Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 14 March 1912, Page 39

Irish News

CORK—The Value of Property ' The following report, sent to the Estates’ Gazette, by Messrs. Scanlan and Sons, Cork, one of the largest firms of estate and insurance agents in the south, shows plainly that the value of property in Munster is not depreciating owing to the near approach of Home Rule: Tire past year has been an improvement- on previous years in selling. The number of properties were not as many, but sales were more readily made. Good investments, such as ground rents and profit rents, continue to bring satisfactory prices, and /sell freely. Rents in business districts, shop properties, etc., show an upward tendency, and the number of vacant dwelling houses in the city and suburbs are less than they have been for some years. Land continues to sell at good prices. Building of houses has been quiet, but that is characteristic of this city, as the population is - very stationary. With regard to the Finance Act, we cannot see how the undeveloped land duty should have an effect on building operations, as the fact of building gets rid of any liability for that duty, and even should owners have to pay, the tax is so very small that few could really complain.’ Further proof of the fact that the moneyed classes have no fear of self-government is to be found in the address of. the chairman at the halfyearly meeting of the Munster and Leinster Bank. He said the profits of the bank for the half-year, after making full provision for all bad and doubtful debts, amounted to £25,253 10s 9d, which was an improvement by £3ll on the figure of the corresponding six months of last year. It was proposed to pay a dividend at the rate of 14 per cent, per annum, free of income tax: to place £SOOO to reserve fund, and an equal amount in reduction of premises account, leaving the increased balance of £13,689 to be carried forward. The reserve fund will now stand at £340,000, having been augmented during the year by £15,000, It is now £140,000 greater than the paid-up capital. DUBLIN —Fire in Lithographic Establishment : On the evening of x January 18 a destructive fire broke out in the premises of Messrs. James Walker and Co., lithographic artists, Jones’s road, Dublin, shortly before midnight. From the time the fire was discovered it . was apparent that the building was doomed, along with a large quantity of valuable machinery and other contents. The fire brigade’s efforts were devoted to saving a distillery adjoining, and in this they were successful. Roughly estimated, the damage amounts to £25,000. The firm is the biggest of the kind in Ireland, The Lord Mayor’s Salary A special meeting of the Dublin Corporation on January 22 decided by a majority of one to abolish the Lord Mayor’s salary, which for many years has been a bone of contention in the council-. Alderman Dr. McWalter made the vexed question his own and brought it forward several times, urging that the annual salary should be £1668 instead of £3668. It was on his motion the. special meeting was called at which , the council went one better than the worthy alderman. KILDARE—Where Toleration is Practised • • At a recent meeting of the Athy (Co. Kildare) No. 1 Rural District Council three Protestant gentlemen were nominated for the Vice-chairmanship of the board. Two of them withdrew, and the third, Mr. J. Sutherland, J.P., was appointed to the position. Another Protestant gentleman, Mr. John Green, of Kilkea, was unanimously co-opted a member to fill the vacancy. ! MONAGHAN—A Disputed Will U' Mr. Justice Kenny, in the Nisi Prius Court, Dublin, heard a case recently in which Rev. Felix McKenna, P.P., Donagh, County Monaghan, and . Francis ■ O’Hanlon, executors, were plaintiffs, and Terence McCartin was defendant in a suit to prove the will of Patrick McCartin, farmer, Minmurray, County Monaghan. Testator had died on January 17, 1911, the will

