From the Right Hon. H. M. Pollock, Minister of Finance,
Northern Ireland
IT will be recalled that Mr. Churchill, in the early period of his attractive and picturesque political career, suggested the division of the country into a number of federal units, such a policy being directed to relieve the congested condition of business prevailing at Westminster. This suggestion met with derision at the time. Never- theless, within a comparatively short period, the experi- ment was undertaken in Ireland, and Ulster is now approaching the end of her first decade of life as a State with federal relationship to the Kingdom.
It is, however, still questionable whether any ecoItl- siderable number of Englishmen or Scotsmen appreciate e Ulster's exact Constitutional status. The official title of Ulster, given in the Government of Ireland Act as " Northern Ireland," is suggestive to the English mind of revolt and rebellion, but this is due either to ignorance or forgetfulness of the fact that Ulster is, and always has been, more intensely national in the real British sense of the word than any part of the Kingdom. Her attach- ment to the British Crown is thus not merely the rhodomontade of a political caucus, but is dictated by the existence of a partnership in a great and glorious Imperial enterprise. Connected with Britain racially, lingually and economically, Ulster has always boasted an Imperial outlook and has given many of her sons to the service of the Empire. This is the -mainspring of political thought and action in the Ulster of to-day.
Apart from ties of sentiment, the material interests not only of Ulster but of Great Britain are -involved. The free intercourse of trade, which is an essential element of federalism, gives Britain as unrestricted a market in Ulster as Lancashire has- with Yorkshire, whilst Ulster, • on the other hand, has the inestimable advantage of an open market in Britain -for the products of her soil, her looms and factories. - Further, the interdependence of the systems of Jurisprudence in the two areas offers a definite guarantee to Ulster citizens that the highest Courts in the realm are always available.
Contrary to the feeling of hesitancy which existed in Ulster as to the outcome of the Constitutional- change, the institution of the federal principle has had the effect of strengthening the ties binding Ulster to the Kingdom. Year by year we witness evidence of this ; as a holiday resort, the scenic beauties of the Province continue to attract a constantly enlarging number of visitors from Britain ; associations of various learned bodies and professions hold their conferences in Belfast ; sportsmen are beginning to discover that both in fishing and shooting Ulster offers many attractions, whilst the " Ards Circuit " has become famoim as the scene of the R.A.C. Tourist Trophy Race. These are the visible. signs of a closer affinity, and the complete absence of any so-called " National " proclivities in the Irish sense of the word is the surest indication of the British allegiance of Ulstermen.
The educational system has been entirely reorganized, the housing problem, which was very acute in our industrial centres, has been energetically attacked, and is now practically solved. Agricultural development is also receiving close attention. .
Looking -back over the comparatively short period of Ulster's autonomous life the Provincial Government can claim a record of honest and, to a large extent, successful endeavour to promote the well-being of the people, and many other beneficial activities are proceeding as rapidly as is consistent with careful finance,
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