004-Apr45 - Connolly Association

1916- 1945: A
ContrastIs this what the men of
Easter Week died for ?
See page
The question 250,000 Irish
war workers are asking
(Incorporating "Irish Freedom")
See page
,ew Series No. 4
APRIL, 1 9 4 5
4
8
Price 3d.
Threat to cut adrift ma/
start Irish Labour Crisis
Paradise (in Only one in ten was lucky
Erin) found- in the rush home to Ireland
and lost again
for Easter
A NYBODY "going with a girl" in Clones
* deserves a lot of sympathy t h e s e days.
Being in love t h e r e h a s its drawbacks.
Of course It n e v e r is supposed to "run
smooth," but in Clones they h a v e just
been shown how n a s t y the b u m p s on love's
course can be.
For instance, t h e r e is t h e m a t t e r of
taking a girl to t h e pictures.
F o r two
years the Clones lad who h a d reached
t h a t stage of his courtship h a s been very
unlucky. He could take her all r i g h t b u t
he h a d to p a r t t r o m h e r a t t h e door—for
once inside they h a d to sit a p a r t .
T h e n early t h i s m o n t h came t h e glad
a n n o u n c e m e n t t h a t t h e ban h a d been
lifted, t h a t a lover a n d his lass a g a i n could
sit together in t h e dark, gazing beside
each other a t t h e silver screen, tenderly
holding hands.
Cupid smiled. Couples who h a d never
been to the p i c t u r e s together in their
lives before t h o u g h t it was wonderful. T h e
local jewellers r u b b e d their h a n d s , expecting a r u s h of business.
For 12 days lovers a n d their lasses lived
in paradise.
Then came the blow. It was announced
that the ban was going on again, that
couples must stay apart, that the cinema
entrance was the parting of the ways once
more.
And not only t h a t , but t h e p a r i s h
priest, the Rev. C a n o n Marron, w a s a t the
cinema on the first n i g h t of t h e b a n ' s reimposition to see t h a t It was carried out—
men to t h e right, women to p i e l e f t .
A lot of Irish eyes a r e smiling a little
wrily now. And no wonder.
D E P A R T U R E p l a t f o r m s a t E u s t o n were
crowded for days before E a s t e r with
t h e usual r u s h of Eire m e n a n d women
lucky e n o u g h to get sailing tickets for the
first break of the year BUT ONLY ONE
IN T E N WAS LUCKY.
No additional shipping space was allocated, a n d m a n y t h o u s a n d s more, unable
to get sailing tickets, had to spend the
holiday " a t h o m e " in Britain.
For weeks prior to Easter all applications for sailing tickets were turned down,
the quota having been filled. Boats were
crowded to capacity.
An L.M.S. official told the "Irish Democrat" t h a t it was not a question of passenger accommodation, but of the restrictions imposed by t h e Ministry of W a r
Transport.
At the Permit Office in London, t h e staff
were busy but not over-taxed.
"People know now they need not come
to us unless they h a v e their sailing
tickets," was how one p u t it.
Irish grave for
Frank Ryan aimed
T
HEY'RE hoping in Dublin t h a t eventuIn January, 1943, he had a stroke. In
ally it may be possible to bring the body February he got pneumonia and died on
of Frank Ryan from Dresden, Germany, for June 10th. His body was taken charge of by
the local Catholic clergy, and he was buried
burial in Dublin.
in Dresden.
A hint to this effect was given at a memMr. J. Larkin (Jun.), T.D., said t h a t he
orial meeting in the Dublin Trades Union was inclined to think t h a t Frank Ryan's
Council Hall following the formation of a death was the beginning of a new era. They
Memorial Committee which is now consid- who lived in his political vacuum — this
ering plans to commemorate his work and cul-de-sac of world affairs—were honoured
ideals.
outside their country, not because of any
services they had given in latter years to
"Frank Ryan has become a symbol and the general broad stream of world advancewould come to mean a great deal more in ment and progress, but because of w h a t
the Republican movement," stated Mr. Pea- Frank Ryan had done in that direction a t
dar O'Donnell, when he presided a t the home and abroad.
memorial meeting.
Mr. R. M. Fox said that Frank Ryan's
Mr. O'Donnell spoke of Frank Ryan's life and work were in the same tradition as
part in the 1922 struggle on the anti-Treaty James Connolly's, Wolfe Tone's and F i n t a n
side, and referred to other activities leading Lalor's.
Mrs. Sheehy Skefflngton said she hoped
up to his going to Spain, where h e became
an officer in the International Brigade in the that the day would soon come when F r a n k
Ryan's body would be buried in Glasnevin.
Civil War.
North calls the "Fighting
W
HATEVER else happened at Yalta, one
thing is clear. Winston Churchill got
a new hat. But when the coming General
Election is over, Manchester Labour expects
the Government to have a new head. For
they propose to contest each of the city's 10
divisions.
As for the Municipal Elections, Manchester City Labour P a r t y fully expect to see a
record number of Labour candidates In the
field on November 1st.
A "Panel" of prospective candidates is in
preparation and will be Issued quickly. The
Manchester City Council Labour Group has
planned an issue of she pamphlets in which
the policy of the Party will be brought to
the notice of the public.
The first one, entitled "Manchester's Cultural Relations" has already been issued and
it Is hoped to sell six thousand of these at
sixpence each.
The Labour members of Parliament for
three Divisions In Manchester have been active in efforts to reUUti, and secure, industries for Manchester.
To all Irishmen (and women) who are interested, there is work to be done to implement the work of trie late J . Connolly, for
*;booi
h a s a warm place in its
Heart A note te Councillor R Htaturood, 87
Artttlak. OrjaQ, Uprth. Manchester, will
* l n * d e U l k M m y f l u M t u i m r ^ p r w r r i h>
which t t a M M N t o a r e Intonated.
>>
Irish
"Ireland for the Irish" is a good slogan. the reason why general health of the people
And so is "Manchester for Labour."
And in this working class area Is 80 bad.
Manchester Labour will be all the better
None of the schools in Platting have playwith the aid of the "Fighting Irish."
ing fields attached. All the schools are
either close to railway lines, factories or
There are plenty of them, too—especially noisy main roads. All the classes are overin Platting.
crowded with the result that the teachers
Any Manchester person talking about are unable to either give or secure the best
Platting naturally includes the Irish. Quite rsults.
a large percentage of Irish people and
Theje are 22 doctors practising in Platpeople of Irish descent live in this predom- ting; four of these live out of the district.
inently working class constituency, and it is These doctors have the responsibility of carinteresting to know some of the facts under ing for the health of 73,500 people. Compare
which these people, like their English bro- this with Altrincham with a population of
thers, live.
21,326 which has 25 doctors, and Buxton
with Its population of 15.353 which has 19
The population of Platting is 75,528; they doctors.
live In a congestion of houses huddled round
It is not surprising t h a t the people of
a jumble of factories, workshops and railPlatting when they go to see their doctors
way sidings which number 400.
have to be prepared to wait in the surgery
Flatting Is one of the blackest spots of for hours at a time, because the patients
Great Britain. Over S.098 of its people here per doctor thus work out a t 3,340. as comlive In houses which the City Council con- pared with 810 per doctor in Buxton.
temned for clearance before the War. Many
Fourteen undertakers earn their living in
thousands more are Uvin* In houses not reoommended f«r clearance, but which a r e de- Platting, which means they can exist with
clared by the Minister of Health as unfit far 5,290 prospective customers. Buxton can
get by with two.
human habitation.
There are too many M P 's and CouncilMost of these houses are without any
modem facilities, baths being, conspicuous lors, living In comfort miles away from their
by their absence; many a i r still gas-lit; run- constituencies Wiej pre suppooeed to reprenine hot water still remaias • dream for sent; who neither Know n o r care ibout t h e
,
. t „
vatt
t h e h M M W l atottwni. TMs t roupted •iiuaUwf {fee people.
h r m t f -Ufua tbfci? „
wrih th« bad fM&itlH f e t stfMwifi t» « n t n l y 'Heed
V ) I G developments are expected in Irish
J j Labour circles following t h e t h r e a t by
the Irish Trade Unions to cut a d r i f t from
the Irish Trade Union Congress a n d form
an organisation of their own with headquarters in Dublin.
T h e executives of the ten unions
which objected in- vain to t h e sending
of two delegates f r o m the Congress to
the World T r a d e Union Conference in
London in February, have now recommended t h a t the p a i n t e r should be cut.
At a meeting in Dublin they passed a
resolution recommending t h a t t h e ten
unions should withdraw f r o m t h e Congress
and establish an organisation composed of
trade u n i o n s with h e a d q u a r t e r s in Dublin.
A r e p o r t submitted a t t h e m e e t i n g declared t h a t the sending of t h e delegates
had been opposed because t h e presence of
Irish delegates m i g h t be r e g a r d e d as a
breach of Eire's neutrality as " t h o s e taking p a r t did n o t r e p r e s e n t t h e t r a d e
unions of t h e world b u t only a p a r t i c u l a r
section."
W h e t h e r t h e actual m e m b e r s of t h e
unions will support this decision n o w remains to be seen.
The membership of the unions concerned
is almost exclusively confined to the
Twenty-Six Counties, and If the proposal
to cut adrift from World Labour is carried
out it will completely separate them from
association with the trade unions of the
rest of the democratic world.
The World T r a d e Union C o n f e r e n c e in
London represented more t h a n 50 million
organised t r a d e unionists t h r o u g h o u t t h e
world, a n d was a t t e n d e d by 150 delegates
f r o m 40 n a t i o n a l organisations in 30
countries.
Chief a i m of t h e conference w a s to
forge t h e shape of world working-class
unity a n d a peace in which t h e u n i t e d
voice of world labour will be decisively
heard.
I r e l a n d ' s two delegates were M r . M.
Keyes, T.D. (N.U.R.) a n d Mr. G i l b e r t
Lynch (A.T.G.W.U.), a n d In c o m m o n with
other
delegates
representing
neutral
countries were present only a t t h e second
week of t h e meetings In talks on P O S T WAR problems common t o . all of t h e m
Irish war workers
abroad will be needed
for Eight-year Plan
T R I S H war workers abroad a r e m e n 1
tioned in a £100,000,000 eight-year
plan for post-war building a n d c o n s t r u c tional work in Eire, details of which were
announced by the Eire D e p a r t m e n t of Industry in a White Paper.
"To m e e t foreign competition f o r t h e
services of skilled Irish w o r k m e n now
abroad a n d for essential m a t e r i a l s a n
effective s t a r t m u s t be m a d e h e r e before
other countries get going," says t h e W h i t e
Paper.
"Unless there is this eflectfve start,
skilled craftsmen in Britain might be lost,''
ft is added.
"Every possible facility should
be
afforded to promoters who a r e ready to
proceed, a n d a certain preference given to
private e n t e r p r i s e which is likely t o f e t
going before a G o v e r n m e n t d e p a r t m e n t . "
Chief i t e m s in t h e plan a r e £41.009,000
for bousing. £9.388,000 for hospitals a n t
£4.787,000 f a r factories. One figure is
£834,000 on c i n e m a s and theatres.
More t h a n half t h e £73,000,000f total o n
building will be spent In Co. Dublin a n d
Dublin City.
T h e smallest e x p e n d i t u r e
l a Co. Lrftrh*.
•rr;
*
'V
THE
2
IRISH
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IRISHMEN C A N
THEIR
BUY
write
to
The
BOOKSHOP
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VOl
IIMSII
si.
J A M scribbling this letter in the
' light of a candle stub," writes
Sergt. John H o g a n . Pioneer Corps,
trom the Western Front.
At the moment I find great difficulty in getting postal orders, but as
soon as I get one I ' m sending it
along without delay.
"Here's w i s h i n g your paper all the
luck in the world. I ' m sure it will
be a great success."
i KII M I S
at
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390 4 Brixton Road. London. S.W.
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NEW
PROPELLER
TWOPENCE MONTHLY
r p H E one p a p e r t h a t caters solely for
t h e needs of engineering and
shipbuilding workers and deals with
t h e problems of t h e Shop S t e w a r d s In
f a c t o r y a n d shipyard.
Q r d e r frojp t h e Shop S t e w a r d s
N a t i o n a l CoWjcil, 5, GuUdford Place,
L o n d o n , W.C.I. Tel. Holborn 1381.
3
§
ii:r
:;iv.i:
iu\iAievcine:i,s
I am a s t a u n c h s u p p o r t e r of Socialism,
a n d a firm believer in the Soviet Union.
But there are m a n y obstacles in our way
before we achieve success, namely, squalor,
slums, and the greatest evil of all. illiteracy.
II has surprised m e t h e vast number of
people who. until t h e war broke out, knew
up
the
I'.S.S.H.
;
"They wen
booted
a n d clubbed
ar.»
t r e a t e d 'I'lioraily m the m a n n e r in w h . i v
you read aboti! before t h e war of Nazi ,••»:.
e e n t r a i i o n camps. As a result t h r e e of thendied of typhus a n d of the rest, only two
t h r e e were left on their leet. when we h e a i v
of their plight t h r o u g h a smuggled letter.
"A couple of Irish fellows a n d myself
t h i s c a m p started a n d m a d e up a parcel o:
clothes and cigarettes while our officers got
a f t e r the G e r m a n s a n d got permission '
send t h e food parcels.
These badly-treated Irish a r e of all political opinions, but nobody in our c a m p ever
r e f u s e d a h u n g r y m a t e a bit of food. Something should be done about it at h o m e . "
I a m writing this in t h e hope you car.
give it some little publicity. These m e n c a n no! help themselves. They h a v e defied liv.'
G e r m a n s on their own ground a n d a r e s u f fering great h a r d s h i p in consequence.
Yours.
C A T H E R I N E M'QUILLAN
Is Y O U R
on this
(Glasgow>.
Name
List!
V O W is t h e t i m e f o r all
c o m e to t h e aid c
Democrat."
ooi
•>
Last m o n t h we issued a n S.O.S.. but,
i n s t e a d of a big fillip, subs for March were
lower t h a n for t h e previous m o n t h .
Get
down to it, boys !
Latest subscriptions a r e :
Jack Brent.
Winglield Hospital, 8 / - ; P. Kennelly, Clerk
enwell, 5 / - ; D. Bell, London, 12/-; J a s .
Keelev, Cheshire, 2 / - ; L. Lowther, M a n c h e s ter, 1 6 ' - ; Nora G a l l a g h e r , London, 10/-; J.
C o n r a n , London. 5 / - ; W m . M a r t i n , Cork,
2 / - ; P a t k . Maher, London. 5 , - ; P. K e n n y ,
Rugby. 10/-.—Total £ 3 15s. Oil.
Tills is My
by a Turf-Cutter
J
W E N T along, with a Mr. Grey, agent, to
see t h e process of turf clamping a t
Mullinabro dump, W a t e r f o r d . On arrival I
f o u n d about a dozen m e n
discharging
wagons which had b r o u g h t t h e i r loads of
turf f r o m various bogs t h r o u g h o u t t h e country. T h e m e n were divided i n t o gangs of
f o u r . E a c h gang h a n d - p i c k e d their wagon
into a lorry which carried t h e turf to t h e
d u m p about half-a-mile away.
Walking to t h e dump, I noticed t h a t t h e
s c e n e r y would remind ohe of a Western
p r a i r i e as all t h e trees h a d been cut down,
leaving it just one big open space.
At t h e d u m p I saw t h e big h e a p s of turf
called clamps. Around t h e clamps m e n
were working, discharging t h e lorries a n d
p i t c h i n g t h e turf on to stages erected a t
p o i n t s along t h e clamp a n d f r o m which t h e
turf is forked. A neat wall is built along t h e
edge of t h e clamp to keep off t h e rain.
We watched the m e n working like t r o j a n s
for some time. Mr. Grey smilingly r e m a r k e d
t h a t n o n e of the m e n were "crawsick'.' t h a t
m o r n i n g . At 1 o'clock, t h e m e n knocked off
f o r d i n n e r , gathering a r o u n d a huge t u r f fire a t the end of t h e field. A few sandIN M E M O R I A M .
DL'RCAN.—In memory o t T h o m a s D u r c a n ,
who died on March 13th, 1935, a t his
residence, Tullvcusheen, Tubbercurry, Co.
Sligo. Always remembered by his people
a n d fondly remembered by his little
grandson, T h o m a s Joseph.
THE KEY IS LABOUR
T h e y must drive o u t d i e h a r d Unionist
reactionaries like P r o f . Savory f r o m Storm o n t a n d replace t h e m w i t h a Labour and
progressive government.
