Villanova Digital Library - Sinn fein, v. 2, no. 18, Saturday, February 23, 1924. :: Digital Library@Villanova University

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Full Title	Sinn fein, v. 2, no. 18, Saturday, February 23, 1924.
Date Added	17 November 2021
Format	Newspaper
Language	English Irish
Publish Date	1924-02-23
Publisher	Dublin [Ireland] : Sinn Fein Printing and Pub. Co.,
Source	Joseph McGarrity Collection
Topic	Ireland > Newspapers.
About	More Details Permanent Link
Disclaimers	Disclaimer of Liability Disclaimer of Endorsement

OCR 2 LABOUR AND OUR ECONOMIC ' PROGRAMME No. 1. In''considering our present economic position, and its possible fiture develop- ment, it is of primary importance to give ,_ Serious thought to i workers, their education, * and proper organisation. To make a deep study of (Mis question in all its « vill Weil ‘iepay Republicans, Thai'tye workers in town and countr have been the ost faithful custodians of our National tradi- tions in our secular fight? Mori is an unassailable PreBosition, Iti is like- wise unassailable that it is the? work of the country upon w hom we'must rely the Republic to rium he Iti they, therefore, eho deserve first consi. deration in the Republicr- omic edifice which we are engaged structing. It cannot pe gainsaid that the devotion of the Ir. workers to the national ques- tion was one of the primary ons for the stow developnyent of labour organisa- in Ireland. It is equally: true that no country in Europe there a greater need for c nisation among the workers to defend themselves from) cn- scrupulous employers, and win for ‘them- and their families worthy conditions \s instances of the truth o! one has but to cite the degr ditions of the q@ay labourers » and the linen wofkers of Belfast re A ne y rs great pr has been made in th development trade and labour unions, and: a big: iy provement in the condition of the Worker has followed... There are now but few workers not altiliated with their own trade organisations, and “the time has come when the t played by organised labour in the economic. progress of our country can be studied with advantage by Repith- cans. Possible new lines of thought and action n suggest to. the student who see’ is scheme providing great aterial wand spiritual advantages for the worker pari passu with greater prog the Republic, The fight of the worker in Ireland for a mere existence for himself and his family has been so-severe that but scant con- sideration has been given to his phy and intellectual upliftin trades and Jabour unions in Ireland sinee their foundation have been almost concerned with questions ef hours and conditions of labour, and w Wik le ade sand prosjerity for e to the spread of education among the orkers in very little has. been achieved so far in this direction. In the years or soa big: change th the wutlook of the work e the world over, and greate eS certain to take place in the “eto if not indeed in the actual economic positior of the worker in the decade to come. the worker in Ireland is to be fitted to take his place in this general advance, and if he is to be fitted to worthily fulfil the heavy responsibilities of ich are sure to be cast upon him. in the. near much ntore attention must be given to his general cducati: ‘That ede ation must not alone cc t in trained crafts- van, Knowing the theory as well as the of his trade or profession, but in Treland must have every to sceure such g education: as will ma adily underst nd not alone the ghts and duties of citizenship, but the eneral principles of econcmies, political and social science, by which he would be enabled to underst theory and practice ment. It should be the purpose ef Republicans to make certain: that i facilities should by ured for the worker and culture, opportunity afforded him broad and him and that such education must have as it princ’ iple the d, foundation and guiding national tradition of a separate distinct and truly Gaelic in its tee and thoroughly progressive in its outlooi So far, thé Dublin trades apprenti have never availed. thents elves as they ought of the facilities, such 2 offered them by the Technic: al “se hools and around .the city. If we look for the reason is we shall surely discover that it is primarily due to a want of true appreciation of the value of education on the part of the workers. Half a century ago the belief t t, that the arti not need to he uted. In fact it was felt that a ycod ation was more a hindrance than an advantage to a Hood workman. — The apprentice picked up his trade as best he could from the crafteman i in the ‘ orkshor the know The bright prrentice, who had I da little mathe- atics or geometry, and