Some curious evidence has been given before the Royal Commission
on the Financial relations between Great Britain and Ireland. The Freeman's Journal (July 6th) reports that Mr. Herbert Murray, Chairman of the Board of Customs, stated that in the year 1892.93 the amount spent on tobacco per head of population was in England 5s. lfd.; in Scotland, Cs, Qd.; and in Ireland, Os. and a small decimal. The same witness declared that he was informed that the Irishman was a better judge of tobacco than the Saxon, and that better tobacco bad to be supplied to the South and West of Ireland than to the North. He could offer no explanation of the fact that Ireland's expenditure on tobacco had been increasing since 1889, except that during those years Ireland was more prosperous in agriculture than England. The situation is very Hibernian. While we have been weeping over the poverty and misery of Ireland, the Irishman has been consoling himself with an extra pipe of specially fine tobacco. He doubtless needs it to help him keep up the solemn farce which has to be daily played for the edification of the Gladstonian tourist.
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