The Imperial Parliament will retain control of the collection of
taxes, of land purchase, of Old Age Pensions, and of National Insurance, but the two latter will be transferred to the Irish Parliament on demand subject to a year's notice. This sounds like a restriction. As a matter of fact, all it means is that the Imperial Parliament will act as tax collector for the Irish Parliament, will lend Ireland its credit in the matter of land purchase, and will find the money for Old Age Pensions and National Insurance. In these circumstances, and if one is asked whether the Irish Parliament will ever demand the right to pay for its Old Age Pensions and its National Insurance contributions, is it possible to do any- thing but adopt once more the music-hall formula, " Yes, I don't think I " P The Post Office will be run entirely by the Irish Parliament, who will no doubt find the large amount of patronage involved very useful. The Royal Irish Constabulary is to remain under the Imperial Parliament for the first six years.
Previous page
