A RATION-FREE EDEN

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 280, 15 August 1918, Page 6

A RATION-FREE EDEN

IRELAND'S WAR-TIME PRIVILEGES. Complaining in the House of Lords that war-timo restrictions arc not applied impartially iw between Great Britain and Ireland, Lord Willoughby de Broke said that people coming back from Ireland say that despite its hopeless condition it is "the only fit place lor a gentleman to livo in." Lord Willoughby included the following ill a list of "privileges" still enjoyed by Ireland:— Horse-racing is enjoying a record "boom." Cock-fighting and whippet-racing are in full swing. Junketing ot all sorts goes on as if there was no war. The only food rationed is sugar. Farmers are getting 108s. a cwt. for cattle, against the fixed 755. in England. ■, Horse shows aro hold everywhere. Petrol is easy to obtain if you aro a Sinn Feinor Railway fares 'have not been increased. Lord Crawford replied that the economic and general, as distinct from political, conditions in Ireland make it inexpedient or impracticable to apply precisely the same rules to every part of the United Kingdom. The averago meat consumption in Ireland is less than in England; therefore it was felt that meat rationing was not necessary. As to racing, railway curtailment is far morn necessary in Great Britain than in Ireland, but railway fares are.to be raised. The petrul regulations are to bo enforced. Lord Stuart of Wortley accused the Government of pandering to the comfort of Ireland. "Why should de Vnleta and his friends be allowed to live in a perfect Eden while the people of the rest of the kingdom are strictly rationed " asked Lord Selborne. .Lord Crawford said no ease had been made out for placing iu Ireland "tho enormous worry and burden" of a rationing system.