H e . a p p e a l e d to b r o t h e r I r i s h m e n In Eire
and
He tells us: " R e g a r d i n g t h e Irish fellows
in this camp, about 30 of t h e m were sent
f r o m here—some were f r o m t h e North of
I r e l a n d and some h a d addresses in E n g l a n d
a n d h a v e wives and f a m i l i e s there."
" T h e 30 men were t a k e n to a n unregistered c a m p outside B r e m e n , called Farge.
T h i s is a Gestapo c a m p w h e r e criminals a r e
kept. There they were asked to work for t h e
G e r m a n s and when they refused the screw
was applied.
P H E R E ' S no denying it, I felt homesick in
J - the Houldsworth Hall, Manchester, on
t h e seventeenth. I d o n ' t know whether it
was the "Ballymena b u r r " of the w o m a n
who took my ticket a t t h e Gaelic League
concert or t h e broad Cork a c c e n t of the m e r c h a n t s e a m a n who sat beside me; maybe it
was Sean R y a n ' s "Eileen Aroon" t h a t was
responsible or Angela M u r p h y ' s whimsical
" S p i n n i n g Wheel." or p e r h a p s it was t h e
sweet and low tones of t h e children of t h e
Craobh.
But as I sat in t h e crowded hall a m o n g s t
f a c e s and voices s t r a n g e a n d familiar, I h a d
visions of green hills f a r away and felt myself wishing I were d r i n k i n g a pint in Belf a s t or s a u n t e r i n g across t h e Liffey.
T h e concert was good: it was colourful: it
h a d atmosphere.
T h e artists at times
r e a c h e d high levels indeed, a n d the a u d i ence lacked n o t h i n g in e n t h u s i a s m . T h e r e
were flaws, of course. T h e step dancing item
with which t h e n i g h t b e g a n was pleasing,
b u t where was t h e t r a d i t i o n a l fiddle?
I do not wish to a p p e a r doctrinaire or sect a r i a n , but I just c a n n o t take to the pianoaccordian as a n a c c o m p a n i m e n t to the I r i s h
jig. It is a garish i n s t r u m e n t at best a n d
its music to me is a l w a y s disconcertingly
s y r u p y : it is certainly no substitute for t h e
strings. T h e boys of tlie Craobh, too, must
l e a r n to raise their voices.
S e a n Ryan's pleasing t e n o r pieces at once
r a i s e d t h e level of t h e e n t e r t a i n m e n t , but it
w a s Angela who got us cracking. A g r a n d
singer she is surely, with a great p l a t f o r m
technique.
"Down by t h e Glengide" was
terrific, a n d her Gaelic pieces, as Joxer Dalywould say, were d a r l i n ' t u n e s .
I t was a well-balanced a f f a i r , a n d it went
w i t h a swing. T h e r e was song a n d d a n c i n g
galore. We had a n o r g a n recital into t h e
b a r g a i n and a pleasing ceilidh band. Mrs.
G r e e n w a y with her h a r p gave us a pleasant
few minutes, and I t h o u g h t t h a t was a splendid opportunity f p r a spot of c o m m u n i t y
singing. There was t h e McSwinev Pipe B a n d
too. but alas I was almost in t h e f r o n t row.
T h e Red H a n d b r a n c h of M a n c h e s t e r ' s
G a e l i c League did a good job of work in organising the two n i g h t s . T h e y m i g h t h a v e
m a d e a few t h o u s a n d of us slightly nostalgic,
b u t they also m a d e us n o t a little proud of
our cultural heritage. A n d while the f o r m e r
passes awav the pride r e m a i n s .
MALACHY BOYLE.
It has spread out into every i m p o r t a n t
town in Northern I r e l a n d a n d to many h a m lets a n d villages, a n d it is t h e intention to
build a mass C o m m u n i s t P a r t y during t h e
c o m i n g year.
Describing Labour unity as t h e key to t h e
f u t u r e ot the people of N o r t h e r n Ireland, W
H. McCullouch. G e n e r a l Secretary' of the
C o m m u n i s t Party, said t h a t the Unionist
P a r t y h a d never succeeded in m a k i n g Ulster
prosperous and never tried to improve relations with t h e Twenty-Six Counties.
peace
U I R — M y brother was a m e r c h a n t sea*
m e n on b o a r d a B r i t i s h s h i p . He is
n o w a p r i s o n e r in G e r m a n y . W e h a v e got
w o r d f r o m h i m via o n e of t h e m e n rec e n t l y r e l e a s e d for M i l a g N o r d c a m p reg a r d i n g t h e t r e a t m e n t of s o m e I r i s h s e a m e n , c a p t u r e d on B r i t i s h s h i p s .
r
T H E
Communist
Party
in t h e
Six
C o u n t i e s is p r o g r e s s i n g a t a n i n c r e a s i n g speed, it w a s a n n o u n c e d a t t h e A n n u a l
C o n f e r e n c e a t t h e P a r t y , h e l d in B e l f a s t .
in
The people ill Eire know little of t h e
workers m Russia, which is a very bad thing
t'or unity. Bui as time goes on. those who
leave Ireland become wiser and saner people.
1 think the education .system in Eire is t h e
lowest m Europe, with t h e exceptions of Portugal and Spain, not forgetting Italy, w h i c h
is very backward.
I have just finished r e a d i n g the article.
" T h e Most Savage C e n s o r s h i p in Europe."
I: makes me feel a s h a m e d that such t h i n g s
c a n h a p p e n so near to us. All I c a n say
is. a people so ruled h a v e no f u t u r e in t h e
world.
T h e Eire Government m a y hoodwink t h e
workers in Eire, but not readers of "Irish
Democrat."
1 live m Yorkshire, m a r r i e d , with one
child. What 1 wain to know is: c a n I join
a T r a d e Union now, because it can't be too
quick for me?
Yours sincerelv.
J O H N HOGAN.
*
*
*
A Concert
made me
Homesick
SINGING
AND
EVERY
THURSN I G H T , 7.30
(c5>l
make
•
Burtons'i
NEWGATE STREET,
NEWCASJI.E-UPON-TYNE
IRISHING
DANCING
DAY
wu.«
other
workers
b a t i k ' m .iie workers in tin Hi States which
DEAR EDITOR—
i F E W days ago I came across a copy of
"l.D." on the Western Front. I a m
sure I ve read it a dozen times. I even
passed it on to my E n g l i s h comrades, who,
like me, think it is a splendid paper.
South London's Irish Social Centre
(Above
April,
Democrat
countries ami .vital s u r p r w d most
Ml I I
1945
A letter scribbled by the light of
a candle on the Western Front
'Irish Democrat'
PROGRESS
April,
DEMOCRAT
1
UNITY
wiches of bread a n d cheese with tea, coffee
or cocoa was t h e i r m e a l as t h e r e was no
d i n i n g room on t h e job a n d homes too f a r
away.
*
*
*
A f t e r t h e i r s c a n t y meal I wandered in
a m o n g s t t h e m a n d c h a t t e d freely. One told
m e t h a t h e rises a t 5.30 a.m. e a c h m o r n i n g
a n d a f t e r b r e a k f a s t walks out to t h e d u m p ,
t w o miles away. He brings food f o r his dinn e r a t 1 p.m. a n d tea a t 6 p.m., working u n til 9.30 or 10 p.m. according to t h e wagons
t o be discharged. H e worked a n average of
78 h o u r s a week a n d e a r n e d a b o u t £ 3 10s.
H e smilingly added t h a t w h e n h e gets in
a b o u t 10.30 his wife a s k s " W h y not c a m p a t
M u l l i n a b r o like a real gypsy w h e n you a r e
t r y i n g to live like one''
A n o t h e r m a n told m e t h a t he h a d signed
o n with a n a g e n t for a Liverpool firm in t h e
L a b o u r Exchange, a n d w a s promised a good
job with a m i a i m u m wage of £ 7 per week,
b u t was debarred by t h e a u t h o r i t i e s on t h e
g r o u n d s t h a t h e w a s a turf worker.
H a r r y , filthy with turf dust, complained
t h a t h e could n o t wash himself properly bec a u s e h e h a d no b a t h r o o m in t h e house. He
h a d five d a u g h t e r s a n d i n s u c h circums t a n c e s was a s h a m e d to u n d r e s s p.nd give
himself a proper wash. H e suggested t h a t if
t h e r e was a public b a t h s in W a t e r f o r d where
all workers could cleanse themselves thoroughly a t least once per week for 3d. or 4d.,
it would m a k e a serious difference to t h e
h e a l t h of t h e city.
I agreed with H a r r y t h a t t h e b a t h s would
improve t h e h e a l t h of t h e city, a n d I told
h i m t h a t I knew two m e m b e r s of t h e Corp o r a t i o n representing t h e workers a n d would
discuss t h e m a t t e r with t h e m . I assured h i m
t h a t they would realise t h e i m p o r t a n c e of
t h i s m a t t e r to all workers a n d would do their
u t m o s t to get some s u c h scheme in operation.
W a l k i n g back h o m e I t h o u g h t of these
m e n with their trying conditions of work,
long h o u r s of work a n d miserable payment.
I t h o u g h t also of employers using
every opportunity to t a k e a d v a n t a g e of and
exploit t h e m l s f o r t u n a t e employee.
They
use t h e desire of t h e unemployed to obtain
tt'ork a s a lever to keep wages at starvation
level; a n d when, as in t h e case of t h e worker
w h o h a d t h e offer of a good Job in England,
a m a n tries to leave t h e country, they call
in t h e law to keep h i m down.
to end t h e Isolationist policy of De Valera
a n d to ally themselves with world democracy, a policy which would be more in keeping with the democratic t r a d i t i o n s of Ireland.
A resolution welcoming t h e Crimea decisions as heralding Allied unity, p e r m a n e n t
peacc, prosperity a n d d e m o c r a t i c a d v a n c e
f o r all peoples." was carried unanimously
by a m a s s meeting of 3,000 people, addressed
by H a r r y Pollitt a n d J o h n Gollan in t h e
Belfast Hippodrome on S u n d a y , March 4th.
T h i r t y new members joined a n d a collection of £174 was made a t t h e meeting.
* * *
T h e Executive Committee of t h e C o m m u n T o get justice, t h e workers must first orist P a r t y of Ireland was elected as follows:
Messrs. W. H. McCullouch, Betty Sinclair. g a n i s e themselves, a n d l e a r n i n g self-respect,
M. Mclnerney,
Sean M u r r a y .
Malach! f o r c e t h e employers to realise t h a t the
G r a y , A. Barr, G. Close, S. E. Maitland, W. l a b o u r e r Is essential.
Secondly, they m u s t l e a r n to fight politicC l e m e n t s , Sadie Menzles. W. Murray, G.
McAlpine, S. Williamson, W. Sinclair and ally f o r t h e i r God-given r i g h t to live, to
e a r n their daily b r e a d u n d e r decent condiJ , Lflzenbtttt.
tions.
"L.N.R."
IRISH
1945
THE
DEMOCRAT
|
ROOM 117. P R E M I E R HOI SK
150 S O U T H A M P T O N ROW,
LONDON, W.C.I
All communications to be addressed
to the Editor, P a t Doolev.
Telephone No.: Ter. 3906
KATE—Twelve Months 4 S i \ Months
! -
Ireland
THIS
Easter •..
) O L I T I C S , like p e a c e , a r e indivisible,
a n d a c o u n t r y w h i c h is l u k e w a r m in
Its r e l a t i o n s w i t h t h e p r o g r e s s i v e f o r c e s
of t h e world m a y be e x p e c t e d to s h o w t h e
c l o v e n hoof in its i n t e r n a l social a d m i n i s tration.
U n f o r t u n a t e l y t h i s s e e m s to be t h e case
w i t h t h e F i a n n a Fail G o v e r n m e n t to-day
—29 y e a r s a f t e r E a s t e r , 1916—when it
b u r k e s t h e issue of f u l l e m p l o y m e n t a n d
social s e c u r i t y for its citizens.
T h e G o v e r n m e n t of Mr. de V a l e r a — o r
s h o u l d we say of Mr, L e m a s s ? — h a s m a n a g e d to dodge v i t a l q u e s t i o n s by a n
o s t r i c h - l i k e policy of b u r y i n g its h e a d in
e m e r g e n c y b u c k e t s of s a n d . , so t h a t t h e
a p p r o a c h i n g end of t h e w a r will c o n f r o n t
Eire w i t h a s h a r p e r crisis t h a n t h a t f a c i n g s m a l l c o u n t r i e s like B e l g i u m , H o l l a n d
or Y u g o s l a v i a , w h i c h h a v e been r a v a g e d
by w a r .
F i a n n a Fail h a s a b u s e d i t s power by
r e a s o n of t h e " e m e r g e n c y , " w i t h o u t which
t h e y would long a g o h a v e b e e n f o r c e d
e i t h e r to get on w i t h t h e i r job or get out.
W i t h a resolution w o r t h y of a b e t t e r
c a u s e , t h e y have, d u r i n g t h e w a r y e a r s ,
q u i b b l e d over every i t n p b r t a n t q u e s t i o n
a f f e c t i n g t h e well-being of t h e people. In
s o c i a f legislation, e d u c a t i o n , h o u s i n g , e m p l o y m e n t they have been content
to
m e a n d e r along, b l a r m m g f o r t h e i r f u t i l i t y
lack of m o n e y , of m a t e r i a l s , of o p p o r t u n i t y
— e v e r y t h i n g save f a c k of t h e i r ov*n good
f a i t h in t h e well-being of t h e people.
r r H E Y have p r o d u c e d n o p l a n for t h e
A m o d e r n i s a t i o n of I r i s h a g r i c u l t u r e .
T h e i r Ideas Tor ihtfuStry a r e l i m i t e d to
h a t c h i n g new m o n o p o l i e s a n d b o l s t e r i n g
u p t h e oM.
F o r e m p l o y m e n t t h e y i n t r o d u c e serf
l a b o u r In t h e b6gs. F o r "sofcial s e o u r i t y "
t h e y p r e s e r v e t h e w o r s t a s p e c t s of t h e old
P o o r Laws. For post-War p l a n n i n g t h e y
h a v e Onfy e m p t y t a l k .
Mr. N o r t o n , r e p r e s e n t i n g L a b o u r , a s k e d
in trie Daif: " W h a t w a s t h e G o v e r n m e n t
g o i n g t o do if 100,000 I r i s h m e n c a m e back
f r o m a bombridWert c o u n t r y and r e f u s e d
to be put on home a s s i s t a n c e or sent to
t h e L a b o u r E x c h a n g e , but
demanded
Work? What Was g o i n g fo h a p p e n to t h e
t h o u s a n d s to be d e m o b i l i s e d f r o m the Dief e n c e ForcOS 7"
H e cOUId also h a v e a s k e d w h a t wbtiM
h a p p e n When the u n n u m b e r e d t h o u s a n d s
of I r i s h m e n r e t u r n e d fVom t h e b a t t l e f i e l d s
to j o i n t h e 76,000 r e g i s t e r e d u n e m p l o y e d
to-day?
T a k e t h e D i g n a n P l a n , w h i c h h a s been
w e l c o m e d by Labour l e a d e r s , b u t received
a n a t h e m a s from the Government. The
V e r y Rev. Dr. D i g n a n , Its o u t h o r , r e c e n t l y
f e l t i m p e l l e d to criticise Mr. MacEntOe's
r e j e c t i o n of his p r o p o s a l s , n o t i n g t h a t it
w a s a c o m p r e h e n s i v e r e j e c t i o n of t h e
s c h e m e , b u t not a r e p l y to t h e m e r i t s or
d e m e r i t s of t h e p r o p o s a l s .
7"HAT was MatcEntee's a n s w e r ?
A
c h e a p sneer a t B r i t a i n ' s B e v e r i d g e
P l a n , a n d t h i s priceless u t t e r a n c e r e g a r d i n g l i v i n g c o n d i t i o n s in E i r e :
" T h e r e is no c o u n t r y w h e r e social
s e c u r i t y is so s o u n d l y b a s e d a s in Eire,
a n d w h e r e t h e o w n e r s h i p of real p r o p e r t y
Is so widely d i s t r i b u t e d as in t h i s . 7 - •
We d o n o t promise m o r e t h a n we c a n perf o r m e d [ s i c ] ; we do n o t p r o p o s e s c h e m e s
of w h o s e c o n s e q u e n c e a n d effect u p o n t h e
lives, t h e c h a r a c t e r a n d t h e f o r t u n e s of
o u r p e o p l e we a r e n o t f u l l y a s s u r e d . "
\ P P A R E N T L Y t h e ideal of t h e E i r e a n n
- '
G o v e r n m e n t is a c o u n t r y w h o s e ableb i d i e d citizens should emigrate, leaving
only t h e old people to live on r e m i t t a n c e s .
