A Marvellous Change

New Zealand Tablet, 10 March 1910, Page 373

A Marvellous Change

During the past thirty-seven years the Hon. John D. Crimmins, of New York, has made several trips to Ireland. On his last trip, which extended over several months, he had ample time and opportunity to observe and compare conditions. He thus described his impressions to the representative of a New York paper: No one who has not visited Ireland in the past year or so can form any idea of the marvellous transformation the country has undergone. My first visit to Ireland was in 1872. You can form no idea of the deplorable conditions to be seen on every side. At that time evictions of tenants, unroofing of the dwellings to be seen on all sides, left an impression of dire poverty and desolation. My second visit as in 1901, when there was a marked change. I gave my' views in a letter, commenting on the improved conditions, and though much of its contents was questioned at the time the progress that has been made since confirms my views that the Irish were advancing economically and politically. v On the trip from which I have just returned I travelled through Ireland in a motor car, going from Rosslare, in Wexford, through parts of Waterford, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, King’s and Queen’s Counties, Dublin, Wicklow, Louth, Armagh, Meath, Westmeath, Roscommon, _ and Galway —some days travelling 135 miles. And, questioning all who would talk, I found prosperous people with practically a new life from that appearing 37 years ago. I attribute the change to many things : First, the Land Act, whereby the ' Government lends the farmer money to buy his land. By this Act the tenant farmer is rapidly coming into possession of the land, and to-day he possesses .more than 50 per cent, of the land, and all will be his or his children’s eventually under this payment plan. The legislation that placed this Act on the. Statute Books of England originated

with the Irish statesmen. As was to be expected, it was not perfect, but amendments are before the House of Commons. , x he x Old Age Pensions Act was not made for Ireland, but statistics prove that Ireland will have greater relief from this Act than England or Wales. The tenant farmer* story of the past is too long and too sad to tell— landlords enactments, the middlemen, and others, and the uncertainty of tenure, the penalty for improvements, by increased rental, all have been written about. The situation is absolutely changed. Hereafter there will be no landlord or Lord of the Land,’ except the Government, with whom the tenants will have to deal under the Land 1 urcha-se Act—absolutely no middlemen. The tenant that ''as , will be the ‘Lord of the- Manor,’ and i I assure you he is fitting himself for the position. He cultivates his lauds, selects his cattle from good stock, lives decently, and educates his children. Of course, Ireland is known as an agricultural country, and will always be so. The Irish by heritage are farmers, not mechanics. They cannot compete with the Germans, r rench, or English. • The country lias no mines or minerals of value. The trade industries of Ireland are few and of no consequence for that and other reasons. The development of the land to the highest standard will be the first concern. But as regards the land and its cultivation, the improvements in the farmers’ methods are so visible that in my travels through the country it was really a joy to observe the change that has taken place in the past 37 years. The Irish farmer has not made as much progress as the Danish farmer, their principal competitors for the English market. We see machinery creameries, co-operative stores, etc., but not enough for the broad field of agriculture. It is, however, on a fair start. In making reference to the bright and hopeful conditions for the Irish people, there is one feature that has impressed me beyond all others. That is the laborers’ cottages. More than 50,000 have been erected, and the good work going on, placing the laborer in a neat two-storey stone, brick, or concrete cottage, with a half-acre or an acre of ground surrounding, which he may cultivate and rented by the Town Council at 8s a month. These cottages are located on the highways, on elevated ground, selected for sanitary reasons, drainage, and air, not on the hollower sides of hills, where one saw the mud house with a pond at the door 30 years ago.