British Capital For Ireland.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 419, 13 November 1889, Page 2

British Capital For Ireland.

In connection w-ith our. lend ing article todaj\ tlie folloAving facts ,and figure- 1 , 'respecting ' the manner .in - w.bioh t]io Imperial Government has -Uvnrad Ireland will be read with interest. ~ These figures relate to the year 1888 alone ; beiim t'»e latest years statistics on this question available :—: — Excluding the sum^ lent to the tenants under Loid A^hbourne's Act, 1,610,000 has been lent during the year 1888 for \arious public put poses'. During the same period, a sum of L 253,000 ha 5*5 * also been advanced for the purpose of budding houses for the labourers underlie Labourers' Art. Under theSauitarv Act, LG4,000 has been issued, and L 62,000 under, tlie Tram\v»y»»>Act. The sum of L37.00Q was last \ear Jent to landlojds for improving" their estates, and L 38,000 to tenants for the same purpose, while L 32,000 has gone for arterial drain- \ age. In accordance" with the "Act for the housing of the" poor" L2Cr,OOO" has been | expended ; while the other loan advances during the year were: — County works, B4,800; improvements by local authorities, L 22,000 ; harbours, L 5,500; inland navigation, L 4,500 ; erection of glebe houses and purchase of land*, L14,00O ; additions and improvements in lunatic asylums, L 20,000; national school teachers' residences, LI2,000;' national schools* and training colleges, Ll,2oo;dispenßary h'nuses.LG.OOO; miscellaneous, L 14,000.' In respect of\ fis\er^es,~L&,2oA^has been, ad,va,nced on 'loan". Tn regard to the^ctuaV expenditure by the Board of Works, the figures are as follows: — 'The -Royal University buildings have been completed at a total cost of about L 81,300. The miscellaneous or non- ; y,pt'ed services, have entailed an expenai'£rft#of ' ; tfbo'ut L125;'000 during fke -jrear. They include the works in progress under the Act 46 and 47 Vi^cap. 26, for the construction >6'f' 1 fijihery '"'piers, for whiph L 250.000 was set apart and on which i L 63,000 was expended in the year ; additions ,to . and improvements of dis ti'ict ' liinatia asylums " under the Act 1 and 2, Geo. IV , cap. 33, L20,0Q0; Shannpn.; .ajid special drain-* age work'fLl 1,000 V the mainteriance of national monuments under the Irish Church Act, maintenance of works of arterial drainage districts under the Act 29 and 30 Vic, cap. 49, and other numerous works_of the same class, are included f in the miscellaneous services of the Bond.' ,The - above i^a, nice little' catelogue of Imperial benevolence. for 'QneJ year. Whether the money has been well. spent we do not presume to say, but at any rate, it is impossible to pretend that the Parliament of the United Kingdom noglect Ireland. They treat Ireland differently from England and Scotland, but the difference is in favor of Ireland. If Ireland were independent, how would she continue such expenditure, and yet manage to foster her industries by bounties and drawbacks ?