In t h i s w a y F i a n n a Fail a d m i n i s t r a l i o n
could g r o w old in office, m a i n t a i n i n g t h e m selves, t h e c o u p o n - c u t t e r s a n d r a n c h e r s in
ctmlorl.
T h o u s a n d s of y o u n g people m a y r e m a i n
in B r i t a i n or e m i g r a t e to A m e r i c a a f t e r
t h e w a r . T h e s e c o u n t r i e s will p r o f i t by
t h e i r i n d u s t r y a n d skill t o t h e d e t r i m e n t
o ' Eire. B u t m a n y t h o u s a n d s m o r e will
r e t u r n , e a g e r to c r e a t e a n Eire w h o s e f r e e d o m will m e a n not a p a s s p o r t b o t prosp e r i t y , a n d a n Eire in w h i c h L a b o u r a n d
n o t C a p i t a l will rule t h e roost.
If t h e y are baWketf h i t h i s h e a l t h y de•ire by o a H M - d a U offitM holders, thing*
m a y h a p p e n In Elr* at' a pace whtoh m a y
m a k e u p for a good deal of lost time.
IRISH
DEMOCRAT
WORLD
3
COMMENT
I
HI lllll! Ill II! Ill III III III III III h u h in || i linn in i ii in in
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllrr
T H E I o n s w i n t e r is over a n d s p r i n g - t i m e
h a s come to E u r o p e . F o r t h e d e m o c r a t i c peoples it is a s p r i n g - t i m e of newh o p e t for t h e H i t l e r i t e s it m a r k s t h e f a s t
a p p r o a c h i n g e n d of t h e i r f o u l r e g i m e
w h i c h h a s i n f l i c t e d incredible s u f f e r i n g
a n d bloodshed u p o n m a n k i n d . T h e m u c h b o o s t e d R e i c h of D r . G o e b b e l s t h a t w a s to
l a s t for a t h o u s a n d years is d r a w i n g its
l a s t b r e a t h s . I t s "New O r d e r " t h a t w a s
f o i s t e d u p o n E u r o p e by b a y o n e t s , t r e a c h e r y a n d b r u t a l i t y h a s v a n i s h e d n e v e r to
r e t u r n . T r u l y t h e s p r i n g of 1945 h e r a l d s
t h e a p p r o a c h of a s u m m e r w h i c h a m i g h t y
final,
all-in e f f o r t now by t h e Allied
peoples and a r m i e s can make a memora b l e season f o r t h e f r e e peoples of t h e
world.
DRAWING
THE
NOOSE
will not succeed in t h e i r r e a c t i o n a r y a i m s I t h a t t h e s c a l e n o w p r o p o s e d is quit,
w i t h r e g a r d to l i b e r a t e d P o l a n d , but t h e y g e n e r o u s a n d t h a t a c c o u n t h a s to be t a k e : ,
c a n do a g r e a t d e a l of h a r m if allowed of t h e f a c t t h a t it is s u p p l e m e n t e d by tit;
to continue unchecked.
provision of f r e e school m e a l s . As t h i n g s
s t a n d t h e G o v e r n m e n t Bill o n t h i s m a t t e r
D E M O C R A T I C D E V E L O P M E N T IN
is not likely to give a n y g r e a t e n c o u r a g e BALKANS
ment as regards a n increasing birth-rate
I T is h e a r t e n i n g to n o t e t h a t s i m i l a r inm o r e e s p e c i a l l y so since it now a p p e a r s
t r i g u e s by t h e r e a c t i o n a r y e l e m e n t s in
t h a t it is t h e G o v e r n m e n t i n t e n t i o n to t a x
t h e B a l k a n s h a v e m e t with f a i l u r e . I n
lamily allowances.
Yugoslavia and R u m a n i a the democratic
f o r c e s h a v e s t r e n g t h e n e d t h e i r position,
TORY PARTY AND CONTROLS
a n d in both t h e s e c o u n t r i e s new G o v e r n A T the recent Conservative P a r t y Conm e n t s a r e n o w i n power. I n B e l g r a d e a
ference. vociferous Tory spokesmen
United National Democratic G o v e r n m e n t
r a n t e d a lot a b o u t t h e b l e s s i n g s of c a p i h a s been e s t a b l i s h e d , h e a d e d by M a r s h a l
talise e n t e r p r i s e , a n d r a i s e d t h e d e m a n d
T i t o . T h i s r e p r e s e n t s a new victory f o r
f o r t h e a b o l i t i o n of all f o r m s of G o v e r n Y u g o s l a v d e m o c r a c y . I n t h e new G o v e r n m e n t c o n t r o l f o r t h e p o s t - w a r period. T h e
m e n t all peoples of Y u g o s l a v i a a r e r e p r e c o n f e r e n c e d u l y w e n t on r e c o r d a c c o r d s e n t e d . a n d all d e m o c r a t i c p a r t i e s a n d
ingly. W h e n
Churchill addressed
the
g r o u p s in t h e c o u n t r y .
When Tito and
g a t h e r i n g h e fitted in c a r e f u l l y w i t h t h e
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of t h e Y u g o s l a v R o y a l
p r e v a i l i n g m o o d of h i s fellow T o r y d e l e G o v e r n m e n t in L o n d o n c o n c l u d e d
an
gates, gave t h e m t h e assurances they were
a g r e e m e n t in J u l y , 1944, a n a g r e e m e n t
looking for, a n d y e t was s u f f i c i e n t l y wise
w h i c h was a g a i n r e n e w e d in N o v e m b e r ,
to leave a n u m b e r of loopholes for f u t u r e
the
reactionary
elements
tried
their
use. B u t let u s be q u i t e clear. T h i s Toryd a m n d e s t to d i s r u p t it. B u t t h e y h a v e
d e m a n d f o r t h e e n d i n g of all c o n t r o l s is
m e t with s i g n a l f a i l u r e .
a r e a c t i o n a r y , d i s r u p t i v e d e m a n d . If it
were c a r r i e d i n t o e f f e c t it would p r o d u c e
WORLD SECURITY ORGANISATION
T N S a n F r a n c i s c o , o n April 25th. t h e con- a d i s a s t r o u s s i t u a t i o n w h i c h would u n d e r m i n e e n t i r e l y all p l a n s f o r p r o g r e s s i v e
' f e r e n c e of t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s will o p e n
development. Remember
the
t o p r e p a r e t h e c h a r t e r of a g e n e r a l in- p o s t - w a r
ternational
organisation
to
m a i n t a i n p r e - w a r d a y s w i t h t h e i r f r e e p l a y of p r i p e a c e a n d s e c u r i t y . T h i s c o n f e r e n c e will v a t e e n t e r p r i s e a n d t h e r e s u l t s t h e n p r o t a k e u p t h e q u e s t i o n w h i c h h a d a l r e a d y d u c e d in t h e s h a p e of u n e m p l o y m e n t d i s b e e n opened u p i n t h e talks a t D u m b a r - t r e s s e d a r e a s , etc. T h o s e d a y s m u s . n o t
t o n Oaks. W h i l e t h e D u m b a r t o n O a k s be p e r m i t t e d to r e t u r n .
TIGHT
1 7 R O M t h e E a s t a n d t h e W e s t t h e Allied
a r m i e s a r e d r a w i n g ever t i g h t e r t h e
lioosc a r o u n d t h e n e c k of t h e Nazi b a n d i t s . T h e y h a v e crossed t h e O d e r a n d
t h e R h i n e , a n d t h e w a y is o p e n i n g for a
l i n k - u p s o m e w h e r e in G e r m a n y a t n o
very d i s t a n t d a t e . T h e scene is s e t f o r
t h a t final, a l t o g e t h e r h e a v e w h i c h C h u r c h i l l r e c e n t l y s p o k e a b o u t , w h i c h will succ e s s f u l l y a n d s p e e d i l y b r i n g t h e war in
E u r o p e to a t r i u m p h a n t e n d .
German
armis a r e u n a b l e t o a v e r t t h e d i s a s t e r
a b o u t to o v e r t a k e t h e m . T h e i r only h o p e
of b e i n g able to p r o l o n g t h e i n e v i t a b l e e n d
lies in t h e d i r e c t i o n of t h e Allied peoples
p e r m i t t i n g t h e m s e l v e s to ease u p as t h e
w i n n i n g post a p p e a r s in s i g h t . T h a t is
t h e k i n d of h o p e w h i c h t h e N a z i s m u s t
n e v e r see r e a l i s e d .
And, w h a t is more,
t h e y a r e n o t likely to. B u t t h e b r i g h t
p r o s p e c t s of Allied v i c t o r y m a k e s it necess a r y t o e m p h a s i s e n o w m o r e t h a n ever,
t h e n e e d for f u l l v i g i l a n c e a g a i n s t a n y m i s taken tendency towards relaxation.
THE
ANTI-CRIMEA
conversations laid t h e essential f o u n d a t i o n f o r t h e c r e a t i o n of s u c h a n o r g a n i s a t i o n , it will be r e m e m b e r e d t h a t no a g r e e m e n t w a s r e a c h e d w i t h r e g a r d to t h e
q u e s t i o n of v o t i n g p r o c e d u r e .
However,
t h e B i g T h r e e h a v e b e e n able to o v e r c o m e
t h i s difficulty a s a r e s u l t of t h e c o n f e r e n c e a t Yalta. S a n F r a n c i s c o will r e s u l t
in t h e f u r t h e r s t r e n g t h e n i n g of t h e coo p e r a t i o n of t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s a n d t h e
c r e a t i o n of a d e e p e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g a m o n g
t h e peace-loving n a t i o n s .
ELEMENTS
r p H E R E is n o t o n l y t h e d a n g e r of a n y
p r e m a t u r e e a s i n g u p t o be a v o i d e d
if v i c t o r y is to be s e c u r e d a s quickly a s
possible. T h e a c t i v i t i e s of t h o s e e l e m e n t s
w h o h a v e come o u t in o p p o s i t i o n to t h e
T H E C H I L D R E N ' S ALLOWANCES
d e c i s i o n s of t h e C r i m e a C o n f e r e n c e n e e d s / v O M I N G n e a r e r h o m e t h e r e h a s to be
to be vigorously c o m b a t t e d . T h e a t t i t u d e
' noted the m a n y opinions expressed
of t h e s e e l e m e n t s o n l y h e l p s H i t l e r a n d w i t h r e g a r d to t h e p r o p o s e d scale of c h i l c o m p a n y by p r o m o t i n g f r i c t i o n a n d dis- d r e n ' s allowances. I n progressive circles
u n i t y w i t h i n t h e c a m p of t h e U n i t e d t h e view is g e n e r a l l y held t h a t t h e 5s.
N a t i o n s . T h e e m i g r e L o n d o n Poles a n d a l l o w a n c e is too low, a n d moreover, t h a t
t h e i r a s s o c i a t e s a r e still busy t r y i n g to s t i r t h e allowance s h o u l d be paid t o t h e
u p s t r i f e a g a i n s t R u s s i a . I t is a b o u t t i m e m o t h e r a n d n o t t h e f a t h e r .
T h e Bevet h e s e g e n t l e m e n w e r e r e a l l y t a k e n in h a n d r i d g e P l a n , it will be r e m e m b e r e d , proby t h e G o v e r n m e n t a n d a s t o p p u t to t h e i r p o s e d 8s. a week f o r e a c h child e x c e p t t h e
dangerous intriguing.
T h e y a s s u r e d l y 1first.
The G o v e r n m e n t spokesmen argue
S
S
5
§
GENERAL
ELECTION
LOOMING?
I N his s p e e c h t o t h e T o r y P a r t y C o n f e r * ence, C h u r c h i l l m a d e a r e f e r e n c e t o
t h e possibility of a g e n e r a l election in t h e
s u m m e r . T h e s a m e day t h e first e l e c t o r a l
lists of civilian a n d b u s i n e s s v o t e r s f o r t h e
n e x t g e n e r a l e l e c t i o n were p u b l i s h e d . I t
is f r o m t h e s e l i s t s t h a t t h e f i n a l r e g i s t e r
will be d r a w n u p a n d p u b l i s h e d o n M a y
7 t h . O n l y t h o s e p e o p l e whose n a m e s a p p e a r in t h e r e g i s t e r will be a b l e t o v o t e a t
the next election. T e n years h a v e p a s s e d
s i n c e t h e l a s t g e n e r a l election a n d o n t h e
n e x t occasion m i l l i o n s of n e w v o t e r s will
go to t h e polls w h o h a v e n e v e r p a r t i c i p a t e d i n a g e n e r a l election p r e v i o u s l y .
T h e v a r i o u s p o l i t i c a l p a r t i e s will be l e a k i n g a bid to w i n t h e s e v o t e r s to t h e i r s i d e .
T r u l y it will be o n e of t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t e l e c t i o n s t h e B r i t i s h people h a v e e v e r
w i t n e s s e d . a n d decisive in m a n y w a y s i n
its o u t c o m e f o r t h e whole of B r i t a i n ' s
future.
J.R.S.
t^J
HIGHLIGHTS
I T is not every d a y t h a t a n Irish wOrk' i n g m a n w r i t e s a best seller.
The
o d d s a r e all a g a i n s t s u c h a f e a t . But it
w a s n o t good luck w h i c h e n a b l e d Bill
N a u g h t O n , now a L a n o a s h i r e b u s driver, to
steal the headlines with
A Roof Over
Y o u r H e a d . " (Pilot Press, 7(6.)
T h i s a u t o b i o g r a p h y ot u n e m p l o y m e n t ,
p o v e r t y a n d s t a r v a t i o n is L o n d o n ' s latest
l i t e r a r y s e n s a t i o n . T o w r i t e it N a u g h t o n
w e n t to bed every n i g h t a t seven o'clock,
slept to m i d n i g h t a n d t h e n t u m b l e d but
of bed to sit w r i t i n g to five in t h e
morning.
B e f o r e even s u b m i t t i n g himself to t h i s
r i g o r o u s discipline, h e s p e n t m a n y m o n t h s
l e a r n i n g t h e a r t of s t r i n g i n g words toget h e r . T h e r e s u l t — a first-class w r i t e r a n d
a f i r s t - c l a s s book, w h i c h you a r e h e r e b y
a d v i s e d to get hold of by hook or by
crook.
It is a grim story, and Naughton does
not mince words in laying the blame on
the social system for the terrible times he
and millions like h i m underwent in
Britain s derclict areas in the period between two wars. Yet the Irish in him
comes out in his wit a n d humour, a n d not
least in his richly poetical prose.
I N I K K V 1)1 I'.I.IM K AIxjiii 9.000 Dublincrs have T li
don't
know it. They are sh^riiy due lor a n unpleasant shock. Dublin Corporation is to
introduce mass m i n a t u r e radiograpln
lor
the detection of t h e while m a n ' s scourge
Statistics complied m London show t h a t
among factory and office workers t h e proportion of "significant" cases which "the Xrays reVeal ni'e 1.3 to 14 per cent. Dangerous cases, requiring immediate t r e a t m e n t
rhuke u p ati additional .3 or A per cent. T h i s
will t o t u p to 0.000 unsuspected cases in
Dublin, of Whom 3,000 will be dangerous."
"HOMES F O R H E R O E S "
J u s t to show t h a t D u b l i h has no monopoly
of slums here is a n i t e m from S t r a b a n e In
t h e Six Counties.
T h e Rural Council received 19 applications for a labourer's cottage a n d decided to let it to a soldier now
s e r v i n g overseas w h o s e wife and eight kids
were living in one r o o m . Another applicant
was a sapper serving on the West F r o n t
whose wife and d a u g h t e r and three other
a d u l t s live in a c o n d e m n e d two-room house.
A t h i r d was the w i f e of a serving soldier
whose wife and six c h i l d r e n sleep in one
room measuring 12 feet by 6 feet.
EIRE'S VALUABLE DOGS
Last month we h a d a strong suspicion
that horses were m o r e thougHT of t h a n hum a n s in Eire. This m o n t h we have grounds
for t h e belief that greyhounds arc worth
m o r e t h a n Irish f a t cattle. Tr^de r e t u r n s
for J a n u a r y reveal t h i s f a n t a s t i c state of
affairs.