having been: drawn up on the 12th of the same month. Defendant, testator’s half brother, impeached . the: will on the ground of testamentary incapacity,, and alleged that the document was obtained through the undue influence of Father McKenna. : It' was explained by Mr. Powell, K.C., that Father McKenna and Mr, O’Hanlon were the only friends testator cared for. Deceased had been a sheep-farmer in New Zealand, who returned to Ireland in 1908, and took a farm in Monaghan, where he lived a lonely life. When he became ill Father McKenna advised that some of his relatives should come and live with him, but he said the only relatives he had wanted to get money from him. and that he had no intention of giving money to those who would spendit. Instructions had been given to Mr. Smollen, clerk to Mr. Lardner, M.P., solicitor, in hospital, and he drew up the will, having, it was stated, no previous knowledge of him or his affairs. His wish was that Father McKenna should have his farm,,: which cost £IOOO, and that £I9OO owing to him by his brother John was not to be demanded. He wished Father McKenna to keep the farm for himself absolutely and not to sell it. The stock and farm implements were to be sold, and Father McKenna was to pay all debts and funeral expenses. He left £IOO to Terence McCartin and £IOO to Mrs Hughes, but these relatives now came in with caveats in the hope of sharing the spoil. For the next-of-kin, Sergeant Moriarty „said he was of opinion that Father McKenna had acted the part of an honorable man, and it was desired to withdraw every imputation made in the pleading or elsewhere. Mr. Smollen having proved that testator was perfectly competent to dispose of his property when the will was made, probate was decreed, and plaintiffs were allowed •their costs out of the estate. ' - h'>-' GENERAL Irish Mayors The following have been elected Mayors for the current year:Dublin, Mr. Lorcan Sherlock; Derry, Councillor McFarland; Cork, Alderman Sincox; Drogheda, Alderman McCullagh; Waterford, Councillor Kirwam; Kilkenny, Alderman Purcell; Limerick, Councillor Ryan. A Slight Decrease in Emigrants The Irish Registrar-General’s return of the number of emigrants (natives of Ireland) who left Irish ports during last year shows a decrease of 1884, as compared with the number who emigrated in 1910. The figures for the two years are:—l9lo, 32,457; and 1911. 30,573. Municipal Elections ' . . One of the noteworthy features, of Municipal elections in Dublin was the return , of Miss Harrison in the South City Ward, vacated by Mr, Monks/ Miss Harrison has the distinction of being the first lady Corporator ever elected in the Irish Metropolis, In, Waterford, two ladies sought Municipal honors—Dr. Mary Strongman and Mrs. Poole. The electors of the Tower Ward sent Dr. Mary Strongman to the Corporation; but Mrs. Poole has been left to hope for better luck next time. A Sign of the Times A sign of the times is the prominence given to the Home Rule question in the various debating •'societies in Great Britain. The subject apparently outweighs all others in popularity, and, judged by the divisions, Home Rule is advancing rapidly in public favor. Not long ago, after an address to the members of the Oxford Union Debating Society by Mr. John Redmond, M.P., a resolution in favor of Home Rule was carried by a substantial majority. Just before the end of last Session, a debate on Home Rule took place between Mr. Butcher, the Unionist member for York, who is an Irishman, and son of the Bishop of Meath, and Mr. , E. Haviland-Burke, M.P., the Nationalist member for the Tullamore Division of King’s County, before the members and friends of the Inland Revenue Lecture and Debating Society, Somerset, House, London. In the division, a Home Rule resolution was carried by a two-thirds, majority. These debating societies are very numerous in Great Britain, ' and many of the discus-

sions reach a high level, the disputants representing some of the keenest intellects of the districts concerned. Most of the societies are run on the Parliamentary model, and some of the Home Rule Bills introduced are so radical and comprehensive as to lay the authors open to the charge of being rank ‘Separatists.’ Unionists and Ulster Mr. Stephen Gwynn, M.P., in an article on Loyalty and Riot ’ in the Daily News, adduces a wealth of interesting reminiscences showing how the Unionists of'Ulster 25 years ago mustered to resist the Nationalist invasion of such places as Monaghan, Cavan, Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Derry. In Monaghan and Cavan the Unionists do not even trouble to contest seats now. Fermanagh returns one Nationalist out 5 of two, and -Tyrone returns three out of four to represent their Parliamentary divisions. Newry is securely Nationalist, and even Derry City, which ‘ the Nationalists won, has been lost again only to superior electioneering.'Mr. Gwynn says the moral,of all this is plain, for to-day* the claim of Orangeism in Ulster to ‘ prevent ’ a Home Rule meeting is identical with the claim of 25 years ago which time and circumstance have rendered so ridiculous to present survey. He Has No Fear v Lord Decies, an Irish Unionist peer, in an interview just published in an American newspaper, says that he is a Unionist because he believes the maintenance of the Union to be best for both countries. But he is also an Irishman, and whatever form of government may prevail in Ireland, he has no doubt that his liberty and possessions will be quite safe under any laws which any Assembly of Irishmen may pass. Wages of Agricultural Laborers Mr. Thomas Butler, superintendent of the Statistics and - Intelligence Branch of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, in the course of a report on the subject of Irish agricultural laborers, says:—‘The highest wages are to be found in the Counties of Antrim, Dublin, and Down, and in the neighborhood of the, cities of Dublin and Belfast. In certain cases the wages of ploughmen rise to a pound per week, but the general average in the better districts of these counties may be placed at 14s to 16s per week for, the ploughman class. Wages as a whole are lowest in Connaught. But the differences in real wages are often less than is supposed, and it is evident that these are tending more and more to equalise themselves throughout the country. The scarcity of labor itself 4 assists this movement, and returns from many of even the more remote districts indicated wages almost as high as those existing in the better known tillage areas. In some districts from which there has been a considerable migration the depletion of labor has itself raised the wages of labor; Again, in considering what are the real wages of agricultural laborers in Ireland careful account must be taken as to the value of allowances and the cost, of board and upkeep of laborers. As a rule full board is estimated at 6s per week, though in some cases it is placed at 7s and even 8s per week. Hence the real; wages of farm hands lodged and dieted who receive from 5s to 8s per week in cash, amount to on an average from 11s to 14s and 15s per week. In the case of laborers who receive a free cottage it is usual to find also a rood of potato land given or its equivalent, ; a certain amount of milk, or in some cases grass for a cow, fuel, etc. The actual worth of these payments in kind varies considerably, but on the average they are of a value of 3s 6d per week, and this again added to the wages.of laborers, having free houses gives a wage ranging from 10s to 15s . per week according to conditions. Similarly in the case of boys under eighteen the actual value of wages paid works out on an average at 7s >to 8s per week, allowing for the value of board and lodging. These figures indicate the range of the real, wages of agricultural laborers in Ireland.