the principal of producing an article that would compete with the whole world. They must give honest work and produce nothing in the shape of shoddy. The other day he saw a toy in a shop which he would not mention. It was the most monstrously ugly racking horse he had ever seen, and it was labelled in large gilt letters. " Irish Manufacture." They must avoid such products as that. To say that the Irish workman squandered all his earnings in drink was a calumny. He had found that, taking a unit to represent all sorts of drink, the Irish people drank 100 units in the year, the Sotch 143, and the English 200. Dr. Haughton resumed his seat amid hearty applause. On the motion of Mr. Condron, seconded by Mr. Roe, thanks were voted to Dr. Haugbton. Mr. Eillen was then called to the chair, and thanks having been voted to Mr. Dowling, the proceedings concluded.