attempted to position of et , independence borrowed distinc tion. sinn soon tad While ul inst education in the workshop to-day is nething | what it Was fifty lears ago, it is Certain’ that a nod deal of i ignorance still survives. It was held: then, too, and indeed is still believed, that the boy who took kindly to his books, and managed to get a little nfore education than the average Was too clever to hecome an artisan, He, therefore, was made a_ cle or shop ssistant, and h a’ semi-edueated, haif-superioe type of worker, distinetly amateurish. in train- ing and lacking practical technical education. «Those. bovs whe receive, such an_ aimless, unprofessional education rc- ceive put a poor'wage as jerk or nt. This is, to be expected. i Pas top-wape is Small, but many of coming fron respectable families, are d ed in Ireland— they .are people of solid ours virtugs of great moral value—give “that apply it to the job on hands, that nonsense knocked out of him. rejudice a one ere clerical ¢ eu tr foeked and rather valueless It.must be the duty of, the progres sive labour leader to see artisans and skilled workers, should suffér in no way from de ve edu i ployed, too, will find it tor encourage facilities for the technical cducation upprentices. Education will pro- A better equipped, more expert and his ‘class, mote dise ri tined ‘artisan, and a more sclf- re self-respecting man and 4eitizen, he attempts that 1, in my own tine have seen made Isy Dublin workmen * 16 found co-Gperative trading connection, with their tr: have failed becau . education, and more technical what is le D ess. training, in the men charged with t P direction and management of these ventures.» No nian ean make ja success 6f a concern unless he is teared to iis as the farmérs sayy or is trained: in : _methods of organi tion, its technicalitic intelligence sulle tently developed to ine unexpected difficult Phe combination to an art or craft and it at the same time should. rode the best worker in all gr rades of si ocidtyy and bring with it edus tion, or “come 1 sae i to. generation ‘for’ incre: singly better work, “hen founding co-operative "enter. should st our trades unionists for the position of director from amongst themselves. aman who has received a good education, good techni training in the trade or ‘industry concerned, and who has been reared to it or has had experience in si raving ‘should! give hi their confidence and accept loyally Bs decisions and regulations. It would — re the workers of and to select “from amongst members a small group of trai minds to devote serious thought to this This ereup should he made experts in cdued ci Sor manager, Possible, é z tion in. particular. sent for a year or nN to Gert France, Italy, and Denmark, and, Me and Australia, to study. condition th pun lopment of educ: working cla in “all these countries. The next article will speak ‘of | some successful enterprises, ‘o-operative lines, carried on in Italy and elsewhere, SEAN T. O CEALLAIGH. IRISH HORSES FOR THE CONTINENT Within the past week Italian buyers of horses have put in an appearance in large numbers in Brittany, and hav ade im- portant purchases in. the neighbourhood Brest. Morlaix and other” centres, Prices have gone up in censequence; there are no nore colts to be had; the price of a good mare is from £37 to £4o (even ing the rate of exchange at 100 fr; whilst horses 18 to 20 months. old re: salise from £24 to £30. [have no information at my disposal enabling me to compare tl figures with the present cost of horses in Irelar vhich is, however, cer- tainly far less than “in 1921, when the ge value of geldings ‘exported sland was set down, for statistical pur- poses, at £30, and of mares £ If Ircland had even one, ship at its di posal, <quipped specially for the transport of ‘horses to I believe that means could be found aheeby a lucrative trade, not confined to horses alone. could be hese et was” Hooded Brest than they are to. TLonién, rein established on ound basis. ~ It should he possible wo conciliate local French in- terests, and at the same timeto’ secure a market in this country for Irish horses. Direet shipment is, however, for many reasons; one transport charges ‘would duced to # mininzum. : map shows us that the distance from Dublin to Brest is but slightly more than that which separates pep and London, whilst Cork and Waterfo: essential to There is avother class of horse trathe which’ might. very casily 4esbuilt_ up be nen Jand and nee; there is constant denfind in Paris, and other pops jous Centres for horses fer butcher Purposes. London horse butchers do privi rade with Paris in horse meat, nut French « “impor ters would’ much prefer te