In t h a t month t h e value of greyhoiit.ds exported was £22.208. while tile !;i csiS'l.'
c a m e to only £22.102. And January is reg a r d e d as the quietest m o n t h lor greyhound
sales
I'lie figures, too, give no mrtit a;:o«
ol t h e value of dogs smuggled o u t . or ..prnlj
brought over, the B o r d e r b\ N o r t i c r n pur
c h a s e r s as personal property
announced t h a t lUs 1944 income a t £764.000
was a record for t h e Company. Lord G l e n a v y
t c h a i r m a n i said t h a t in 1923 they e s t a b lished a record by carrying 9.000.000 passengers. In 1944. double t h a t number travelled
on ihe system. And His Lordship had only
one grouse: t h a t a f t e r the war there would
be no check on privately-owned vehicles t r y ing to horn in on t h e G.N.R.'s preserves a n d
profits.
T U R N O F T H E WHEEL
T h e wheel of history turns full circle,
given time. Here a r e two instances, o n e
f r o m the North a n d one from the South.
T h e Democratic Method Works is t h e
heading to a Belfast T e l e g r a p h " leader. I n
it t h e scribe gives vent to his emotions o n
the success of t h e Valla Conference, w h i c h
he described as a n e x a m p l e of "how urea. :s
t h e burden placed on the shoulders ol n.s
Statesmen, and of t h e great good f o r t u n e
with which B r i t a i n is blessed m tlu posit ion of Mr. C h u r c h i l l . " Shades ol the «r.r.
i Prom
he last war when " W i n n . e " w.:"
' lioV.ii :! down ir. tile C U c r Hall. B> lf.i-t .v. a
| iia.-cd lor Ins lire t h r o u g h the Mr.-.
I Liverpool boa11
jflc
s|c
Example N\> 2: i'hc Irish Indcptim< "
"LISTEN ANI) LEARN"
I which, us no I r i s h m a n is likely to loiu'U
Did you know t h a , ••u-iy Frith;, on Athl i a s . i t a l e at air. r a l e called lor the bl < i
loiie Radio a series ol lessons in Irish is
I of
J a n i e , Connolly in 1916 because
being given'.' T h e si ries. which is given in
| wanted an all-Ireland Republic, m a r e o nt
c o n j u n c t i o n with a booklet i-,mikI by :h.
leader headed
Silence on Partition.'
Ivi
E d u c a t i o n a l Company at a shilling, is ent h e ;'fi rontcry io ask t
titled
Listen and L e a r n . ' and into t h e
Why the s t r a n g e reluctance ol p u b , ;
book s 52 pagrs are p a c k e d a wide range of
words, phrases, p r o v e r b s and usages. T h e m e n of all parlies to refer to the crime Ol
b e g i n n e r can acquire a good working know- Partition'.' Is it intended that this c o u n t r y
ledge of Irish for o r d i n a r y , everyday topics. which for so m a n y centuries persisted i n
struggling for its r i g h t s should now convey
N O BORDER, P L E N T Y OK P R O F I T S
the impression t h a t t h e people a r c p r e p a r e d
T h e G r e a t N o r t h e r n Railway Co. i Ire- to acquiesce in t h e dismemberment of t h i s
l a n d ) which runs over t h e Border h a s j u s t small n a t i o n ? "
THE
iMm
V;
X
IRISH
DEMOCRAT
April,
1945
T l i p p
H e r e
a *
e a i M f i d a i e
a
a s t o u n d e d
a t
t h e
a t
h i *
" e l i e e k"
ni!iiiiie£g»al
I n
e l ee t i o n
s t a n d i i i g s o
. . . .
M
• * ? iw
Ifey
T
Of llle peep e 01
. ays
o. l i e . .
r ; . ' Ren;;
::.
.v,::d u
Pi <X'
P ( ;
i
parts
natio
couti.r..
;y 01' ;). F:e a F.
Gov 1 nnu r,; IS S t i l l
eheve that ;
by those piinciph's. "Dev. lougnt
bu
;n Boland's Mai." they say. "He should
k:.r.v best how to Intelprct t h e P;oc.aniat ; m . " B u t what is the t r u t h ?
I n s t e a d of the It ish people becoming
m a s t e r s of their own d e s t i n y - " the
riiiht ot the people of I r e l a n d to the
o w n e r s h i p of I:eland"—they a r e becoming
more a n d more the slaves of the monop; lies a n d vested interests wh.ch have
bt'tn enormously, s t r e n g t h e n e d and enriched in both Eire and N o r t h e r n Ireland
d u r i n g t h e past 20 years.
i
T h e
a n s w e r
i n
t h e
A n t h e m
. . .
C W O R N to be f r e e , ' runs
** the well-known lines of
the National A n t h e m that
w a s "Tlie Marseillaise" of
Easter, 1916. " N o m o r e our
a n c i e n t sireland shall shelter t h e despot or the slave."
T o - d a y it has to do with
a q u e s t i o n — a q u e s t i o n that
is still in the air: Will the
Nazi war criminals find
a s y l u m in Eire?
T h e question h a s been
p u t w i t h a certain crudity
by t h e British G o v e r n m e n t
a n d answered with typical
diplomatic equivocation by
the F i a n n a Fail G o v e r n ment.
T h e answer is not h a r d to
come by. It is f o u n d in that
song that gives expression
to t h e traditions a n d aspirations of the Irish p e o p l e , the
song that existed before
F i a n n a Fail came to p o w e r
a n d w h i c h will be s u n g long
after it has ceased to exist:
the National A n t h e m . It is
found
in
those
words
q u o t e d above.
Yes, there is the a n s w e r
of the Irish people, clear and
bold, shorn of
Leinster
H o u s e blah. Neither despot
nor slave!
A g a i n s t despotism a n d
slavery Irish blood h a s been
§ spent d o w n the c e n t u r i e s —
in m a n y places, f r o m 1 463
to 1945, from the coast of
W e x f o r d to the b a n k s of the
Rhine.
W h o considers for a moment the harbouring of the
Nazi w a r criminals flies in
the face of Ireland's finest
traditions.
E.B.
\
t^,
|
"
l i e ' n r.e'ii'u! lo reiaps: into another "deir.. >rd .irc.t" ft ;>r the wa:.
In tin South wages are fixed while
p' ^
i v. Ti t-iC a n ' still unemployment,
slums. avoid..Pie disease and unnecessary
;.!iv>: •.>•.-.{•<•. w.i.i;' u-ns of t h o u s a n d s of
a';
ti e i ' u e n s leave the country in
sf-.reh o; work i w r y year. Intellectuals
a n d trade unionists alike lind themselves
restricted by vicious censorship and a n t i t r a d e union laws.
mam -
The Tricolour may have replaced the
Union Jack over Dublin Castle, but so tar
the things for which
an Empire's might was fought ?
as the mass of the people are concerned,
it h a s merely been a case of replacing one
m a s t e r for a n o t h e r ; of changing a corr u p t , vicious, greedy and
oppressive
British capitalist class for an equally corrup, vicious, greedy and oppressive Irish
capitalist class.
Well may we echo Yeats's question:
W a s it for this t h e wild geese spread
T h e grey wing upon every tide;
F o r this t h a t all t h e blood was shed,
F o r this Edward Fitzgerald died,
And Robert E m m e t a n d Wolfe Tone,
All t h a t delirium of the brave?
F l a n i i
paints
and
The
and
§
5
j
§
§
§
§
§
j
|
|
^
-}
g
;-
^
§
§
K
§
§
§
§
S
^
}
§
Eire's new position in world affairs reflects
t h e changed balance of social
forces in Britain a n d throughout t h e
world. Politically, t h e r e are observers who
discern a tendency to go backward r a t h e r
t h a n forward.
Her
living
standards—which
were
already amongst t h e worst in Europe—
h a v e been drastically lowered. No serious efforts have been m a d e to tackle t h e
problems of low wages, unemployment,
rising prices and bad housing.
Emigration continues unchecked while the r i g h t s
of t r a d e unionists a r e drastically curtailed.
Powerful capitalists interests openly advocate Salazarism, Vocationalism, Corporatism a n d other F a s c i s t "solutions" as
remedies for our economic ills.
T h e gulf s e p a r a t i n g North from S o u t h
h a s been widened as a result of Eire's
n e u t r a l i t y on the one h a n d and N o r t h e r n
I r e l a n d ' s belligerency on the other. Organisationally, the Labour movement is
in a worse position now t h a n it was in
1939. Eire is the only country in Europe
—with t h e possible exceptions of Spain
and P o r t u g a l and, of course, G e r m a n y , In
which t h e prospects of Socialism have
diminished r a t h e r t h a n increased during
the p a s t six years.
I N contrast, the social scene in Britain
* h a s been transformed since the outbreak
of war. A vigorous new democratic working-class movement h a s swept through t h e
country, gravely weakening the old jingoistic, d i e h a r d Imperialism of the "Black
and T a n s " and Easter Week type. T h e
political emphasis h a s shifted emphatically f r o m R i g h t to Ijeft.
T h e ever-Increasing t r a d e union membership. t h e growing Labour and Communist Parites, the flourishing Production
Committees, the new Education
and
Beverldge
Social Security Acts,
the
widespread a d m i r a t i o n for the Soviet
Union, t h e mounting e n t h u s i a s m for t h e
nationalisation
of key
industries—all
these a r e evidence of a new democratic,
socialist
outlook a m o n g
the
British
people.
emblem
(in
the
photograph
I T is instructive to c o n t r a s t Ireland's
* position in the w:orld to-day with its
position a t the end of the last great war
in 1918.
I n 1918 Ireland was waging a savage
struggle for n a t i o n a l independence, fighting w i t h o u t material resources but with
the moral support of the rest of t h e
democratic
world.
To-day Eire
has
achieved its independence, but h a s it k e p t
the backing of world democracy?
a challenging
above)
the
Dublin
com-
memoration.
And Britain is now in close alliance with
t h e most d e m o c r a t i c forces in the world,
with the U.S.A., t h e Soviet Union and t h e
new people's m o v e m e n t s of liberation
which have a r i s e n out of the struggle
a g a i n s t Fascism in Europe.
T h e new b a l a n c e of social forces in t h e
world offers t r e m e n d o u s opportunities to
t h e Irish people. T h e idea t h a t Eire c a n
afford to isolate itself from the rest of the
world or avoid t h e consequences of the
peace settlement can be dismissed.
Eire is as m u c h p a r t of the world economy as Norway or Belgium and, like them,
its prosperity is largely dependent upon
i m p o r t s of m a c h i n e r y , raw materials, fuel
a n d food; just as its economic plans a n d
political relations a r e largely influenced
by its bigger a n d more powerful neighbours.
Never were our native "isolationists"
m o r e dangerous t h a n a t present.
They
hope to build a b a r r i e r between Ireland
a n d the rest of t h e world and thus prevent
t h e spread of progressive or socialist ideas
a m o n g the people.
If mighty R u s s i a a n d huge U.S.A., with
fall their immense resources in population,
r a w materials, f o o d s t u f f s and industry,
c a n n o t afford to isolate themselves f r o m
t h e rest of the world, how much less can
Eire afford it—tiny Eire, with no merc h a n t shipping, poor mineral resources,
few raw materials, a n d dependent upon
B r i t i s h or American goodwill for every
ounce of tea, every ton of coal and every
gallon of petrol i m p o r t e d ? Eire is desperately short of fuel, textiles, fertilisers,
wheat, feediijg stuffs, machinery and industrial equipment of every kind.
Now is not t h e t i m e for the Government
to strike heroic gestures, to jeer at Presid e n t Roosevelt, or for Mr. McEntee to
t h u m b his nose a t every other nation
whose way of life is n o t identical with our
own.
r
P H E R E was a time when Eire made up
1 in moral stature what it lacked in
economic resources. We were once cherished by all the freedom-loving peoples of
the world as a nation which never abandoned the struggle for political liberty.
O u r lack of m a t e r i a l power was m o r e
t h a n balanced by m o r a l assets—assets
which
had been p a i n f u l l y built u p
the
contrast
moral
backing
r n i i i | ) h H I
between
of
the
world
incependence
deriocracy
t h r o u g h t h e centuries, o f t e n a t the cosi of
bitter p e r s o n a l sacrifice.
Once these assets (which sustained our
m a r t y r s d u r i n g the '98 defeat, t h e black
days of t h e Famine, the exile a n d banishm e n t of t h e Fenians, t h e h a r d struggle of
L a n d League, and the shock of t h e 191G
executions) were worth more t h a n gold or
a r m i e s in t h e councils of nations. They
were a kind of invisible asset—a sort of
moral political insurance—which could be
off-set a g a i n s t the material s t r e n g t h of
Ireland's enemies.
But this is not the
case to-day. During the war these assets
have been recklessly squandered.
More b i t t e r still is our loss of prestige
a m o n g those who have always been Ireland's best friends—the Americans. Undemocratic peoples of Europe who have
always given succour and protection to
our exiles in t h e past, and a m o n g the British working-class whose protests so often,
during t h e l a s t century, blunted t h e sharp
edge of Imperialism in Ireland.
By tens of millions of freedom-loving,
democratic people throughout the world,
Eire is now classified—mistakenly, of
course—in the same category as tyrannical
Portugal, feudal Argentina and Fascist
Spain. Only the immediate reversal of
these trends can wipe out this suspected
"Fascist stain" on our national reputation,
T H E Editor of the "Irish P r e s s " (the
J - G o v e r n m e n t paper) would loudly protest if it was suggested t h a t the tGovernm e n t did n o t want to end Partition.
Yet, dividend by m o u n t i n g d i v i dend, t h e G o v e r n m e n t encourages the
growth of vested interests which depend
upon t h e m a i n t e n a n c e of t h e Border for
their profits or spiritual predominance.
E a c h new e n t e r p r i s e set u p in Eire aided
by G o v e r n m e n t money or protected by
G o v e r n m e n t tariff or quota regulations,
h a s a vested interest in the m a i n t e n a n c e
of t h e Border.
Every time t h e gap in wage standards
and social services become wider between
N o r t h a n d S o u t h , the less does t h e idea o f
a united I r e l a n d appeal to the Northern
workers. I t is a n insult to t h e intelligence of a N o r t h e r n f a r m worker earnint:
59s. a week to suggest t h a t he would be
better off in t h e 26 Counties where he
would earn 40s. or 45s. a week.
T h e more far-sighted Eire capitalists
realised t h i s f a c t long ago and now pay
only lip-service to the principle of a united
Ireland.
Only the Irish working-class, those incorruptible inheritors of the struggle for
Irish freedom, can carry through the great
social programme envisaged In the Easter
Week Proclamation, and so win back for
Ireland Its traditional reputation as a
democratic and freedom-loving nation.
B u t t h e I r i s h working class Is split and
divided (In t h e 32 counties there are five
Labour Parties, two Socialist Societies and
a C o m m u n i s t P a r t y — a s t a t e of affairs
which would be farcical if It were not so
it
of
Ireland
has
lost
now—
tragic). T h e men largely responsible for
tiiis o r g a n i s a t i o n a l disunity include renegades. blinded by jealousy or personal a m bition. Sometimes those who pay most lipservice to Connolly do most to betray h i s
ideals.
t 'AN we imagine Connolly—the selfless
a n d devoted servant of t h e workers'
movement, who lived a n d died a poor
man—as director of a bank set u p to serve
the i n t e r e s t s of the Irish capitalist class?
Can we imagine Connolly—the scientific
Socialist, w h o acclaimed t h e Soviet revolt
of 1905 being scared by t h e so-called Bolshevik bogey?
Can we imagine Connolly—the internationalist. who organised Clyde dockers,
led a s t r i k e w i t h Tom M a n n on Merseyside
and worked for the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Workers
of the World in America—refusing to take
his place a t a great i n t e r n a t i o n a l congress of t r a d e unionists, r e p r e s e n t i n g 60
million o r g a n i s e d workers f r o m all p a r t s
of the world? Or refusing to meet B r i t i s h
miners' representatives or Irish-born delegates f r o m t h e C I O., or t h e heroic representatives of the European u n d e r g r o u n d
trade u n i o n movement?
More likely we should find him taking a
leading p a r t in such a congress; ready, in
Fintan L a l o r ' s immortal words, to p u t
Ireland " f o r e m o s t in t h e van of n a t i o n s —
to set h e r a l o f t in the blaze of t h e sun,
and to m a k e h e r for ages t h e lode-star of
history."
And t h i s is t h e task to be achieved—not
merely desired—by the sons a n d d a u g h ters of E a s t e r Week.
\ N Irish labourer employed as a dttstm a n by the E d i n b u r g h Co:position
stood as a Socialist candidate in the
municipal election in 1896.
