IRISH NEWS

New Zealand Tablet, 16 October 1919, Page 31

IRISH NEWS

GENERAL. . ■•V i'jS "V •; if j A venerable and esteemed , East Cork ; centenarian has passed away (says the Cork Examiner) in the, person of Mr. John O’Keeffe, farmer, of Loughnaderra, Midleton. . Mr. J. J. O’Kelly, better known by his pen-name “Sceilg,” was unanimously elected president of the Gaelic League at the Ard-Fheis .held in Cork. . Mr.; O’Kelly is ■ M.P. for Louth and editor of the Catholic Bulletin. He is .a. Kerry man. , . , : A" ' " v.. • The American steamer. Ashburne on her way to the Passage Docks (Cork Harbor), flew the Sinn Fein flag on her foremast, the stars and stripes flying on her mainmast and stern. According to the Irish papers this is not an isolated incident, as the Sinn Fein colors were frequently flown by U.S. destroyers when returning to America. V In an article sent to the New York Sun before his departure for England (says the London Daily Mail), Mr. Shane Leslie declares that if the Irish question remains unsettled it will inevitably form a plank in the programme of . at least one candidate for the Presidency next year. Britain, - therefore, has a year’s grace before facing a diplomatic situation which will make an Irish settlement a necessity. - v CANNOT CONTINUE. The Times publishes an article by Lord Morris, formerly Premier of Newfoundland, approving of the Northcliffe scheme for an Irish settlement. Lord Morris is a native of the colony he has ruled, but his father and mother were born in Ireland. The Times says: “His opinion comes with the authority of a man who has served under nine Administrations in Newfoundland as a member of-the Cabinet for over 25 years, during which period he held the office of Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, and for the ten years preceding his elevation to the peerage was Prime Minister of Newfoundland.” The Irish-Colonial Peer writes; In view of the position which the Irish question has now reached, it seems to me that no one interested in the future of the British Empire should hesitate to assist in the creation of some form of Irish government which will permanently allay the unfortunate condition which now exists in that country. There can be no doubt about it; we have reached the portals of a change. Present conditions cannot continue. CARSON’S EXAMPLE. “Contingent” crime will soon become quite the thing if the public follow Sir Edward Carson’s fashionable lead (says the Irish Weekly). In any case, his attitude is already being cited in the courts as a sort of “common law” justifying all sorts of threats. In the South-western Police Court, London, the solicitor defending a man charged with threatening his wife argued that his client only stated that “if she did something wrong he would shoot her,” and, he pleaded, the threat was conditional. “Sir Edward Carson’s threat?” queried the magistrate. “Yes, sir,” responded the defending lawyer; “that matter was mentioned in the House.” The defence was only partly successful, but the man was not sent to gaol or fined; he was bound over “in his own bail” to be of good behaviour. We regard the decision as harsh and oppressive. On the Carson precedent, the defendant should have been given a donation out of the poor-box and appointed an inspector of any society there may be for the Prevention of Cruelty "to Wives. The incident is illuminating. A BIG IRISH INDUSTRY. Irish workers and all concerned with industrial enterprises will be interested to know that the firm of Messrs. Henry Ford and Son, who have acquired from the Cork Corporation the Marina site for the purpose of building agricultural tractors, are now in a position to develop that enterprise (says the Irish Weekly). On July 4 they are confident the first tractor will be completed at their 'works, and in the same week at least ten others will be assembled ready for despatching. Naturally, because of the delays occasioned. by the various restrictions imposed by the war, their first ideas of working have had to be recast. This, however, will probably bo merely temporary, and well within twelve months all the conditions which the Corporation required from them on purchasing the site will have been complied with. As is notorious, the difficulties under which business at present’ , is carried on are tremendous. ! Delays that could not be anticipated have taken place : in the ; transit of all kinds .. of t imports. The difficulties of communication are -by no means even now lessening.' Still they "have a fair, prospect

of being able to surmount all these, and are hopeful .that very rapidly they will get into their stride. ‘ ' . rA'- : T • It is . interesting to learn that from the beginning the entire administrative and commercial headquarters “of the' Ford ; and Son : tractor; will be located in 4 Cork.' Because of this, it is necessary that their office accommodation’ will • be very; widely extended there, and in all probability the heads of what promises to be a very gigantic institution will take up their residences in our midst. •- Sir Percival Perry, who has been so-closely identified with the Ford Co., is taking a very energetic part in the new works, ; and all connected with the enterprise anticipate very rapid’ developments on the Marina site before many months will - have elapsed. •_ , / .’ - The following notice concerning hours and pay is posted up on the establishment: —“Notice.—Alteration of works hours; As from Monday, June 30, 1919, the works hours will bo as follows: Monday to Friday (inclusive), 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., with a half-hour (12.30 to 1) for lunch; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 12. The total working hours, therefore, will be 44 per week. Wages. The minimum rate per hour paid in these works on and from Monday, June 30, will be as follows Men over 18; AVages rate per hour, Is sd; share of profits per hour, 3d; total rate per hour’ Is Bd. Boys under 18: Wages rate per hour, fid; share of profits per hour, nil; total rate per hour, fid. Profit sharing ill be paid to all employees who are over 18 years of age, and who. have been in the company’s employ for a period of at least six months, and subject to conditions which will be announced from time to time. Wages will be paid for work done. Profit sharing is a gratuity, and is conditional upon good conduct, and may be withdrawn at any time at our discretion.” ~./ pAiA ;■ V DE VALERA’S TRIUMPHS: THE VOICE OF THE ./ PEOPLE. . Across an ocean and a continent, Eamonn de Valera, 1 resident of the only country that elected its executive on the sole plank of national freedom, has travelled in order to add greater fullness to that freedom by securing at least the moral pressure of the public opinion of the world against the English military, occupation of Ireland (says The Monitor, New Jersey, U.S.A.). From Dublin to New sork, from New York to San Francisco, he has so far travelled, and everywhere ho finds the people avid for Ireland’s independence. Americans, born into freedom, and of late realising their danger of losing it, are finely sensitive of its value to themselves and to others, but we warrant, should President de Valera elect to further his trip around the world, he will find its peoples everywhere giving as open and direct endorsement to Ireland’s open, straightforward fight for freedom as have Ave, the sovereign people of the United States. Who can doubt, should he cross the Pacific, what the sentiments of Chinese Republicans would be? And further west, how Russia would stand—she who has already officially spoken? And so across and throughout the world, not only in the near-free Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, but in England itself—-the England that is surely and Frank Walsh says not'slowly coming into the possession of the British people? Everywhere the Irish question, which is the pure question of liberty, is proving that it is a world question, and is getting the world’s answering endorsement. How long will English profiteers, wherever they live, hold on against the Amice of the world’s peoples? Only long enough;; wo believe, to have the leaven of freedom rise to England’s own salvation. Should Ireland’s right undermine Britain’s might, then, indeed, will the world be freed, the world war well waged and won, and Ireland, through the centuries missioner of the faith and freedom, show herself again the preserver of both in the world’s new r era. , a