The Daily News. MONDAY, APRIL 6, 1914. THE IRISH PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 264, 6 April 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, APRIL 6, 1914. THE IRISH PROBLEM.

Throughout the British Empire the one question of absorbing interest is that relating to the Ulster revolt against the Home Ruie Bill. It has two main points that appeal directly to sane, thoughtful people, namely, religious and political The misfortune is that either of these causes amply sufficed as a means of engendering and fostering the worst passions on which the practised agitator can operate, but a combination of the two has gone far towards bringing about a civil war that would rend asunder the ties which have for several centuries sufficed to hold together what is called the United Kingdom. We have to go back to 1641, the year of the Irish rebellion to find the real key to the situation as it exists to-day. It is admitted by historians that the insurrection in that year was one of tlie most terriblo evonts ill the history of that unhappy country, and it is evident that the hatred which was aroused between tnc Irish natives and the English settlers, on? evidence of which was the deadly animosity between Catholics and ProtestJ«ts, has been kept alive to this day. fhe claim of the Irish people then, as now, was nominally for religious freedom, and just as was that claim it was entered upon and prosecuted by such methods as were never yet availing in asserting any claim in the world. This is the historian's record of that dreadful time. One may well wonder what will bo the record of history oil the events B of the present time. Ulster has always played a prominent part in Ireland's history, j us k as it is now .the centre of a trouble that is calling' for the exercise of the most consummate statesmanship to allay, or, perhaps, it would be more correct to say, to stave off, for no intelligent student of history can possibly oe sufficiently sanguine to hope that Ulster will ever be satisfied even if it should obtain a separate Constitution. But what can be said of those English politicians who call themselves Unionists, yet prostitute their position as legislators by not only counselling rebellion against the authority of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, but also actively take part in pyniotiiig organised resistance to the law of the land? the worst feature of th is lamentable work is that it emanates from those who avo anxious to obtain political power—to become the members oi the Government instead of being in thu shades of Opposition. Possibly in their desperate struggle for ollice they have been drawn I- further into the maelstrom than they intended, but the danger of lighting a lire in a country where the vegetation ii all too ready for a conflagration is que that should be reckoned with before and not after the match is applied. Matters have now arrived at such a pirss ( that it is imperative that the political fire in Ulster must Ik* suppressed and not fanned into a llame that, will destroy the foundations of unity. Apparently both the Goverhment and the Opposition are . thoroughly alive to the danger which is • threatening the United Kingdom, and ! just as drowning men will eate.i at a ' straw, so both political parties are ; straining after a spli\ndin means of com-, i promise in the shape of a federal scheme, ! Australia and the United States both | afford illustrations of federal govcni- > ment. It is easy to imagine that -if , tin.' federal idea is to tako shape in Ire- ; land every county may justly claim to [ l'« constituted a State. Scotland may follow suit, also Wales, and who can say where fche splittinf-up will cad? Apparently the United Kingdom may be split up into a number 0 f glorified local bodies having separate "I'arliaHU'iits" instead of county councils, while supreme over all will be the Federal House of Commons, with the possibility of an elected Upper House, and the bone of contention will then be as to what powers the several Parliaments shall possess. The stand taken by the British Government that the home Kule Mill must first be passed, and the federal scheme considered subsequently, is sound. It would in the present-heat of political warfare be an absolute impossibility to approach the intricate problem involved in the formation of a federal scheme and requiring the exercise of cool judgment as ' well as serious consideration. It would -;< cm that the Government h disposed towards giving- Ulster a full measure of generous treatment, and the provision of a sexennium shows that clearly. There must, however, first, be the recognition of a basil- principle of Home Rale for Ireland as a whole, and if only the Op- i position will throw oil' its present un- ( worthy ami dangerous tactics, anil tru-jt ' 'o the. good faith of the Ministry to go j 11 " the greatest lengths compatible with j Ihe essentials of good government, then i 1 here may be some ho[ie of a temporary ■ olution of the Ulster (rouble —a penna- | :-ent settlement-is almost beyond the L bounds of possibility.

the patient is situated in a portion of the borough not connected with the sewor. In the Fitzroy district there is an outbreak of diphtheria, whilst in the West End typhoid fover has claimed several victims. Reading the reports of the officers as to the shockingly insanitary conditions of the districts mentioned, it is surprising that the outbreaks are not more serious than they are, and that the districts have for so long o«caped "dirt" disease epidemics. It is also surprising that attention has not been paid in part to these festering sores. Where has been the inspector? Has ho not been paid to keep tlie Council informed of the sanitation—or, rather, insanitation—of tho town as a whole? From Councillor Clarke's remark at Friday's meeting, that the Council was unaware of the conditions obtaining in the localities in question, we take it that tho health inspector has not drawn the Council's attention to them. At the samo time, tho Council cannot be absolved from responsibility, for some of its members live in the localities named and must have seen the conditions for themselves. As a matter of fact, the whole Council must have been aware of them. Councillors no doubt have refrained from taking action because of a promise given to the suburban ratepayers before tlie merging took place that they would not be brought under the borough by-laws in regard to sewerage, keeping of fowls, disposal of refuse, etc., unless the residents concerned requested it, or the health authorities demanded it. That cannot be denied. In our opinion, it was unwise to have given such an undertaking, as also was it unwise on the part of the health officers of the Council to have permitted for one day longer than necessary the health of the whole community to be menaced by the shocking in sanitation that everybody knows has existed in the suburbs named for a long time past. Now, after the inevitable filth diseases have broken out, and claimed a good many victims, both the Council and the health authorities are tumbling over one another in their efforts to remove the causes. In addition to pulling down the old shanties that have served as human habitations for many years, tho Council has decided to striotly enforce compliance with tho by-law regarding nightsoil removal in both suburbs, and also to instruct the engineer to supply an exhaustive report l'e extending the sewerage system to these localities, etc. If the town is to be made healthy, and kept healthy, both West End and Fitzroy will have to be served with an efficient drainage syatern, and the sootier the better. The health of the community is the first consideration, and it must be preserved, no matter what the cost or till 1 rouble involved may be.