He was not elected, but astounded
and
affronted at
his audacity,
the
Lord Provost, t h e bailies and councillors of that ancient Corporation, relieved him of any l u i t h e r responsibility ior
h a n d l i n g the domestic reluse of t h e
"Modern Athens."
In plain English h e was sacked, without
a n y r i g h t or opportunity of appeal • -six re
to t h e electors at the next election.
Being out ol work, he cast about for
a n o t h e r job; and a f t e r deliberation decided to r e t u r n to Ireland, first of all to
find work, and incidentally to set going a
Socialist movement in Ireland.
T w o years later, in Dublin, a new journal was born, the "Workers' Republic."
which announced itself as the official org a n of the Irish Socialist Republican
Party.
Needless to say the dauntless labourer
who was the only begetter" and cause of
this p h e n o m e n o n was none other t h a n
J a m e s Connolly, who was not only the
chief organiser (and secretary) of the
I.S.R.P., but also the editor and business
m a n a g e r of the "Workers' Republic."
Incidentally he was also its composingroom staff, its proof-reader, and its
machine-room foreman.
T h e t r u t h is t h a t t h e chance to buy
some of the effects of a small jobbing
printer gave the proximate occasion for
the b i r t h of the "Workers' Republic."
There were a few cases of type, and some
other a p p u r t e n a n c e s of t h e composingroom. And there was a press of sorts, of
a decidedly antique kind—which was
operated by man-power.
Man-power of a kind there was plenty
since J a m e s already h a d good friends on
the q u a y s and w h a r f s of the Liffey, and
there were a few stray s t u d e n t s from
Trinity College who were not above making themselves useful.
J a m e s "had seen the inside of a printing
office before; so a l t h o u g h he had not
served a regular apprenticeship either "a",
case" or in the machine-room, he was able
to initiate his wholly u n t a u g h t , volunteer
helpers into some of t h e mysteries of
setting type, imposing a forme, and—
with m o r e immediate success—those of
"laying-on" and "taking-off" t h e sheets
from t h e ancient Tumbler machine.
r p H E a r t of " t u r n i n g " t h e h a n d l e which
a c t u a t e d this relic needed little teaching; so J a m e s seldom needed the motive
force to run-off a n issue. B u t the complications of the composing-room c r a f t
needed more t h a n a willing h e a r t and a
stout back.
Even a knowledge of t h e first nine
c h a p t e r s of Marx's "Capital" gave no help
T. A. JACKSON,
the
prominent
Labour
historian,
tells the remarkable story of the
dauntless
Irish labourer, out of work and
looking for a job, who started the
movement
that
led to
Easter
Week.
His name ? . . .
JAMES
CONNOLLY
towards a solution of t h e pioblem of getting a forme lo "lift" w . u i o u t an i n s t a n t
and disheartening frencrat.cn of "pie."
I uckily lor James one ol ins earliest recruits was a properly qualified "comp."
who, when he could, gave his labour as a
contribution to the cause. Even so, t h e
problems which c o n f r o n t e d the b i r t h struggles oi" the " W o i k e r s ' Republic" were
all but insupeiable.
There was, for example, a good deal of
vagueness about the period which a n y
given issue was designed to cover. Basically it seemed to aim a t being a monthly.
But in practice it wavered between once
a week a n d once a quarter—ringing all
the c h a n g e s of interval possible within
those limits.
J a m e s used to say, in private, t h a t it
was a "weakly"—so m u c h so that it was
always at t h e point of d e a t h . And in t h e
end, die it did a n a t u r a l d e a t h when economic stress caused J a m e s Connolly to
emigrate to the U.S.A., e a i l y in 1904. T h e
I.S R.P. died with it.
A notable feature of t h e "Woikers' R e public" in t h i s first p h a s e , as also of t h e
I.S.R.P., was the boldness with which it
affirmed a "republic" as t h e i r ideal. T h i s
was of g r e a t significance because, alt h o u g h the relibs of t h e F e n i a n movement
still survived, it was a n d h a d been for so
m a n y years "under g r o u n d , " t h a t the very
n a m e "republic" had come to be somet h i n g never heard save in whispers in a
corner.
T h e fine defiance of Connolly and the
I.S.R.P. b r o u g h t about a complete transformation. T h e neo-Fenian rev'val dates
from the founding of t h e "Workers' Republic" and f r o m the '98 celebations with
which it synchronised. I n these celebrations J a m e s Connolly played a conspicuous part.
r p H E second and better-known "Workers'
Republic" was first issued in 1915,
a f t e r another journal, t h e " I r i s h Worker,"
h a d been suppressed.
Connolly returned f r o m t h e U.S.A. to
Ireland at t h e call of J a m e s Larkin, who
needed Connolly's help in building the
Irish T r a n s p o r t and G e n e r a l Workers'
Union.
T h e "Irish Worker" was launched in
1912 as the organ of " L a r k i n i s m " in the
A S i g n of "The Times'(1916)
" W e print with much pleasure, a n d the Irish public will endorse heartily, General Sir John M a x w e l l ' s tribute
to the conduct of our troops in the D u b l i n insurrection . . . It is fitting a n d fortunate that Irish soldiers
s h o u l d have 'largely helped to crush' the seditious outbreak of an Irish minority."
So ran the editorial in the "Irish Times"
A Cork report tells us that Sinn Fciners
tastic inducements of Messrs. Pearce and
on May 2nd, 1916, commenting on the Easter
had taken refuge in a house in Niall Street
Connolly," called upon the British GovernRising. "There is no doubt that the Dublin
and were "visited by the R o m a n Catholic
ment "to take such measures as will satisfy
insurrection was encouraged by German
Bishop . . . who made appeals to them to lay
the world that, the spirit of sedition and
promises and German gold," it ran on in
down their arms. These efforts were unanarchy in Ireland will be crushed, not
'he familiar way in which every blow of the
availing. The interview concluded on the
merely for a time, bill for all time. The
workers for freedom is characterised in all
part of the Prelate with a threat or exdestroyers of our peace and their dupes must
lands. In Ireland it was German gold. In
communication of all who should continue
be made absolutely incapable of further misBritain, until recently, it was Russian.
to armed rebellion. The Bishop's threat was
chief."
Ignored," said the Irish Times."
The emphasis upon property and gold,
Kind Christian gentlemen, aren't they ?
Two batches of prisoners, one of 489 and
^nether foreign or native, comes naturally
Why, in their opinion, were such measures
the other of 500, had been-shipped to Engthe representatives of those whose .chief
necessary ? They answer themselves in the
land two days before; the fall of Jacobs
function it Is to amass it. II creeps In a few
last sentence of the editorial: "Only by a
factory was reported and the bold bad CarParagraphs later when the editorial c o n t i n - ,
firm
policy
of
suppression
and
punishment
Ucs:
son was spluttering a reply to an attack
"Nothing remains of this act of crimcan the Government protect the high intermade upon him by the "Star" in England.
inal lunacy . . . T h e huge loss of property in
ests of Irish capital and of Ireland as a
Said Carson, "My record is before my felUublin will involve unemployment on a large
whole."
sca,e
low-countrymen." - I t was indeed—but the
• • • and heavy additions to the rates.
Giving reports on the Rising, that Issue
"Irish Times" of that date forgot to add that
Some business houses may not be re-estabof the "Irish Times" reported that in every
Carson's record was one of private gun-runIkhed in Dublin . . . Capital fought shy of a
Catholic Church In the diocese of Dublin a
ning and that his guns to be used against
restlessness t h a t was fatal to dividends."
circular letter was read from Archbishop
his King were "made In G e r m a n y . "
But.
To crash this "restlessness," the "Irish
Walsh "appealing to the people . . . to avoid
then, he didn't represent "restlessness"—he
T
mies" editorial, after referring to the "fanthe streets and places of public assembly."
represented "stability."
p.D.
'.tie of Dublin in 1913.
Connolly operated in t h e n o r t h
cilice in B e l f a s t : but a s t h e ecor;: ; r.e c w p e n e d into open war
the employer.®, led by w . M.
workers, l t d by tile
>:•; Union, a t whose h e e d stood
un;l Conno'Iy.
Itimes Connolly
his h - a d q u a r t e r s to Dublin, a n d
,re a : w n « other activities, tcck over
control of the "Iiish Worker."
The breatiiless story of the L a b o u r W a r
in Dubim m 1913 wouid take l a r too long
in m e teUing for us to include it here.
It must suffice to note t h a t all t h r o u g h
the s n u g g l e Connolly m a i n t a i n e d his
claim t h a t any and every soit of "Nationalism" which ignored the real-life conditions of t h e working poor; and still more,
which was willing to p e i p e t u a t e exploitation and economic slavery in a so-called
"free" Ireland, was a f r a u d u l e n t a n d hateful thing.
Connolly wanted to free Ireland as Ireland; but he wanted this and f o u g h t for it
passionately on'y as a n indispensable first
step towards the g r e a t e r end of f r e e i n g
Irish men and Irish women within Ireland.
V O less conspicuous was Connolly's in^
sistence upon the need to resist to
the death every a t t e m p t to create lines of
sectarian division between I r i s h m e n .
Speaking of the proposal to p a r t i t i o n
Ireland into a " P r o t e s t a n t " Noirth a n d a
"Catholic" South, he said: "I would
fight to the death against partition . . .
To Partition Labour should give the
biiterest opposition; against it Labour
in Ulster should fight even to the d e a t h
if necessary, as our f a t h e r s fought before us."
His internationalism was shown conspicuously during the "Larkinite" war,
when he succeeded in rousing the militancy of t h e British workjpg-class movement to aid t h e Dublin workers. His connections with
Scottish
and
English
Socialists aided him in this, and t h e i r
common doctrine of t h e necessary solidarity in struggle of all the oppressed a g a i n s t
the oppressors never found a s t a u n c h e r
champion t h a n J a m e s Connolly.
It was Connolly's Socialist I n t e r n a t i o n alism no less t h a n his nationalism, h i s
anti-sectarianism no less t h a n his democratic-republicanism, which
determined
his attitude to the war which broke o u t
in 1914. Over the f r o n t of Liberty Hall, h e
hung out a great s t r e a m e r - b a n n e r ; "We
Serve neither King nor Kaiser—but Ireland."
The same slogan headed the f r o n t p a g e
of the "Irish Worker"—and this, w h i c h
exactly
defined
Connolly's
attitude,
brought about the virtual suppression
of the "Irish Worker."
The Competent Military Authority, wise
in its generation, did n o t proceed t o
direct suppression. It merely " w a r n e d " t h e
printers t h a t their p r i n t i n g plant would
be confiscated if they persisted in p r i n t i n g
"seditous" m a t t e r . The p r i n t e r s duly a d monished. refused to continue p r i n t i n g
the "Irish Worker," and so the j o u r n a l
came to an end.
Connolly got round the difficulty by p u r chasing a p r i n t i n g plant a n d installing it
under an a r m e d guard of Citizen A i m y
men, who mounted guard over the p l a n t ,
night and day, with rifles and
fixed
bayonets until Easter Week, 1916. w h e n
the rifles and bayonets were on duty in
t h e G P O . a n d on St. S t e p h e n s G r e e n ,
and when the printing p l a n t was wrecked
in the shelling of Liberty Hall from t h e
Liffey. The journal, t h u s produced, w a s
t h e "Woikers' Republic "—second version.
r p o tell the full story of the " W o r k e r s ' ,
* Republic" would be to tell the h i s t o r y
of all t h a t led up to Ea.ster Week. I t
m u s t suffice here to say t h a t in its p a g e s
one can trace how Connolly. Pearse,
Clarke, MacDermott, M a c d o n a g h
and
P l u n k e t t grew closer and closer until t h e
Rising, when it came, was as much a
Socialist Republican rising as it was a
Gaelic-Communalist and
Fenian-Democ r a t i c one.
THE
6
IRISH
April.
DEMOCRAT
April,
1945
EIRE FiNPS N E W USE FOR OLD FIRM
i
Is G.A.A. leadership passing
from London to the Midlands ?
i
- «
CI t'AN
s w e e p wa.- nairte at
the
re-
vont i'iinvriii:«:i of the Warwickshire
C o . t t . t y B e a r d 01 i h e O A.A., w h e n t h e y
e l e c t e d n o w m e n to i h e p o M i i o n s of c h a i r m a n . s e c r e t a r y and t r e a s u r e r .
T h i s is a first step t o w a r d s a n a t t e m p t
to r e c a p t u r e one or both ol the titles lost
last year, but the pruning will have to go
deeper t h a n that if London's re-established position is to be challenged successlttlly. T h e removal of dead wood at the
top will avail nothing if the playing field
c o n t i n u e s to be littered with it.
Lancashire, too. is reported to have
m a d e a clean sweep of its oflicials with the
centre of gravity now s h i f t e d to Man-
showered on him at t h e recent G.A.A.
convention, held in Manchester.
Mr. R. O'Donoghue. who carried the
double burden of secretary to the London
County Board and secretary to the Provincial Council, a p p a r e n t l y found the two
jobs too much, and resigned the latter.
His successor is Mr. T. Ryan, of Warwickshire. county secretary, who, it seems, is
not a f r a i d of double harness.
T h e s a m e correspondent states t h a t
a n o t h e r all-time G.A.A. record has been
established with the election of Mr. Ryan,
as his county. Warwickshire, now provides
all the m a j o r officials of the Provincial
Council, namely: c h a i r m a n , Mr. E. S h o r t ;
treasurer. Mr. Hogan; a n d representative
on the Central Council. Mr. F. Kelly.
It r e m a i n s to be seen whether the G.A.A.
leadership is passing f r o m London to t h e
Midlands, or whether t h e London Gaels
are merely leaving t h e Midlands to do t h e
donkey work while they concentrate on
team building and collecting titles.
On t h e other h a n d it m a y be t h a t these
Midland Gaels are capable m e n who were
elected on their merits because they are
ready and willing to p u t t h e interests of
the Association before t h e interests of
their own county.
It is to be hoped that W a r w i c k s h i r e can
find other good m e n to look a f t e r the
home front.
r
NEW use for the "Old F i r m " lie
discovered
in
Ireland.
It
will
I G U T .
be-
come a te.x collector lor the Eire G ' emi r on t.
Every sixpenny treble, every "bob each
WHY." e v e i y " h a l f - c r o w n p l u n g e " wti: c o n -
trioute its quota of cash io foot the bill to
p u t p o s t - w a r r a c i n g in E i r e o n t h e m a p m
a big way.
But the bookmaker won't suffer, it
will be the backer who will pay—Jo t h e
tune of up to five per cent, on every
course bet.
Although the G o v e r n m e n t
will collect it f r o m t h e "Old Firm," t h e
"Old Firm" collects it f r o m t h e backer.
And the G o v e r n m e n t reckon t h e collection will come to t h e tidy total of £100.000.
T h i s money, u n d e r the new Eire P.acing
Board and Racecourses Bill, with £SO.OOO
f r o m the levy on tote bets, will be used to
subsidise Irish racing.
F r o m it grants will be given to increase
s t a k e s a t Irish race meetings, to reduce
e n t r y fees and provide free t r a v e l for
racehorses. It m a y also finance racecourse improvements, enable c h e a p e r gate
m o n e y to be charged for race meetings,
a n d m a y even be used to build and equip
new: courses.
T h e levy on course bets is n o t to exceed
t h e live per cent, and t h e Bill states it will
be payable by the bookmaker on t h e
a m o u n t of each bet placed. T h e levy, however, it is added, should be passed on to
t h e backer.
Orte f e a t u r e of the Bill which h a s been
welcomed is t h a t it takes t h e control of
r a c i n g out of the h a n d s of t h e existing
control bodies and places it u n d e r a Board
of eleven. Six m e m b e r s will be m e m b e r s
of t h e Turf Club or the National H u n t
Steeplechase Committee, b u t t h e rest will
be appointed by the F i n a n c e Minister.
T
SPOTLIGHT
Tlio Opinions of
WILLIAM < OlftVIETT
on IRISH
SPORT
THE
S O U N D
&
IRISH
DEMOCRAT
SENSE
edited by A N N E
i_<.iter to Anne K e l l y :
been
| i H E four provinces w e r e represented in
-L Croke Park on St. P a t r i c k ' s Day, Conn a c h t v. Leinster in football a n d Ulster v.
M u n s t e r in hurling.
Minister beat C o n n a c h t 4-8 to 3-8 in
ches; er.
