THE IRISH BILL.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3317, 22 October 1919, Page 5

THE IRISH BILL.

CABINETS l—lE.c.\.V‘Y TASK.’ IRELAND IN BITTER MQOD. ‘ LONDON, Oct. 9. The Government's friends report that members of the Cabinet are sinking their differences on the Irish ques'tion, and are determined to produce a workable measure. The Government believes that the Sinn Fein is steadily losing its grip, and would not win a heavy preponderance of seats in the Irish Parliament_ Its advisers state that Ireland is swinging again towards a constitutional movement, and that therefore a federal Scheme temporarily excluding Ulster, but giving each county the right to vote itself into the Irish Parliament, would be acceptable. The special correspondent of the London Times writes thatithe present political condition of Ireland is not permanent, but is ‘acute. This is due to the reaction from War unrest upon a discontented and excitable people. the stoppage of emigration, the postponement of self—gover:lment, and -a

conviction of British “pah-fidy.” . Never has the antagonsm b.--tween the North and South appeared so obdurate, and never have the co-opera; tive forces been so weak. B-ut the position should improve. ‘

The correspondent adds that the economic unity of Ireland is becoming more unanswerable. The great growth of industry in Ulster requires’ for its equilibrium the ever-increasing .pene—tration of the agricultural _South, whilst the distributing/crade of Belfast‘ is becoming more dependent on the development of the rest of the island.

Many or the younger -b.u.=filj"xess. men are ’learning to regard the seilf-gové”l_'n4" ing_of Ireland loss bitterly than___tlleir fathers. The strength of Sir Edward Carson's movement lies with therelde-r generation - - M

Nationalist opinion remains largely uri_der__, the dominance of Sinn Feil;i§_m__. Indeed, only men of "courage and character dare to express. mbdefaté "views.