IRELAND AFTER WAR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3351, 2 December 1919, Page 5

IRELAND AFTER WAR.

A WAVE OF PROSPERITY. FULL BANKS RICH HARVEST. “GAY SCENES IN DUBLIN.’ There is no capital which represents more intimately the personality /of a country ‘han Dublin. It -is the centre of a land of «extremes, writes a correspondent, and it seems always to be trying to harmonise them with good humour. That, of course, is impossible, and one is‘ glad, in a way, for the result an atmosphere of rebellous grace and elusive elegance. The extremes are there still—~—now accentuated by the effects of the war. To step into the city fresh from l_£n.-;-land is tolgaze on a transfer-imtion scene. If the visitor knew Dublin five years ago, the contrast is more Viol-3.-it. It is true that many of the former elements remain; no one would have them perish. ‘Ono sees again the old gentleman who. sells canaries almost opposite the Provost’s house. One hears again -epigram in brogue and .\-sit and music. Characteristic ;?nz:i:lr,-nts repeat themselves. A fine lady,‘ gorgeously gowued and of a sensible age, stops 9. newsboy in Stephen’s dread to ask what won the ‘last race In the Phoenix Park. A Woman with an endless flow of flattery rand. orisoas addresses you as “Colonel, dear,” and pushes a sprig of White heather into your buttonhole. You are too overcome to have any sense of market Values. -we

Such things as these charm one into the proper spirit of gaiety, and disarm those who had the impression that Ireland was entirely preoccupied (with politics. No doubt: the politics are there, and will make themselves heard in due course. But there is much more. There is a. national comradeship.-There is a hospitkllity so ardent and competitive as to ‘be almost embarassing. There is more still—and here is the startling ‘part: of the transformation scene—there is an un'parallol.ed pitch of enterprise and enthusiasm in commercial afia.il7s.'.. ___. . M ; A WALK DOWN GRAFTON STREET Ill_.Gl’aftOll Street the shops scintillate. .Many of them could only be compared’ with the State Apartmentsof a palzfize. Nothing in London could surpass them in be*a.’uty of design; and, artistry of decoration. The reconstruction of those parts of Sackville Street which were destroyed during the rebellion is going on apace, and the buildings are Worthy of so wide _a thoroughfare. A jarvey, after referring to the fate» of the rebells, pointed with his \\'hi}_) to these buildings and said: “.Filnlre, thim alone were worth dying for.” He added: “Faith, before the ribillion, Sackville'Strcet was for all the wurruld like aiman with a new topeoat ov*r a suit of rags.” So, perhaps, parts ofuit were; so, unhappily. are districts of Dublin still. Anyway, the jarveys are flour-ishing—though they will not admit it when it comes to paying :1 fz-Ire——'and when the jarveys are flourishing you may be sure that Dublin is flourishing too. Indeed, the Whole Country appears to be prosperous beyond imag-inéing.

[ AGRICULTURAL SUCCESS. i The journey to Cork and Killarney ' reveals a glowing scene of ‘agriculturalsuccess. Strikes impeded harvesting in places, but, though the corn was overripe here and there, it is being saved. ‘The adniinistration of Government ‘grants for labourers’ cottages, with {the aid of the priests, has worked wonders, and Where one used once to ‘see broken'winclows stuffed with bagging or straw and halfthatched roofs, [there are now prim and clean homes. In Cork" the wealth of the people is i unprecedented. There is aabundlance ‘of omp'loyment. The workhouses are deépupulated. Some of them are closed. Thel'e is a bountiful’ harvest. The 'banks are full, and like the shops in I(.il“afton Street, they are palaces within. It is estimated‘ that there is some £31_,000',000 belonging to the_lrish people in the Irish banks. In the Munster and Leinster Bank——which is known as “‘thc peoplc’s bank”-—thero is £17,i 000,000 on deposit for private account. I This bank is extending its business by 1 opening branches in the North, I whither it had never -gone -before. In t the National Bank, there is £27,000’,000 ion deposit, but this bank, unlike the Munster and Leinster, has branches in England. ‘ FARMERS OWN MOTOR CARS. That is evidence of a plethora hitherfo unknown _in Ireland. There is other evidence in the number of motor‘ cars owned by men who not r_n'3.nyJ years ago were'st'rugg‘ling ‘little farm-J ers. There {is stillé other evidence i in «the absence of those shawled and! shrivelled ‘beggar-Women, who for a, halfponny used to pray that the giver might “shake hands with God.” As might lmve been conjectured, the people of Cork would not rest long without another racecourse. One is now being made '3. little farther away from the i-.it_v. __ Such is at good part. of Ireland after the war. Its wealt.-h~ and prosperity must have a steadying efiect on the Awoliptical situation.‘ From that thought ‘there emelées much hope for the future. The people. have‘ proved their i

business capacity, «and in an amalgamation of business capacity With: national aspirations {here may be found :1 solution of many difi'l'culfie-‘3-