IRISH PROSPERITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1592, 27 July 1916, Page 4

IRISH PROSPERITY.

A remarkable manifesto bearing on the economic conditions in Ireland was recently issued by the Irish Nationalist Parliamentary Party as a reply to Sinn Feinism. It said: “Two-thirds of the entire land of the country has passed into the hands of the people. The remaining third is in process of gradual transfer, and the soil of Ireland is no more securely vested in the ■people of Ireland than . i. any period of our country’s history. Tens of thousands of cottages have been built all over Ireland in which, at a moderate rent and with a portion of land, the Irish labourers have been transformed from the worsthoused, Avorst-clothed, and worstfed class in Europe into the besthoused, the most comfortable, and the most independent, body of labourers in the Avorld. In the congested districts grass ranches have been acquired and divided up into economic holdings for the people, Elated, roomy, and healthy houses have taken the place of the miserable, cabins, and there has grown up in some of the most povertystricken districts in the North -Avest, West, and South of Ireland, a ucav Ireland of happy and prosperous homes. . . In so far as the local

government of Ireland is concerned, it has been wrenched from the landlords and is now in entire, possession of the people, Avith chairmen and members freely chosen by Ihe people I hemsclA-es. . . Hard as are the conditions of many of the workmen of Ireland in the cities, unhealthy as still are many of their dwellings, grants and Ads have begun the groat Avork of providing healthy and cheap homes for the toilers. In every effort to put down sweating, the abuse of the (ruck system, the efficient administration of the Factory Acts, the safeguarding of the right of comhinalion, and (he protection of the interests of trade unions, flic Irish. National Party have been abb' to extend to Ireland every benefit that the popular representatives of Great Britain have been able to obtain for their constituents. . . The tenants in the toAvns have achieved a (‘barter far in excess of anything ever extended to any city or toAvn in England. With England, Ireland has been enabled to share (.0 the full in the programme of social reform. Old age pensions have brought comfort and hope to tens of thousands of old men and Avomen avlio otherwise would have had an old age of poverty and despair.”