Mr. Giffen on Friday, May 3rd, gave some interesting evidence
before the Royal Commission on the financial re- lations between Great Britain and Ireland. He stated it to be his opinion that the proposal to construct a submarine tunnel between Ireland and Scotland was "not beyond the reach of engineering skill ; " and that if carried out it would be of great political and commercial advantage both to Ireland and Great Britain by increasing passenger traffic and facilitating the transfer of goods from the one country to the other without breaking bulk. Although it might not be possible to convince private capitalists beforehand that such a work would yield a profit, "the prospective advantages, direct and indirect, to the United Kingdom were so great that he would be in favour of the State itself undertaking it irre- spective of any estimate of profit or loss." The fact that the tunnel between Great Britain and Ireland has gained so able a supporter as Mr. Giffen, is a fact of great importance; and we entirely endorse the opinion, provided the cost would not be too great, that the Government might well assist by guarantee- ing interest, say, at 2 per cent. for twenty years, on half the capital required. Unquestionably the tunnel would be a great Unionist measure. As a preliminary, why should not a Com- mission be appointed to inquire as to (1) the possibility of constructing the tunnel, (2) the best position, (3) the probable cost. Such a Report would let a great deal of daylight into the scheme.
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