IRELAND'S ADVANTAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 269, 14 April 1914, Page 4

IRELAND'S ADVANTAGE.

The extraordinary tiling about Irish dia- [ content i.s that it continues in spit'.! of every endeavor to remove the cause of it. Jt Used to be assorted that Vue agrarian laws were at the root of all Ireland s grievances, and that if these were amended the country would cease to - he "distressful" and would become "tirst llower 0 f the earth and first gem of the sea." Hut Ireland now enjoy% land laws more liberal than those that

prevail in any part of the Empire—even in our much-vaunted New Zealand, Hor hardy peasantry have exceptional opportunities for becoming their own landlords and for enjoying comfort and prosperity. In the matter of i',.n

mentary inliuenco,. Jreßind is in a position that ought, to satisfy the most exacting democrat.- Uer members of Parliament are at present practically directing tho whole course of legislation for the whole of the United Kingdom. Thou, she enjoys a great advantage in actual representation, as compared with other divisions of tho United Kingdom. The annual return' showing tho total number of electors in each class on the Parliamentary re. Sister now in force was issued recently, and it gives a grand total for the United Kingdom of 8,181,203, an increase of 123,238 since last year. Tho electorate of England and Wales is <5,620,219, an increase of 84,157; Scotland, 802,964, an increase of 42,603; and Ireland 698,098, a decrease of 3522. The proportions of representation are; as follows:—England and Wales, one member for 13,374 electors; Scotland, ono momber for 11,985 electors; Ireland, one member for 6777 ! electors. In other words, [rcland has now reached a point at which every voter has twice the power that a voter in England and Wales has, since every member of Parliament for England and Wales represents on the average twice as many electors as a member for Ireland. These facts point to the necessity for a Redistribution Bill, to equalise representation. At present there are ten English electorates each of which haß over 30,000 electors on the roll—the largest being Romford, with 60,1,38. Against this Ireland contains the three smallest areas in the British Isles, Kilkenny -with only 1872 voters, Newry 1841 and Galway 2489. Another phase of Irish discontent is found in the Ulster agitation against Home Rule, the chief ground for complaint being the Protestants' dread of being oppressively governed by Catholics. This attitude is quite as unreasonable as that of the Home Rulers, for the solid fsct> cannot , be gainsaid that the Protestants at present have far more than their due share in "the government of the country. The position has been forcibly put, thus:— Out of 6000 Justices of the Peace the ascendancy faction, as the Nationalists term it, hold 3053. Out of 30 Lord-Lieu-tfenants the ascendancy hold 27, and they have 30 High Sheriffs, practically Hie Vhole body; they have 601 Deputy-Lieu-tenants out of 650; they have 62 members of the Privy Council out of 72; they have 57 stipendiary magistrates out of 72. They 'have nine Judges of the High Court out of 13; they have 33 county inspectors of police out of 37. The Protestants of Ireland, one-sixth of the whole population, thus hold a practical monopoly of the offices of power and emolument. Perhaps it is no marvel that they should dread being deprived of the advantages they possess, but it would be of interest te know on what grounds tliey can maintain the equity of the existing state of things.