Limerick a f t e r a previous d r a w n game,
A correspondent informs me t h a t the
and Leinster beal Ulster 4-9 to 3-6 in
retiring c h a i r m a n , Mr. J o h n Mclnernev.
Croke Park, also a f t e r a previous drawn
held an all-time G.A.A. record for the
game.
l e n g t h of time he held t h a t office, over 20
T h e football draw w a s hailed as the
\eurs.
Well deserved eulogies
were
most vivid game of r e c e n t years: fast,
clean and wholesome, with t h e hand- passing n o t overdone. Ulster pressed for most
of the hour and Leinster were lucky to
Boxing
Topics by James
Doyle
equalise in the last few m i n u t e s .
In the replay. Leinster played f a r better
football t h a n on t h e previous Sunday.
They were fitter, f a s t e r a n d m e i r new
men added t h r u s t a n d weight, particularly in mid-field, where M o r r i s of Carlow
and Murphy, of Laoighis. h e l d the upper
h a n d throughout. T h e c r i t i c s are astonFly: Semi-finals—J. Foley (St. Andrew's) ished a t Murphy being d r o p p e d for the
V J P I K E McCORMACK and Freddy Price
final.
1
(Continued from Column Two)
certainly gave all they had a n d pleased beat Pte. T. Mardy (Griffith) retired injured
It required the drawn g a m e a n d Ulster's
J. Power (Avonat beat M.
Welter: J. Ring (Belfast) beat M Talbot
t h e Dublin boxing fans who packed the 2nd round.
McLoughlan (Belfast). Final: Foley beat easy superiority then to t e a c h Leinster (Tramway). J. Weir (Belfast) beat Pte. P.
R o t u n d a Cinema on March 9th last.
Power on points.
t h e same lesson t h a t t h e y learned from Tobin (Army).
It was a gruelling battle, fought right
Cruiser: Pte. W. Duggan (Army) beat H.
Bantam: Final—Gnr. J. Murray (Collins, their dVaw with Ulster last year, namely,
through at close range. Price always on the Corki beat W. Lenihan (Arbour Hill).
t h a t t h e only way to hold Alf Murray is O'Hagan (Belfast).
defensive, except in the 4th, 5th and 6th
Heavy: Garda P. Troy (Garda) knocked
Feather: Final—Pte. W. Gifford (Nth. to keep as close to h i m a s his own
round, when he went all out and looked as City) beat D. Brassil (Tralee) on points.
out H. Taylor (R.U.C.i, rotmd 1.
shadow
and
to
hold
h
i
m
tightly,
in
every
if he would outlast the Dublin man.
SANDY-MOUNTS TOURNAMENT
Light: Final—G. Smith (Belfast) beat Pte. m e a n i n g of t h a t term.
McCormack made his usual spurt, scoring M. McCullagh (Athlone) on points.
HYDE (Cork) was the only Munster
mainly with swings to the head and body.
M u r r a y ' s club and c o u n t y opponents in
• boxer to register a win at the above
Welter: Semi-finals—J. King (Belfast) beat
This took a bit of fire out of Price, who W. Smith (Belfast) on points. T. Hyde A r m a g h and Ulster discovered t h a t years Tourney held at the Stadium, Dublin, on
continued to be dangerous, although only in (Sunnydale) beat M. Talbot (Tramway) on ago, yet it seems a pity t h a t a tenacious March 9th last; his opponent, M. Talbot
short but vicious rallies of in-fighting.
m a r k e r can deprive 20.000 Croke Park fails (Tramway)' put up a great fight, and Hyde
points. Final—King beat HVde on points.
It was close enough at the end, but
Middle: Final—M. McKeown (Imp. Tob. of the heart-lifting spectacle of Murray was indeed very lucky to get the verdict.
McCormack deserved the verdict for his Co.) beat C. Forde (St. Andrew's) on points.
The best contest of a poor night's sport was
going t h r o u g h the backs.
more consistent attack.
Cruiser Final; H. O'Hagan (Belfast) beat G.
M u r r a y is past his peak. Let this in- between J. Gaffney (Candy-Mount) and J.
Jimmy Ingle (Dublin I was always stronger O'Colman (T. Na. C.) on points.
Keenan (Cork). Gaffney was much quicker
significant f a n go on record as stating to the punch, and scored heavily with right
and more aggressive than Tommy Armour
Heavy: Final—Gunner P. Swaine (Army)
(Belfast) in the second main bout of the beat J. Mclntyre (Enniskillen), stopped 3rd t h a t he made many a r d u o u s journeys to in the opening rounds, but Keenan provided
evening.
Croke P a r k primarily to see Murray, and tough opposition, and there was very In tie
round.
The Belfast man kept the interest going
so hoping t h a t visions of M u r r a y at his in it at the end.
DUGGAN BEATS CHAMPION
with his damaging left hooks. He had really r
The Heavyweight contest was a poor affair,
p w O Juvenile contests—G. Bolger v. T. best will continue to flit a c r o s s his mind
enough of Ingle's famous left, and appeared
in which two warnings told against J.
for m a n y years to come.
J
Fields,
and
J.
Core
v.
J.
Orr—almost
very glad to retire with a damaged hand in
For three-quarters of t h e h o u r Galway's Tierney (Phoenix), and the verdict went to
stole the show in a disappointing interthe fifth round.
provincial
Tournament
at
the
Dublin
slashing
hurlers outplayed M u n s t e r a t P. Troy (Garda), who did little to deserve it.
Best of the minor bouts was the rough and
Other results were:—
Stadium
last
month.
Limerick.
The hurling was t o u g h rather
tumble scrap between Tommy Dunne and
B a n t a m : F. Scanlon (Corinthians' beat S.
Best of senior contests was the return battle t h a n brilliant; some m i g h t say rough, Murphy (Cork). E. Cannon (South City)
Con Caflrey, Dunne gaining a narrow verdict.
between Pte. W. Duggan and H. O'Hagan. the b u t t h a t was ever the G a l w a v style.
Results were:—
beat M. Kelleher (Cork).
Middle: Spike McCormack (Dublin) beat new cruiser-weight title-holder, who gained a
Munster, however, were able to take it
Feather: J. Gaffney (Sandy-Mounti beat J.
Freddy Price (Belfast) on points. Jimmy very doubtful decision over the Army man a and when, a f t e r 45 m i n u t e s , t h e Galway Keenan (Cork).
Ingle (Dublin) beat Tommy Armour (Bel- week previous in the championships.
Light: P. Foran (St. Andrew's' beat P.
Duggan succeeded in reversing that deci- I fire burned itself out, t h e M u n s t e r c r a f t Kennealv (Cork).
f a s t i , retired 5th round.
Purcell.
Fly: Joe "Boy" Collins beat Johnny Caross sion by the clever using of his straight left asserted its superiority, a n d
Welter: T. Hvdc (Cork) beat M. Talbot
and by getting away very elusively before POwer and Ring crashed h o m e winning (Tramway).
(Dublin), retired 2nd round.
scores.
Feather: Tommy Dunne (Dublin) beat Con O'Hagan's rushes.
Middle: E. Andrews (St. Andrew's) beat
The new lightweight champion, G. Smythe,
Caflrey (Dublin) on points.
Galway led 2-7 to 2-4 a t half-time, and Trooper McGrath (Limerick).
Middle: Danny O'Brien beat Jack Lenihan showed lack of resource in attack against the it was t h a n k s to brilliant generalship 1 and
Heavy: P. Troy (Garda) beat J. Tierney
faster M. Byrne, the latter hitting with open a h a l f - t i m e reshuffle t h a t M u n s t e r won
on points.
(Phoenix).
gloves spoiled his chance of creating a surCURTAINS FOR SEVEN
prise. Results:—
\f
G I F F O R D was the only title-holder to
Juvenile: L. McGughan (St. J. Bosco) beat
' ' • retain his crown for the second year F. Kilmartin (Corinthians).
G. Bolger
in the Irish Senior Championship at the (I.T.C.) beat T. Fields (Belfast). J. Core
Stadium, Dublin. It was a very dull session, iSth. City) beat J. Orr (Belfast).
not even the fall of seven champions livened
Fly: J. Fearon (I.T.C.) beat J. Foster (St.
by J.A.D.
up the affair.
George's >.
r
Hockey: Lisnagarvy (Ulster) beat Porlp H E first round of the F.A.I. Cup brought
Gunner J. Murray outwitted Willie LeniBantam: F. Scanlon beat J. McEntec
J - only one surprise, the defeat of Sham- laoifhi.se (Connaught) by 4 goals to 1. Senior
han, who was considered a "certainty" for the (Belfast).
Bantam title. Lenihan stalked him relentFeather: P. Boylan (Belfast) beat H. rock Rovers by Limerick. Results of the first Inter-provincial—Lelnster 3, Ulster 0. Senior
League—Loreto Past 3, Sion Hill 1. U.C.D. 1,
round were:—
lessly, but the last round was half over McAlevv (Delgati).
before he succeeded in pinning him and conDrumcondra 0. Cork Utd. 2 (Madden. Maid 0.
Light: G. Smvthc (Belfast) beal M. Byrne
Mills Cup Semi-finals- -Three Rock Rovers
necting with short damaging punches: it was, iSth. City).
McCarthy).
2, Railway Union 0. Pembroke Wanderers 3,
however, too late. Results were —
(Continued in Column Foar)
Dundalk 2 (Flanagan 2>, Bridville 0.
Dalkey 1. League—Dublin Univ. 3. St. ,J.
Shelbournc 2 (Hill. Thomas), Bohemians 2
Gate 0. Corinthians 4. Avoca 1.
iM. O'Flanagan, Burns).
Irish Senior Cup.
Ulster Final—I.i.sndShamrock Rovers 2 (Coad). Limerick 3 carvy 3, ftortli Down 0. Minister Final
iO'Leary 2. Dunne <P>.
LP.Y.M.A 8. Harlequins 2.
Rugby: Leinster Senior Cup—
The second round provided some surprises.
Wanderers 12 pis.. Blackrock Coll. 2 p ' v
The biggcsi was the defeai ol Shels by Bolls
Dublin Univ G pis.. I'almcrMan 3 |C
4 goals to nil. and tin triumph ol the holders
League
over Limerick.
Beclive Rangers 11 pis.. Monkstc a a
The agureuate score.! ol the games in the
Edited by G. I). II A >1. Cole
Clon.arl 20 pis., Curragh nil.
in/G
first round were:
Old Belvedere 28 pis.. U.C.D. nil
Bohemians
6.
Slielbouino
2.
Old Wesley 12 pis.. Dublin Univ. 8 i,' Tile wonderful selection is made from Cobbelt's
Cork Utd. 7. Drumcondra
Q u e e n s U'niversit\ 15 pis., I .an"
i.e.
writings in ilis POLITICAL REGISTER over a
Dundalk 3. Brideville 2.
12 pt.s.
period of 33 years. One of our greatest fighters
Shamrock Rovers 5. Limerick 4
Wanderers 5 ptv, Clontarl 3 pis.
lor democracy. Cobbed had something to say
'Ihe attendance al Dalymoun Park was
Billiards J. Green > Dublin beal M. Courton everything that ailecled Ihe workers, and
21.726. and the receipts were £796 16s. Od,
ney i Dundalk'. C5-2G. 44-48. 08-19. 24-60.
The receipts ol lie Cork m a t c h was jusl
what he said is well worth while reading today.
60-48. S. Kenning i Dublin) beat 'I. Ta> lor
short of £~>(.0.
340 Pages.
Posl Paid 11/i Belfast ». 81-31. 83'31. 51-29.
D. Silcoek
Receipts at Limerick were E228 14s. Od , a (Belfast t beat E. Jordon (Dublin . 60-25,
record for the ground, the previous being 46-56. 57-48, 61-5. P. Merrigan (Dublin)
£199.
Send 2d. for monthly catalogue to—
(holder), beat S. Jordon (Dublin). 42-44.
Final of the Arinv Cup: 6th Brigade 1 81-29. 39-51, 74-18, 65-21.
(Hill 1). 7th Brigade nil
C E N T R A L
H O O K S
L i m t f i l )
E. Haslnm, Northern champion, won the
The four teams left in the Semi-final — All - Iceland Billiards Championship and
2 - 4 PARTON STREET
LONDON, W.G.I
Bohemians, Shamrock Rovers, Cork Utd. and Burke Cup fi¥im S. FenrtlHg, Dublin. 1 200
Duhdalk. Cork, the League leaders, wilf no to 989. Haslam's best break was 65 and
doubt start favourites.
Fcnning's 59.
Seven champions bite
the dust in one night
1945
7he Editorship
HE SAYS HE'S
ASHAMED OF
THE DEMOCRAT'
^ j da.M, Frank!)', I am ashamed that
• i ihe paper with which we Left writers
always identified ourselves as expressbe Irish, people's cause should be used
platform to shoot smart-alee highbrowriticism at Jim Phelan's novel "And
• i horns."
vour own information as Book Editor
Blackthorns" has been hailed by
who are near to ihe people it presents
reat work of tiction. It's the tirsi novel
ant years with any class perspective, a
ng'e to the Lavcrty's, Kate O'Briens,
Willywetlegs that sometimes find their
•no your columns.
the only novel about t h e Irish Land
ale since O'Flaherty's historical magum
"Famine," and O'Donnel's "By the
of the Stream" (1936).
-,cow Writers Guild regard Jim Phelan's
, as a true expression of the people's
. -ale. In America, Canada, Yugoslavia,
read it wilh appreciation.
Together
O'Cascy and Paul Vincent Carrol, he
,e only Irishman writing creatively towho h a s anything to say about the
: . : utc class struggle.
• 1 •!. therefore, "Irish Democrat" pooh• ,s characters on the assumption that
••ev.ev.(a has resided in the County
• i r, '.' "ou may reside in the shadow
n • it., . itself and not be able to sense
::> significance of peasant frustration, staleea,a-., hunger for sensation, love of exciteid you may live in a dug-out in Malaya
hearing only the warbling of yellow men,
a.ai be alive to the power a n d the glory of
he.-iest writing by a man who never has,
never will, and never could, p a n d e r to bourse- is standards of literature.
Yours. LESLIE DAIKEN.
.
t^)
wa-. '.a^
'.aa*,
'.aa-,
'.a?-,
5
I
RISH DEMOCRAT" readers will
be glad to hear of a new political
and cultural monthly—
U
R E V I E W
?
j
>>
just published in Dublin (priced 3d.,
4/- per year post free).
Order from your " I R I S H DEMO< RAT" seller or bookshop and tell
them "REVIEW" address is 11 Sandford Road, Ranelagh, Dublin, to whom
orders for bulk supplies should be
forwarded immediately.
^
K
|
S
§
S"
i
i^i
of this
Page
KELLY
Nothing to do
with the War
A I . A C H V B O Y L E , v. h o f r o m n e x t m o n t h l a k e s o v e r tin E d i t o r s h i p « :
;; B ' ' i ! ' a - t m a n . a n d . (jjc< T o m m y J a c - k s o n . ; • a p r i n t e r I*
trade, lata i
. B".' le ! a m a n of p a r t - . H e w a s . u n t i l r e c e n t l y , active;-. i
associated \\i
\'.'orktmi-( iass j o u r n a l i s m in N o r t h e r n I r e l a n d a n d w a s o n e ! I'OEMS F R O M IRELAND: An Anthol,'S> M
of t h e l o t t n d j
I'oems tn.m l lic IrMi Tiims" i Hie Irisli
t h e first " I r i s h D e m o c r a t . " w h i c h s o m e y e a t s a u o was
I '111^," ; (, .
e d i t e d in Bei
t a n d p r i n t e d in D u b l i n , a n d w i d e l y r e a d i>:t 1 o l h sides oi'
y O ' I H I N G aa'ara a na mon -a a:., u ; >
t h e B o r d e r at;: t - shi t i b u t n o t i n g l o r i o u s c a r e e r .
- 1 ' >ala a, . ui i„ and haw iitt a • "a; a u r a
Mori
tan t h a t . B o y l e is a p o e t , n o v e l i s t a n d s h o r t - s t o w w r i t e r a n d
at t!i • li'.-a
'"
' % a e t b e - r pee' . \vn' e x c e r p t s f r o m his w o r k s h a v e a p p e a r e d in v a i i o u s l i t e r a r v ' p u b l i c a t i o n s .
ins. in liv .ea . aave been affected a. ia
H e is n o w m E n g l a n d , a n d is a l r e a d y m a k i n g his m a r k in C o n n o l l y C l u b
impact of a.ea :uriou.i times.
