Ireland Faces Future of Stable Progress

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 343, 2 May 1928, Page 14

Ireland Faces Future of Stable Progress

President Welcomed Home Like a Reigning Prince FINANCIAL AIR CLEARER President Cosgrave returned to Dublin, after his highly successful American tour, heralded by a salute of 19 guns, a torchlight procession, and a display of fireworks from Nelson’s Pillar, honours usually associated with a prince of a reigning house. From the balcony of his hotel the President addressed a vast crowd by means of a loud-speaker of 150 amI plifieations, so that he was audible at O’Connell Bridge, a quarter of a mile away. Dublin was determined that i the world should know that the Free State was thoroughly pleased with its President, says the Dublin correspondent of the “Melbourne Age.” Southi era Ireland has not rid itself of all its i burdens, but, thanks to the President’s : efforts, a £7,000,000 loan has been floated, £3,000,000 of the money oeing raised in Mew York. Irish Agriculture Irish trade in 1927 proved more satisfactory than was expected. The adverse balance was reduced by £3,500,000, in comparison with the previous year, though the actual trading totals showed that business had : fallen below the 1924 level. FortunI ately exports of butter and cream ! were satisfactory, due to an active c> : operative policy, under State control, | which persuaded many farmers to ’ turn from stock to dairy farming. I Thanks for this must be given to Mr. P. J. Hogan, whose trio of Bills—the j Live Stock Breeding Act, the Eggs

| Act, and the Butter Act—have improved the quality of Irish produce in a remarkable manner. Mr. Hogan is also setting up an Agricultural Credits Corporation, to be financed from the proceeds of the £7,000,000 loan. The corporation will make long-term advances to farmers, and thus aid them to install modern machinery. The Cosgrave Government is also encouraging afforestation, which was sadly’ neglected during the years of political unrest. Any Irish' loyalist who saw a prospect of being forced to fly his country naturally tried realise a little ready money from timber, and the effects have been disastrous. The idea is to replant 5,000 acres every year for the next 10 years, using unemployed labour. Unemployment and Protection There are at present 90,000 unemployed in Free State Ireland, and the Government recently made a grant of £150,000 to alleviate immediate distress. The Dail will also be asked to assent to a national housing scheme, grants for road building amounting to £1,300,000, and an extension of the policy of “selective protection.” Fifty per cent, of Free State imports are now liable to duties, such articles as apparel and other necessaries pay’ing from 20 to 30 per cent. Mr. Cosgrave’s Government claims that recent tariff changes have given employment to 10,000 more people, due to the establishment of new factories in the Free State, among them tobacco factories established by English firms who found their operations hampered by Irish import duties. The Labour Party in the Dail is chiefly concerned to secure the restoration of the shilling taken from*tie Irish old-age pensions in 1926 and to prevent the heavy cuts in the wages of railwaymen rendered necessary’ by motor-bus competition. Mr. de Valera also has his money troubles, due to the wild men of the ; Republican Party’ asking that grants i or pensions should be promised them for their war services. A recent con- | ference of Fianna Fail (de Valera’s party) passed a self-denying ordin- | ance rejecting the idea of pensions j except for wounds, but many Repubi licans who lost positions owing to j their rebel activities have refused to ; accept the decision.

The other political problem of tfc hour is the reconstruction of the Ft* State Senate, if possible before & general election due in the autuin: The last Senate election was held z 1925, and 76 candidates were noff nated to fill 19 vacancies. Tbfr names were set out on a huge te lot paper, which proved bewilderfc-' to the average voter. Some Irisbffle'favour the choice of senators thrtaF an electoral college, possibly the or Senate sitting together, but it * more likely that the elective will be maintained.