IRELAND UNDER HOME RULE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 375, 5 July 1911, Page 7

IRELAND UNDER HOME RULE.

AN' INTERVIEW WITH MR. JOHN REDMOND.

(By W. R. Holt, in the "Daily Mail.")

Mr John Redmond the leader of the Nationalist Patty, haa given me an important interview on the question "What would Ireland be like under Home Rule?"

A Home Rule Bill is being prepared by the Government, and it is to be the main business of the next session of Parliament. An acturial investigation is being made for the Government as to the financial relations between Great Britain and Irilind. Before long the nation will be plunged in anxious controversy on the subject of Irish autonomy.' Mr Redmond's statement will, therefore, be read with interest.

"I believe," said Mr Redmond, "the working of an Irish Parliament would be a great surprise to the people of this country It would be very unlike what they anticipate There would be a great deal of sober business and very few fireworks. In a sense there would be less politics than at present. Every election in Ireland is now fought upon a question of high and almost abstract politics: Whether Ireland should govern herself or whether she shall be governed by Great Britain. Even county and municipal elections turn often upon that. Once you get Home Rule that question disappears. Men will divide according to their respective ideas, not as to whether Ireland shall] govern herself, but as to how 9he shall govern herself."

'What do you suggest should be the size of the proposed Irish Parliament?"

"This is quite an open question, but I would like to see the present number, namely 103, increased, and in that increase a chance would be found of bringing in the new elements without sacrificing old claims. Under present conditions no business man and no professional man can represent an Irish constituency, and do his parliamentary work efficiently, without injuring nis business or his profession. That, of course, is for mere geographical reasons; the time occupied in travelling from Ireland to London and the isolation of one from the other. Yet everybody in Ireland would like to see more business men in our representation, and we should undoubtedly get them.

"You may take it from me that the Irish people ardently desire to see the Irish gentry—l use an old-fashioned word, for we are an old-fashioned folk —devoting themselves to the service of the country "A paramount object for any Irish Parliament would be the development of the industrial centres of the country. Already Irishmen of all parties are working together for this end, and with very considerable success. We should have a native Parliament that would find means to give a new impetus and a new power to that industrial revival. Such a question as the nationalisation of the railways would naturally be considered as a possible means towards this end. I do not say that Ireland would be united in favour of such a project, but the cleavage of opinion would not follow the existing party lines, and the moment such questions were raised they would affect the return of members to the Parliament. Irish constituencies would be anxious to secure, so far as they could, the services of business men, and especially of captains of industry, to assist in the settlement of such problems. That could not fail to produce a considerable effect upon the personnel of the Irish Parliament sooner or later, and I should say sooner rather than later. "I think we should all be in favour of payment of members out of the State funds, but that is a question which the Irish Parliament should be left free to settle for itself."

"What exactly would be the limits of power of the Irish Parliament?" "I have stated it many times before, but if you wish I will do so again. The Irish Parliament would be charged with the management of purely Irish affairs —land, education, local government, transit, labour, industries, taxation for local purposes, law and justice, police, etc. —leaving to the Imperial Parliament the management of all imperial affairs Army, Navy, foreign relations, imperial taxation, and matters pertaining to the Crown and the Colonies. The Imperial Parliament would aIBO retain an overriding and supreme authority over the new Irish Legislture, such as it possesses to-day over the Colonial Parliaments.

"As to finnncial questions. I prefer at this stage to make no statement beyond this: The suggestion that a financial settlement just to both countries is a really serious difficulty in one way is, in my opinion, totally untrue. On the contrary, I am convinced that it will be found when the matter is investigated that the argument founded on finance is the strongest of all in favour of Home Rule, and from the British standpoint quite aB much as from the Irish.

"As to Protestants receiving fair play, the entire history of Ireland indicates that they will, But beyond that I would gladly accept any safeguards which were consistent with ordinary democratic principles. As to the apprehensions which one hears expressed in these matters, I honestly believe that twelve months' experience of Home Rule will lay such bogeys for ever. There is no reality behind them: they are merely stage properties which may terrify ignorant people just as a hollow turnip with a candle in it terrifies a child. While the question is open it pays politicians to exploit these terrors, but there is a very wise saying in a little pamphlet written by an old colleague of mine, the late Alfred Webb, a Quaker, .one of the sincerest Nationalists and best men that I ever knew. Let me quote it to you: 'So long as the centre of power lies in a people, parties and interests learn to accommodate themuelves to each other. Otherwise they

seek to gain their ends not by mutual agreement and accommodation, but by working on the feelings, the fears, and the prejudices of those among whom is the centre of power ' That second sentence describes exactly what is going on in Great Britain and Ireland to-day. The first sentence prophesies accurately what will come to pass when the centra of power in Irish matters lies in the Irish paople themselves."