LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE AGRARIAN PROBLEM IN IRELAND. ITo THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:1 Sia,—Will you kindly allow me to correct two trifling errors in my letter upon the above subject in the Spectator of March 13th, and to explain a statement which, though correct as it stands, is nevertheless, I find, misleading ?

I mentioned that the number of holdings, according to the Census Returns, of thirty acres each and upwards was 152,139. I ought to have written 150,139. Again, I said that the number of holdings under fifteen acres was 226,454, whereas the exact number is 226,453. This last error, if it stood alone, would be too trifling to notice ; but as I desire to be strictly accurate, I may as well take this opportunity to correct it.

Now as to the misleading statement. Speaking of the amount of the judicial rental, T said :—" So far, therefore, judicial rents are about 7 per cent. over the tenement valuation." This is quite true, as any one can see for himself by taking the figures I gave in the preceding sentence, and working out a rule-of- three sum. But as will be seen from the very interesting and instructive tables which I give below, the above statement is very far from being the truth in Ulster, where the judicial rents are, on the average, nearly 5 per cent. under the valuation; or in Munster, where the old rental had been 51 per cent. over the valuation, and the judicial rental is still nearly 24 per cent. above it; while in Leinster and Connaught judicial rents are 12 per cent. over the valuation.

These tables show how very misleading bald statements as to averages are, and also how unreliable Griffith's valuation is as a basis of value. They also reveal the fact that in Ulster, where law and order generally obtain, and where, therefore, the National League has the least influence, advantage has been taken of the Land Act of 1881 to a much greater extent than in the other Provinces. In saying this, I do not iutend to convey that the National League has been always opposed to tenants taking advantage of the Act; but in Ulster the farmers generally seemed disposed to accept it as a final settlement of the Land Question, whereas out of that Province the tenants have been holding back, in the expectation that as a result of continued agitation there would be further legislation in their favour, and that they would not, therefore, be well advised in binding them- selves to pay a fixed rent for fifteen years.

It is gratifying to me to find that Sir James Caird's figures, in his letter to the Times of Monday, March 29th, very nearly

tally with mine as regards the number and valuation of those holdings, which, speaking roughly, are of a size to admit of the occupiers living and thriving.

I ascertained from the Census Returns that there were about 150,000 such holdings, representing a valuation of £7,290,000.

Sir James Caird, adopting the figures given in Parliamentary Paper C,-2,934, 1881, as regards the number of separate holdings, and those given in "Thorn's Official Almanac" for the

values of these holdings, shows that there were 121,799 holdings of £25 each and upwards, representing a total valuation of £7,045,000.

I said in my last letter that the occupiers of such holdings had a direct interest in the maintenance of the connection with England in its present form, and the further I inquire, the more I hear that many of these persons already realise what will be in store for them when Home-rule comes, and are long- ing for the advent of a strong Government to put down dis- order, and to enable them to enjoy in peace the fruits of the recent land legislation, and to become the owners of their hold- ings upon the easy terms offered by the Legislature. " There is," therefore, as Sir James Caird put it in the letter referred to, " no need of any heroic remedy, no occasion for the risk of a vast addition to the National Debt." But this view assumes that obedience to the law will be enforced,—an easy assump- tion indeed, if England would but believe that she would have on her side in upholding order in Ireland every man who has

anything to lose, but who, in the absence of any real Govern- ment save that of the League, will not—nay, cannot be expected to—incur the danger of losing his life or property by opposing the de facto Government.

If, however, obedience to the law is not to be enforced, then there is nothing between an adoption by England of an heroic remedy and the abandonment by her of the landowning class. But an "heroic remedy" does not mean a purchase measure for the benefit of mortgagees. It means, or it should mean, a measure which will ensure to every landowner an equivalent for the income which he will otherwise lose. To such a measure, how- ever, the British taxpayer will not consent ; and as he will not, I for one would much prefer to run my chance with my fellow- countrymen than see my properly compulsorily purchased upon terms much below the value for the sole benefit of mortgagees.

Table of Rents fixed by Irish Land ro3nmission up to Dec. 31st, 1885.

No. of Acreage Province. Rents Statute I Tenement Former Rent. Judicial

pned,1 hitasure. Valuatiot. Rent.

R. r. p.l a s. d. E P. 41. E s. d. .Ulster 82,167 1,888,9(8 0 711,093,081 9 1 1,264.377 19 10 L031,646 17 5

Leinster 20,513 761,861 3 23 461,251 10 5 625,872 19 4 520.935 9 6 Connaught 43.949. 934,763 1 3 337,540 19 5 470,127 1 8 378,182 2 4 Munster 25,320 1,156 697 1 21, 5154.75 13 7 778,413 10 10 637,730 10 2

Total 172,449,4,737,227 2 142,396.949 12 6 3,138,791 11 32.568,49} 19 5 Table showing Average Judicial Rent per Acre compared with -Former Rent and Valuation.

Tenement Va'ua$ion.

Province— s. d.

Ulster 11 6 Leinster 12 1 Connaught ..... 7 2 Munster 8 10 Four Provinces. 10 0

Former Rent Judicial Rent.

s. d. s. d.

13 5 10 11 16 4j 13 8 10 Of 8 1 13 51 11 0 13 3 10 11f

Table z,houino the Relation of Former and Judicial Rents to Valuation.

Tenement Former Judicial Reduction Province— Valuation. Rent. Rent. per cent.

Ulster

100 116 ' 95 2 18'4 Leinster .... . 100

135.7

112'9

16.8

Connaught ... 100 1392 112'0 19'5 Munster 100 151'1

123.8 18.0

--

--- 100 131'0 18'0

Four Prvnes.

107'1