IRELAND AFTER SIX YEARS
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Your correspondent, " Thirty Years Reader," in his desire to indict the Government of the Irish Free State, is guilty of a number of inaccuracies.
1. The terms given by the Free State Land Act arc fifteen years' purchase, not " from ten to twelve." 2. No definite terms of purchase were given by previous Land Acts. Twenty years' purchase was sometimes obtainable about twenty years ago, but in any comparatively recent sales the terms have ranged between seventeen and eighteen years' purchase.
' 3. No " War appreciation " has ever been recognized by " upright England." The Land Act of 1881 provided for a periodical revision of rents, but between 1914 and 1921, the Irish Land Commission (which was under the control of a British Chief Secretary) did not increase rents.
4. The 23 per cent. deduction from outstanding arrears is not deducted to pay the cost of collection, but is an allowance to the tenants. such as is often made voluntarily by landlords when times are hard, and weather conditions unfavourable. Having regard to the difficulty of collecting rent in the last two or three years in Ireland, I personally am thankful to get 75 per cent. of my outstanding arrears, and am grateful to the Free State Government for relieving me of the odium of collection, legal proceedings, &c. But some people are
never satisfied.—I am, Sir, &c., AGRIPPA.
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