In the a a . a d Horn which these ijaenn
c i r c l e s in t h e N o r t h .
have been drawn — 1934-1944 - two maae.events of I'.ts: >ry h a w occurred which v.:!'.
show th.-u- i a t l u e n c in any antholouy at"
representative ver-e outside Europe.
For
the events a: tc-day are not the loea.t-ea
struggle* of previous history, which left a
few blisters on the skin of civilisation and
passed on. leaving the majority of the
world's inhabitants immune from its effect-.
but upheaval., which have cast all h u m a n
values in the melting pot and ar? clear;.!.THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF
These reflections are stimulated by this ex- a way tor their re-orientation.
IRELAND I Royal Dublin Society) Z 6
cellent book of lectures on Public AdminisA-piaeuc-upoii-both-your-house-- defa.nca
| )ILCHARDS appear to have something in tration. delivered under the auspices of the
cannot now '!:•:• adopted. The plague i\u>
common with emigrants for I learn that Civics Institute of Ireland to students readswept into tile emotional houses of :.'r.e
they visit the coast of Ireland only at irregu- ing for the diploma in Public Administration
sitive. ravishing and erupting, as it has on
lar intervals and no one seems able to pre- in Dublin University.
the brick and mortar houses of the Ea>i
dict exactly when ;hey will arrive.
The technics of modern society arc very End. And one tends to look, but not a.-ks
I gleaned this information from this ex- much like a three-tiered cakc. The bottom for, indications of the emotional sickncss in
ceptionally interesting little book which, and largest layer is the economic basis, a its most delicate carriers.
whether or not you have a penchant for pil- constituent part of which is dealt with in the
T h a t Ireland has remained seemingly imchards. I commend to all interested in the book previously mentioned—" National Re- mune. may be due to one or all of the foleconomic development of Eire.
sources of Ireland." The second tier relates l o w i n g causes: Firstlv. that t h e sickness is
Commemorating the centenary of the pub- to the political and State institutions by there, but its symptoms have noi yet aplication by the Royal Dublin Society of Sir which Society is governed and controlled peared on the skin. Secondly. Ireland's neuRobert Kane's "The Industrial Resources of and the last tier, proportionately smaller, re- trality may have filled the poetic landscape
Ireland." a group of experts delivered a flecting, refining and drawing its sustenance with a false sense of security.
Thirdly,
series of lectures before the Society last year from the life of both aforementioned parts, that after all. the compiler. Mr. Donagh
dealing with the life of Sir Robert Kane, is the cultural life of a nation.
MacDonagh. may be over-bold in his introand bringing up-to-date his-researches into
This book. "Public Administration in Ire- duction in claiming this anthology to be a
the fuel and mineral resources of the coun- land," deals with an important part of our cross-section of the Irish poetry of the last
try. its water power, fisheries and forestry. second tier and no person claiming to be in- ten years. iLs there not a serious limitaThe book also tells us of the strangest im- formed about Ireland can afford to be ignor- tion to the choice implicit in the poems beport and export I have ever read about. It a n t of its contents.
ing chosen from only one paper—"The
appears that Switzerland imports steam
Each of the lecturers is a recognised au- Irish Times" 0 ' Or must we look beyond
energy in winter and exports surplus water thority in his subject, which subjects we these obvious formulations to a more subtle
power in spring and summer.
have not the space fully to deal with here.
cause in Ireland's economic development,
What I've always wanted to know is what
One of the most important of the thir- which has cut her off from a commercial
Swiss yodellers do when the visitors go teen is that on Housing by Mr. Thomas culture and left it rooted to the earth.
home?
Whatever the reasons, it cannot be attribJohnslone who, having read his Engels, ends
with his eleven pertinent questions to the uted to poetic insensitivity; the rich, poetic
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN IRELAND administrative authority, mosi of which re- quality of the major portion of the col(Edited by F. Charles King, 15.A., published m a i n unanswered.
lected works would be an indictment against
by I'arkside I'ress, Dublin, 6 -I
Two of the most important contributions such an accusation. And although my reI T must have been disconcerting to Mus- are those on Public Assistance and Local sentment is much against the Irish poets,
'
solini to know he was not the first in Government, which latter has virtually- who are still digging up the bones of Cuchuthe castor oil racket, for a highly organised been replaced by the County Manager lain and Deirdre, instead of creating myths
monopoly of that commodity was held by (Gauleiter) who is "not selected by the from our own times, there is little of the
Ptolemy Philadelphus in Egypt as far back Council . . . and is entitled to take decisions leprechaun's breath floating about these
as the third century B.C.
on nearly all executive matters without ref- pages.
Similarly with the case of centralised erence to the elected Council, though he
Tile anthology can roughly be divided
bureaucrats.
Mr. Lemass. if he wished, may keep ahem informed of his activities." into two groups; not consciously arranged,
might, administratively speaking, trace his
This is not a book which on vour death- but arising intrinsically from the distinct
lineage to Joseph, that divinely inspired bed you would clamour to finish. But it is use of language. The Southern poets, alMinister of Supplies of Pharoah who, like one which all inquiring citizens and public though still writing in English, use tbe lanhis successor to-dav. appeared as the Gov- men should read while alive and well—but guage with an unmistakable native quality,
ernment 'representative in the matter of that raises another interesting question: how- which as the Editor comments, is difficult to
trade.
define. The stamp is nevertheless there and
many public men really are alive? p £ )
is found in every line of Patrick Kavanagh's
(surely one of the best poets, along with
W. R. Rogers, writing in Ireland to-day) "A
Glut on the Market," and that healthy, boisterous, colourful poem. "The Bovne Walk,"
by F. R. Higgins, a poet who deserves
greater fame outside Ireland. The Northern
poets, and those outside Ireland, show a
.closer allegiance to the English tradition,
and find themselves more at home with Gergulls with crumbs every morning, looking a r d Manley Hopkins and Edward Thomas
t h a n with Rafferty and Mangan.
fondly down to where t h e dome of the
The best that Ireland h a s produced in the
F o u r Courts rose a g a i n s t t h e sky.
last ten years are reproduced here.
The
J o s e p h Fowler h a d a r o m a n t i c view of established and the unestablished. Yeats,
I r e l a n d . He saw it always in a kind of Macneice. Higgins, O'Sullivan. DavLewis,
golden haze. However ill, tired or dis- Macdonagh, Dunsany, Kavanagh.
an I r i s h propagandist. I would like you pirited he was, he could a l w a y s rouse himAnd North or South, a deep peace emanto a b a n d o n your public Irish activities."
self to see the g r a n d e u r of t h e country ates from all. Green fields, the sodden turf,
J o s e p h Fowler did n o t hesitate a a n d the cause. His s t r u g g l e was harsh birds wheeling in the air, the clouds In
m o m e n t . Explaining t h a t he cared for a n d bitter in these last years, b u t it made tumultuous march, and far, far awav, the
Irish independence before everything else no difference to his g r e a t spirit and splen- wrecked cities and the agony of war.
WILLIAM KEID.
he declared his intention of continuing to did humour. His belief in the country
speak a t meetings a n d h a n d e d in his' a n d his kindly h u m a n i t y sustained him
resignation a t once.
t h r o u g h o u t all his trials. He could even
Appearing May 1st
T h e o t h e r m a n looked at him keenly.
chuckle amid the agony of his long illness.
"I t h i n k you had better go back to your
He was always a n a d v e n t u r e r . At one
work," he said, "and we will say no more time h e tramped the c o n t i n e n t singing
about it."
A People's
History
I r i s h songs while a c o m p a n i o n played the
It is pleasant to recall t h a t a f t e r this, fiddle. He took a p a r t y to Boulogne and
the two m e n became g r e a t friends. T h e m a r c h e d a group of Irish pipers through
of
England
head of t h e firm knew t h a t here was a man t h e streets of t h a t city to take part In a
upon whose word he could rely.
f e a s t in honour of St. P a t r i c k . T h e skirl
(New Edition)
*
*
*
of t h e Irish pipes c r e a t e d a sensation
| > I G H T through the y e a r s Fowler con- a m o n g those who h e a r d t h e m for the
A. L. M O R T O N
10/6
' » tinned his activities. He ran an Irish first time.
•
*
*
*
club in London that was f a m o u s for its
zeal in t h e Republican cause.
N t h e first G r e a t W a r he served in the
British Army, joining to fight—as he
So it was that, in the early days of the
war J o s e p h Fowler had to leave his Lon- was told—for the r i g h t s of small nations.
don s h o p and was deported to Dublin. Soon he was known as t h e "Sinn Fein"
His business was ruined a n d he began s e r g e a n t . A terrible experience was when
again—in poor health to build up an he was blinded by the b l a s t of a shell in
Irish bookshop in Dublin. Soon this had F r a n c e while his t h r e e c o m p a n i o n s were
the u n i q u e c h a r a c t e r of his London shop. killed. He remained blind for three
(New Edition)
His r a r e books, his prints, his pictures, his m o n t h s . He told how t h e first sign of his
signed p h o t o g r a p h s of I r i s h personalities, r e t u r n i n g sight was t h e impression of a
T. A. JACKSON
his historic play bills—all these helped w h i t e veil fluttering before his eyes as the
5/to m a k e t h e shop known.
And Joseph n u r s i n g sister bent over h i m . He regained
Fowler himself was its living centre. Big, his sight and resumed h i s work for Iregood-humoured and generous, he never l a n d which ended only with h i s death. His
L A W R E N C E & W I S H A R T Lid.
really got over the wonder of actually old f r i e n d s in London will salute the
2 Southampton Tlaee. W.C.I
p
a
s
s
i
n
g
of
the
kindly,
generous,
laughing,
being In Ireland. He would stroll across
to t h e p a r a p e t of the Liffey and feed the reliable Joseph Fowler.
It's not a book you'd clamour to
finish on your death-bed, b u t . . .
The Dublin Bookseller who marched a
band of Irish Pipers through Boulogne
D
ISCRIMINATING
book-iovers
frequented t h e Shanachie bookshop on
the Dublin Quays—down by t h e Metal
Bridge—started by J o s e p h H. Fowler in
recent years. His death w h i c h h a s recently occurred, will not only be regretted
by f r i e n d s in the city b u t a l s o by wide
circles of t h e London I r i s h w h o know his
active a n d fearless work all t h r o u g h the
years of t h e struggle for independence.
During his last illness he received a telegrame, r e a d i n g : "1,000 London G a e l s Send
Greetings."
For m a n y years he r a n t h e I r i s h Bookshop in St. Giles, a d j o i n i n g t h e f a m o u s
book c e n t r e of Charing Cross R o a d . This
was a m e e t i n g place for I r i s h writers and
readers, f o r all who s h a r e d h i s love of
Ireland.
Like Tom Clarke, J o e Fowler
made his s h o p a national c e n t r e , only in
his case it was also an outpost.
Born in E n g l a n d ,he was p r o u d of his
descent f r o m t h e Byrnes of Wicklow, and
in 1938 h e published his "Chapters in '98
History" to commemorate t h e 140th anniversary of the 1798 I n s u r r e c t i o n .
He
told how, a t t h e age of 15, in t h e Centenary • Year, his imagination was fired by
the s t i r r i n g memories of t h o s e past
struggles. Soon after, he crossed to Ireland for t h e first time a n d recalls how
"with boyish e n t h u s i a s m " h e a n d a companion r e p e a t e d Tone's o a t h on t h e summit of Vinegar Hill.
Working In a legal office in London, he
spent his week-ends s p e a k i n g a t Irish
gatherings.
One Monday m o r n i n g the
head of t h e firm sent for h i m a n d produced a newspaper report of one of his
speeches.
I don't w a n t to dictate your opinions,"
he said. " B u t it might not be good for
the Arm for your name to be known as
R. M. FOX |
I
Trials of
British Freedom
8
THE
Do they realise at home
that Ireland faces the
loss of the greatest
proportion of population since the Famine?
T H E R E are a q u a r t e r of a million I r i s h
m e n and w o m e n in B r i t a i n so recently
e x i l e d as to be still o n r a i l if s i g n a l l e d to
a s t h e war ends. L e t t h e word go out
a m o n g them, on a u t h o r i t y t h e y will t r u s t ,
t h a t t h e r e are jobs t o r e t u r n to a t w a g e s
011 w h i c h h o m e s c a n b e r e s t e d , a n d t h e y
will be back in d r o v e s , c h e e r i n g . B u t
u n l e s s t h e signal is g i v e n p r o m p t l y , t h e n
t h e s e people will m a k e h o m e s f o r t h e m s e l v e s in B r i t a i n ; e v e n m e n , w h o for t h e
p e r i o d of t h e war h a v e lived a p a r t f r o m
t h e i r wives a n d c h i l d r e n , will call t h e m
to t h e m ; even w h e n it m e a n s selling a
s m a l l p r o p e r t y in I r e l a n d . T h e r e is n o
n e e d t o a r g u e t h e d a n g e r to t h e n a t i o n
in all this.
T h i s q u a r t e r of a m i l l i o n is a p r o b l e m
quite a p a r t from the migrants. Migrat i o n is a m e t h o d of h o l d i n g o n t o a h o m e
in I r e l a n d , a n d t h r o u g h it l a r g e a r e a s in
D o n e g a l a n d Mayo h a v e s u p p o r t e d t h o u s a n d s of h o m e s on a level of c o m f o r t u n t o u c h e d by a n y p e a s a n t r y o n s u c h poor
h o l d i n g s of land a n y w h e r e else in E u r o p e .
T h e m i g r a n t h o w e v e r is d r a g g i n g
the
anchor.
H e is s p e n d i n g m o r e a n d m o r e t i m e
a w a y f r o m h o m e e a c h y e a r , t e n d i n g to bec o m e a l a b o u r e r w i t h a b i t of l a n d in
p l a c e of a small f a r m e r t a k i n g s e a s o n a l
e a r n i n g s . N o t h i n g b u t t h e h i g h r a t e of
t h o s e e a r n i n g s has p r e s e r v e d him on his
h o l d i n g so far, but a s t h e p r i c e of clothes,
boots, a n d the other t h i n g s he m u s t buy
rises, m o r e a n d m o r e of h i s t i m e m u s t be
s p e n t a b r o a d . T h i s d o e s n o t q u i t e exp l a i n t h e s h o r t period s p e n t a t h o m e j u s t
n o w — t h e zest to n a b p o u n d n o t e s while
t h e y a r e easily picked u p is a f a c t o r — b u t
I d o t h i n k t h e m i g r a t o r y a r e a s a r e on t h e
w a y d o w n in p o p u l a t i o n , too. T h i s a d d s
f u r t h e r u r g e n c y to t h e p r o b l e m of t h e
q u a r t e r of a million.
A N D j u s t as m i g r a t i o n c a n n o t , w i t h o u t
h u r t , be stopped w h i l e n o r e a s o n a b l e
a l t e r n a t i v e is on o f f e r — a n d n o s u c h a l t e r n a t i v e is o n o f f e r — t h e e x i l e will n o t be
w o n b a c k except to c o m p a r a b l e employm e n t . T h e chief o b s t a c l e i n t h e w a y of
p r o v i d i n g t h i s e m p l o y m e n t lies, n o t in t h e
l i f e a r o u n d us, b u t in t h e w o r l d w i t h i n us.
T h e s h a d o w of t h e f a m i n e is still a c r o s s
t h e n a t i o n a l mind. T h e c u r e - a l l f o r u n e m p l o y m e n t is still t h e R e l i e f S c h e m e , a
/l/l/l
£DU,UUU
IRISH
April,
DEMOCRAT
Irish War
Workers
T h e reason is t h a t t h e people w h o would
like to s t a r t - o o i f p e r a t i v e f a r m i n g h a v e not,
pa a rule. cufBdent funds to do so. Those
who have sufficient f u n d s a r e usually either
opposed to, or not interested i n co-operative
farming, s o t h a t its a d v a n t a g e s a n d possibilities h a v e n o t received as m u c h a t t e n t i o n
as they deserve.
T h e a d v a n t a g e s of co-operative f a r m i n g
are:—
I t would give to the a g r i c u l t u r a l worker
a h i g h e r s t a n d a r d of living, a n d m o r e leisure
t h a n would ever be passible o n t h e average
small individual farm, where suitable m a c h i n e r y c a n N O T be economically used.
I t would enable food to be produced for
t h e n a t i o n m o r e economically.
I n a Co-operative farm t h e r e would be. instead of a n "employer" a n d "employees," a
body of persons "all working together for
t h e c o m m o n good."
