CHANGING WORLD

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 45, 22 February 1930, Page 27

CHANGING WORLD

MOTOR AND IRELAND

wider: and better life

A miracle of transformation, both social and economic, has been wrought within the past two years in Southern Ireland as the result of good roads and a wide network of motor transport, which have brought remote and isolated farms and hamlets into close contact with the outside- world. Omnibuses now tap districts that formerly were miles from the nearest railway, and cottagers can motor to the nearest market town a3 easily as they "feed the pigs." A journey which was once a costly yeuture, to be remembered for months is now merely the incident of a week according to Sir Porcival Phillips, who' says further that because the railways havo deeply felt the effect of motor competition they ask the Government for protection and tho answer has been a heavy tax on omnibuses.

Still, the omnibuses flourish. The result of the'invasion has been twofold. New suburbs, made possible by the improved ' transportation facilities, have grown up around the larger towns, and the peasants in the more remote districts-have been, brought out of their; little world. In fact, it might be said that the old peasant type is doomed to extinction because of this new contact, with the twentieth century. ■ JEhey have better shops at their disposal/ better schools for their children,, and wider knowledge of people and , events. Newspapers reach many areas on the day of publication, where foinlerly they were not delivered until one-w two days later.

•There are cottages facing tlie wild Atlantic that now receive before bedtime that morning's London, daily. The

increasing sale of newspapers iv dis tricts where the local, weekly was bul littlo known is further proof of the deeper interest displayed by the in habitants .in happenings beyond theii lonely parish. Their standard oi living is'changing, too; They want better things and more comforts, so fai as they are able to afford them. The young men are no longer content to be married off, after much bargaining by their parents, to a bride with a fortune of £.30 or so and a. cow and nettle down docileh' to humdrum life on a little patch of bind. It is said that tho "marriage market." is a declining institution. More matches are being made by the young people themselves. Tho women want bettor clothes. The girls show a tendency to imitate their sisters of the towns. The Free State Was spent, upwards of £5,000,000 since 1923 in reconstructing 1800 miles of national, highways and GOOO miles of trunk anil link roads. You can travel to-day at a steady 'forty miles an ■ hour between Dublin and Limerick, Galway or Belfast, piloted by a complete system of sign-posts, mileage,indicators, and safety signals. No other country in Europe has a better system of communications or one more efficiently maintained. . Naturally, tho omnibus .has flourished and multiplied almost beyond belief. Two years ago the flrst-long-distance line (Dublin toCavari) was opened as an experiment. By the beginning of last year, services had •been established over 3000 miles of roads." They..extended over 4400 miles, by the end of the year, when the number of passengers carried had increased from 1,900,000 to 3,360,000. lit places local tradesmen have been hard hit by the motor omnibus because people no longer have to depend upon the general store of, the locality, but take the bus into the nearest largo town. According to Sir Peireival, some shop people have been forced to close, and he adds that, as might bo expected, they want the motor transport services abolished a,nd-tho domination of the railway restored.. That-the towns realise their greater importance iii the commercial scheme, it seems, is apparent from the fact that ley are organising "Carnival Shopping Weeks" to attract the new class oi buyer "from tho back of beyond." One community after another advertises its attractions with flags, banners, and a general air of festivity, and, it seems that all of this appeals powerfully to the peasant, whose amusements are very. few. Another economic factor in the changing country districts is the cooperative creamery. There are now 162 organisations at strategic centres for the systematic collection of milk, butter, and eggs. Fifty were opened recently in areas where hitherto the farmers had had to depend solely on the profits of barley. and cattle food. But now, they are able to go' in for dairying, and thereby raise their standard of living.1. In the other ways the development of the country districts is very marked. Hotels havo~ been repaired and refurnished, in some cases even rebuilt, in anticipation of the increased tourist trade. .■'.-." ■ ' Motor exports from Germany last pear showed an increase of 71 per cent. )ver the previous year. Before the ,var Germany ranked next to the Jnited States and France in motor exports'; ."'She is now in sixth place, being jxceeded by the United States, Erance, Jreat Britain, Canada, and Italy, but igures indicate that she is gradually ridding for her pre-war position. _