Compulsory Purchase.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 7, 13 February 1902, Page 2

Compulsory Purchase.

Irish landlords may be described without the shadow of exaggeration as about the cruellest, and most unscrupulous race that ever shamed or cursed a people. The course of tinkering legislation has, thus far, only resulted in paring theii claws slightly. They still, in reality, enjoy the grim privilege of confiscating the property created by their tenants, even though their power to grind the faces of the unfortunates between the upper and nether millstones of hunger and rackrent has been curtailed. The movement for compulsory purchase—inspired by New Zealand's example —is going merrily on. Its chief significance just at the present moment lies in the fact that it has crossed the borders from the south and west and got such a solid grip of the lodge ridden portions of Ulster as to have actually turned an election in the chief stronghold of the old true-blue Tory Conservatives.

The old Maori's plaint ran somewhat thus : ' The missionary told me to pray ; and, while my eyes were turned to heaven, he stole the land from beneath my feet.' The landlord class have long ' nobbled ' the Orange farmers of Ulster in a somewhat similar way. For the advantage of their own class they joined and led the lodges and controlled their policy. They set the farmers welting the big, big drum, firing volleys over or into the houses of Catholics, drinking deep libations to the 'glorious, pious and immortal memory ' of the little Boer, and yelling 'To hell with the Pope ! ' And while the brethren were thus engaged, the privileged thief-class piously picked their pockets. But a new spirit has got hold of Ulster now that promises well both for the peace and prosperity of that most destracted province. There was a symptom of an awakening in 1882 when certain Orange farmers of Kinego and Bondhill realised that ' the Pope issues no eviction decrees in Ulster,' and, in furtherance of their interests, joined the Land League. But the ' lords of the soil ' and their obedient tools raised a mighty whoop, denounced the Kinego and Bondhill farmers as ' rebels ' and ' Papists,' and expelled them from the lodge as ' traitors to the Orange cause.' Now, however, the movement among the Protestant farmers has taken a much more radical turn. They advocate nothing less than compulsory purchase just as eagerly as their Catholic confreres of the west and south. A few days ago a by-election in the great Orange stronghold of East Down was fought out and won on the issue of compulsory purchase. For landlordism — the vampire of Ireland — this is the most significant contest that has yet taken place in Ireland. Compulsory purchase is the only real and permanent settlement of the l.md question in Ireland. The progressive land legislation of New Zealand has found admirers in many lands and imitators in a few. But the most signal compliment yet paid to it is that of the result of the recent contest in East Down.