O
N m a n y of the small h o l d i n g s In Ireland, t h e fields are too small for t h e
economical use of tractors, t r a c t o r ploughs,
vespers a n d binders, etc. T h e use of such
machinery would enable m o r e work to be
done In a shorter number of hours, t h u s
increasing t h e output of a g r i c u l t u r a l produce per man-hour.
In a capitalist concern, however, the
waken o f t e n fear that the Introduction of
machinery Mlitit taring about the. disK the e
******
Cry
send us
back home'
s t e p p e d - u p v e r s i o n of t h e w o r k h o u s e g r u e l
of o t h e r days. A n x i e t y is g e s t u r e d to w i t h
words,
those
terrible
please-God-andt h a n k - God - a n d - n o t h i n g - in - b e t w e e n
s p e e c h e s w h i c h p r o m i s e t h e poor m o s t of
t h e t h i n g s a b e g g a r m i g h t seek b u t d e n y
m e n a n d w o m e n t h e o n e t h i n g above all
t h e y need, j o b s in w h i c h t h e y c a n t a k e
pride.
I n t h e s e c i r c u m s t a n c e s we risk
t h e loss of t h e g r e a t e s t p r o p o r t i o n of
population since t h e f a m i n e .
T h e u n i n s p i r e d h a n d l i n g of t h i n g s a t
h o m e is clearly s e e n f r o m t h e d o o r - s t e p
of t h e hostel a n d b o t h y w h i c h a r e backg r o u n d e d a g a i n s t t h e h i g h h o r i z o n s of
B r i t i s h w a r i n d u s t r y . T h e exiles a r e not
in a n y mood to m a k e e x c u s e s for it. T h e y
m u s t be t h e b i t t e r e s t lot ever f o r c e d f r o m
t h e s e s h o r e s by c o n d i t i o n s . T h e y do not
b l a m e P a r t i t i o n , C o s g r a v e , De Valera,
I.R.A., Norton, L a r k i n . T h e y b l a m e everyt h i n g a n d c u r s e everybody. T h e I r e l a n d
t h e y freed h a s f a i l e d t h e m a n d it h u r t s .
H e r e t h e y a r e , t h e v e t e r a n s of t h e
T a n War and the youth who are near
e n o u g h to t h o s e d a y s to h a v e c a u g h t t h e i r
glow, f r u s t r a t e d , b e w i l d e r e d , r e a d y t o fly off
to C a n a d a or A u s t r a l i a if t h e o p p o r t u n i t y
o f f e r s . If t h e w a y s h o u l d o p e n t o t h e
U.S.A. t h e r e would be a s t a m p e d e . T h e y
a s k one t h i n g of G o d — n o t t o be s e n t back
home.
I T w a s a n e x c i t e m e n t in t h a t g l o o m to
J run into a young Irish engineer, himself a m o n g t h e r e c e n t l y exiled, w h o c h a l l e n g e d it all. H e w a s w o r k i n g w i t h t h e
A m e r i c a n s — s t i l l i s — a n d could t a l k of
little b u t t h e w o n d e r of t h e m a c h i n e s a n d
t h e g i a n t p l a n s t o w h i c h t h e y a r e opera t e d . T h e m a c h i n e r y itself
fascinated
h i m a n d h e got to k n o w it like a m e c h a n i c .
He t a l k e d e a g e r l y of t h e e a s e w i t h w h i c h
young Irishmen handled these instrum e n t s . He h a d d r a w i n g s , t a b l e s of costs,
pictures.
His experiences acted on him
like a r e v e l a t i o n a n d h i s o n e d e s i r e was
to g e t back a t t h e e n d of t h e w a r a n d to
•and
here•
PEADER O'DONNELl
famous
Irish
the
writer
reason
gives
why
take
back, too. a n u m b e r of
these
machines and the young Irishmen who
r e v e l in t h e m to s h a k e u p " t h e dopes a t
home.''
A f t e r t h i s m e e t i n g I s e t myself to dig
out other Irish e n g i n e e r s similarly e m p l o y e d , a n d a l t h o u g h n o t all a r e in t h e
g r i p of a r e v e l a t i o n , e v e r y l a s t m a n of
t h e m t h i n k s to a n e w h o r i z o n , a n d t h e y
a r e t h e one g r o u p I h a v e m e t a m o n g t h e
I r i s h in B r i t a i n w h o a r e f u l l of zeal to g e t
b a c k t o t a k e t h i s c o u n t r y a p a r t a n d res h a p e i t to a c c o m m o d a t e all of our people.
O n e w o n d e r s h a v e we p r o d u c e d a t l a s t
w h a t we h a v e l o n g n e e d e d , t h e T e c h n i c i a n , o n w h o m t h e v i s i o n t h a t drove u s
all h a s t a k e n its g r i p , b u t w h o c a n do
w h a t w a s beyond us, b l u e p r i n t it? If we
h a v e b e e n so lucky, t h e n t h e t e c h n i c i a n
s h o u l d be levered f o r w a r d to p l a y his role,
f o r life will h a v e p o u n d e d a t h i m , too,
a n d t h e people's n e e d s will h a v e c o m m u n i c a t e d t h e m s e l v e s t o h i m . I n f a c e of
t h e s e n e e d s h e will f i n d i n s p i r a t i o n w h e r e
our s t a t e s m e n merely suffer strokes.
W e w a n t f r o m h i m h i s b l u e p r i n t of t h e
r e m e d y a n d it is o u r j o b t o c o m m u n i c a t e
t h a t p i c t u r e to t h e p e o p l e a n d win t h e i r
b a c k i n g for it. T h e t e c h n i c i a n is o f t e n
n o t m u c h good a t c o m m u n i c a t i n g h i s own
p i c t u r e s , a n d in a n y c a s e d e m o c r a c y h a s
to o p e r a t e by p u t t i n g t h e people's p r o b l e m s to the scientist, a r c h i t e c t , engineer,
a n d t h e n work to t h e h o r i z o n s t h u s g i v e n ;
merely being a scientist, a n architect, an
e n g i n e e r h o w e v e r is n o t e n o u g h ; h e m u s t
be o n e of t h e i n s p i r e d f e w .
The low down on the Farm
(where votes decide the wages)
" 1 7 0 R m a n y years co-operative f a r m i n g
'
h a s b e e n a d v o c a t e d by m a n y p r o g r e s sive p e o p l e In I r e l a n d . R e s o l u t i o n s h a v e
b e e n p a s s e d a t m a n y c o n f e r e n c e s of t h e
L a b o u r P a r t y , u r g i n g t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t of
c o - o p e r a t i v e f a r m s , b u t o n l y o n e f a r m in
Ireland (Toghermore Co-operative Farm,
T u a m , Co. G a l w a y ) h a s a c t u a l l y b e e n
w o r k e d o n t h e co-operative s y s t e m consist e n t l y d u r i n g t h e p a s t 12 y e a r s .
1945
N i n e m e n r u n a u n i q u e 2 50a c r e f a r m in C o . G a l w a y , a n d
h e r e one of t h e n i n e — R . M.
BURKE,
Galway
Labour
L e a d e r — t e l l s h o w they d o it
a n d h o w o t h e r s could, too.
without any i m p r o v e m e n t s in t h e conditions
of t h e workers.
On a co-operative f a r m , on t h e o t h e r
h a n d , t h e t e s o l t of m o r e m a c h i n e r y would
be a better Income, a n d a higher s t a n d a r d
of living, with m o r e leisure, for every
worker.
T
O G H E R M O R E Co-operative F a r m , on
whieh I have worked, with n i n e o t h e r
men, for t h e past 12 years, contains about
250 s t a t u t e acres, fairly large fields a n d centrally situated buildings.
We h a v e meetings a t least once a m o n t h
— o f t e n e r if necessary—at which we discuss
all m a t t e r s concerning t h e m a n a g e m e n t of
the f a r m . Disagreements of any description a r e discussed a n d suggestions a r e always welcomed.
If u n a n i m o u s a g r e e m e n t Is not r e a c h e d on
any m a t t e r , t h e m a j o r i t y decision is accepted.
Our aim ha» always been to be f a i r and
Just to all concerned, a n d to work in unselfish co-operation, but I a d m i t t h a t there
have been difficulties and d i s a g r e e m e n t s
f r o m time to time. They have, however, alwayi been settled pe««eaMy.
The matter of wages is also decided by
majority vote, according to the funds available. Some workers get slightly more than
others, according t« the wtirk which they
p e r f o r m , but t h e dflfefeaoe.ln wages between
t h e lowest a n d t k » t U f t e s t jmM
the den
workers on the f a r m is only a m a t t e r of 1/6
per d a y .
U R average n e t weekly income, although
it h a s improved a little d u r i n g the past
few years, is still extremely small. One reason is t h a t agricultural prices in the 26
Counties a r e still far too low in proportion
to costs of production a n d cost of living.
( T h e yields per acre of m a n y crops have
been reduced during t h e p a s t few years owing to t h e shortage of m a n u r e s ) .
T h e working f a n n e r lias to pay far too
m u c h for t h e things which h e is obliged to
p u r c h a s e , owing to p r o f i t e e r i n g by capitalists
a n d t h e employment of too m a n y persons
(who should be producers) as middlemen.
T h e working f a r m e r s a n d labourers of
Eire get f a r less t h a n their f a i r share of the
National Income, while a s m a l l section of
the c o m m u n i t y get f a r M O R E t h a n their
fair s h a r e , in the form of big dividends,
r e n t s a n d profits, and u n d u l y high salaries.
In o r d e r to encourage y o u n g agriculturists to work on co-operative f a r m s , the Labour P a r t y should urge t h e G o v e r n m e n t to
establish even a small n u m b e r of co-operative f a r m s , in different p a r t s of the country, for demonstration purposes, a n d also to
establLsh m o r e agricultural colleges and experimental farms, in which t h e youth of the
country could be educated o n t h e many advantages of co-operative f a r m i n g
In t h e West of Ireland, w h e r e I live, the
average working f a r m e r is as badly off as
the f a r m labourer, and In m a n y eases the
working f a r m e r with a small "uneconomic"
holding is actually worse off than the
labourer
who has r e g u l a r
employment
t h r o u g h o u t t h e year. Yet a farm labourer,
in t h e West of Ireland, only receives £ 2 for
a M-hour week. Even the average farmer,
with what Is known as a n ' economic" holding. is very little. If anything, batter off.
Co-»P«*WYe- t w m ' would cerUtlnly lpcreasa the-output p e r . m a - h o u r
e » M « an H o d V r t e t V ^ S T i
O
r I THESE
are
the
p i c t u r e s we
need
e n t l y so t h a t we m a y see to w h a t
h o r i z o n s t h o s e in c h a r g e of our a f f a i r s a r e
w o r k i n g , a n d call h a l t if t h e y a r e u n worthy. W h a t for e x a m p l e have t h e city
a r c h i t e c t s of D u b l i n , C o r k , L i m e r i c k , G a l w a y . D e r r y , B e l f a s t t o s a y to u s of t h e i r
plans for pushing aside the basemented
p a s t a n d giving u s h o u s i n g s u i t a b l e f o r
m e n . w o m e n a n d c h i l d r e n ? f o r we w a n t
our cities t r a n s f o r m e d not p a t c h e d a n d
we w a n t p i c t u r e s of t h e t r a n s f o r m e d
cities NOW.
W h a t h a v e a r c h i t e c t s to s h o w u s of
s c h o o l s so e q u i p p e d a s to be t r a i n i n g
c e n t r e s f o r t h e e n j o y m e n t of t h e new
homes -schools with kitchens, refectories,
baths?
W h a t for example have the County
C o u n c i l e n g i n e e r s t o s h o w us in t h e w a y
of p l a n s for r u r a l h o u s i n g , w a t e r a n d
sewerage?
W h a t f o r e x a m p l e is n e e d e d by w a y of
i m p r o v e m e n t s in t e c h n o c r a c y a n d m e t h o d
f o r a g r i c i l t u r e to s m o t h e r t h e people in
food?
W h a t f o r e x a m p l e is t h e p o s i t i o n of outtextile industry a n d to w h a t limits can it
be p u s h e d — i n s h o r t , t h e d e m a n d s l i f e
m a k e s o n t h e people, especially t h o s e
u r g e n t o n e s of food, h o u s i n g , c l o t h i n g ,
p o w e r h a v e to be p a s s e d o n t o t h e s c i e n tist, architect, engineer for answer, choice
m a d e a m o n g the a n s w e r s a n d t h e way forward m a d e for the inspired technician to
g i v e t h e people h i s s e r v i c e .
T T N D E R t h e i m p a c t of m y m e e t i n g s w i t h
I r i s h e n g i n e e r s i n B r i t a i n I got t h e
i d e a of h a v i n g t h e exiled m e n a n d w o m e n
f r o m t h e v a r i o u s c o u n t i e s a n d cities a d d r e s s t h e m s e l v e s by w a y of w i d e l y - s i g n e d
memorials
to t h e i r
County
Councils
and
Corporations — supporting
the
m e m o r i a l s by d e p u t a t i o n s c r o s s i n g f r o m
B r i t a i n for the purpose—to the t h e m e :
" W e w a n t b a c k h o m e . W e w a n t jobs a t
t h e r i g h t w a g e s to c o m e b a c k to."
I p i c k e d on t h e C o u n t y C o u n c i l s a n d
Corporations for a few reasons, a m o n g
t h e m (a) t h a t t h e C o u n t y C o u n c i l s a n d
Corporations react readily to the people
w h o e l e c t e d t h e m ; (b) t h a t t h e p o l i t i c a l
d i v i s i o n s in I r e l a n d t o - d a y a r e p h o n e y ,
a n d by f a c i n g t h e Councils with a real
i s s u e like t h i s o n e m i g h t m a k e i t possible
f o r p r o g r e s s i v e s to c o m b i n e d e s p i t e t h e i r
P a r t y affiliations.
A n d I look f o r w a r d t o h a v i n g a n e n g i n e e r a m o n g c e r t a i n of t h e d e p u t a t i o n s . I
a m n o t n o w s u r e b u t t h a t t h e poultice is
p l a c e d a b i t f a r f r o m t h e s o r e by t h i s
m e t h o d , f o r while t h e w o r k e r s in B r i t a i n
w o u l d r a i s e t h i s cry t h e y a r e e n t i r e l y
w i t h o u t f a i t h in t h e p e o p l e a t h o m e .
S o m e t h i n g would h a v e t o b e d o n e h e r e t o
c o n v i n c e t h e m t h a t we a r e r e a l l y b e n t o n
b r e a k i n g w i t h our b e g g a r s ' p a s t .
I t w o u l d be well, I t h i n k , if, w i t h t h e
l e a s t p o s s i b l e delay, a n a u t h o r i t a t i v e p r o n o u n c e m e n t o n w h a t is t h e m i n i m u m
wages below which n o a d u l t worker in
I r e l a n d s h o u l d be e m p l o y e d to-day, w a s
made, a n d t h a t as a pledge, t h i s m i n i m u m
was p r o m p t l y conceded to every m a n a n d
w o m a n w o r k i n g for a p u b j i c b o d y — i n c l u d i n g t h o s e p e s t i l e n t i a l s o u r c e s of relief
works—the Land Commission and the
B o a r d of W o r k s .
T o w h a t test can a m a n , exiled from
rural Ireland, subject w o r d s w h e n he
k n o w s t h a t his brother Is paid a wage by
th* C o u n t y Counoll w h i c h forces him to
h a l f - m u r d e r himself In rain and slush,
half-clad, h a l f - s h o d ?
W h e n he knows
t h a t h i s brother compuisorlly held at
h o m e for turf production h a s to mouch
round Dublin for the w i n t e r unwanted,
forgotten?
If t h e I r i s h In B r i t a i n d o succeed in
addressing themselves to their County
C o u n c i l s a n d C o r p o r a t i o n s , a n d in stirr i n g t h e m to a c t i o n , It will s t i l l be necess a r y t o h a v e a r e l a y s t a t i o n in D u b l i n
a r o u n d w h i c h a c o n t i n u o u s p u r p o s e could
be o r g a n i s e d . If t h e y d o n ' t m a n a g e t o
break t h r o u g h , then the first step should
be t a k e n t h e r e , f o r t h e r e t u r n of t h a t
q u a r t e r of a million, a n d a l l t h a t is tied
u p in it, is a c h a l l e n g e w h i c h we d a r e n o t
dodge.
With acknowledgments
la "The Bell."
P r l n l e * by Blpfey P r i n t i n g Society Ltd.
( T U . I . Rioter, rietbys., <r*1 publltfMd &
theUMIt^. Planter
>5f
t f f i » • « . L o n d a n , W.C.i.