butcher the horses them. selves. HoFses could be shipped dixect _ from Ireland to France, and we should not alone any: false plea ef bumanitarianism, * ulged in sometimes by those whe hold nren"s lives and il yunt, 16,. find a t continental mar Paris aon could such he doubt, be “worth from £ to Iris st xporters, whilst anitnals of this kind ‘at present practically vale Ireland, and the shipping eomps freight would ae subticss amount to another £10,000 at lea Perhaps a ap g company might be started on co-operative lines and” guaran- tees obtained from horse exporters, in Ircland and purchasers in this. as to exclude interests interefering the project: When Dublin in 1942, the} partment culture in Dublin was alowed to prohibit the shipment of horse boat; théreby* hangs ¢ a ay’ worth unfolding on sonte future oceasio nhs The Gevelopment: of trade with. F would, of céurse, be a compa 1 simple matter, if Treland’ were free to with this country a comme sed exclusively on the miuteal nd and France. RNEY. to Brandonsia Fo cal da while on my way. Lavais told the ‘fa was raging in that district and that the jifiabi tants were on the verge of starvation HUNGER INCPTHE 1 regret I have to record above account of conditions as | need not visit a single ¢ cabin to conclude the terrible plight of poor fishernen, and their families—hunyer inthe very air. The thin faces of “the little “children sas sight’ L remember visiting the place about threé years ayo to investigate conditions there then. Tam not ting when say things are a hundred “times worse to- PEOPLE WILL NOT BEG. In consultation with few curers and fishermen I got surprising aceounts of case in dire distress. A number have no pota toes, no flour, no Indian meal, no tea or milk—for months ; they refuse to beg and are kept alive through the charity of same CAUSE Ok rae —FAILURE VO CATCH FISH. Although a big number of fishermen went to sea night after night during the autumn fishing season, very Jittle fish was caug! For the past fortnight the bay has heen searched. and not a single trout was netted, t seems strange that “althougis the fisher: men, very often, go over 20 miles to se in a canoe, and) spend whole nights in search of fish, still they. retum morning after morning without fruit or reward. LIVING ON NINE SHILLINGS FOR SIX MONTHS. re tha e Public may fully realise sual pr of fishermen living on the slopes, of Mount Brandon—without a 1—T hereunder figures perch which are official :— | ofl | Amount | Year |No. of No | paid to | Aver- | fisher jaan No. of | fisher- age men jeuring j barrels {men and]... per en- red ri heed __ | e88ed | senged | a | | t 1918) 130 (70 | 4,200 | £12,600 | £6 0 1922 0 | 80 [2497 |. 1.884 | 19 10 1923 | 120 | 60 | ai 6) 2 4 N.B.—White Cross relief was distribu- 9 L ted 1 These figures are for autumn fishing /.e., commencing 1st of August each year. Little Vo rue Eprror ov Sixx Fray. Chara, It is somewhat surprising to note that .after several. weeks’ discussion of, a proposed economic programme no - ong has yet referred to the drink problem. Can it be that Republicans, ike their oP ponents, are afraid of the I have very little pretensions Stet ‘he title ot economist, but I have confidence enough in ‘myself to believe that an economic pro- mme must ‘begin with very radical ae mands for restricting the sale of drink 4 if it-is toybe ‘any Worth, Ther urel somei thing. istrangeinsthe facts that while every other country, includin orthern has a_ stror prohibitionist “ Southern Ireland has no Grganisation giving aiv “ae tention to the-drink question. im ago the Rev. Dr Cofley made the astound. ing statement that temyerance advocates had got ce the fact that ‘moral ailed.” While. some of us who have, been a long time in the world. cannot remember that. moral suasion * ever was tried, jhe gemark great signi 5 5 From phe edusational point of view, likewise, ‘ihe’ subject deserves i Itis not cPeditable to our reputitior as saints or scholirs, that so many iners have a.genu that interference with the consumption “Or drink will irr vocably ruin’ their, property by lessening the demand for Barley. 1 have heard the argument put forward se is ain and n iy nen who were by tio’ means at the bottom of the social Tadd Yet, Sinn in clubs citen ask what would, be a useful subject to bring before th bers as an educational exercise ! ir mem= (One may not believe the story that in in partsof the country children school hit e bee Ioand arunk from powen, but everyone with even one ¢ that drinking prevails to an ext cient to mae ach ask of curing it me verely a mor tl duty t father and 4 Nother Who would Wish to sce thei r, children Secured from the horrible evi cont J. McCARTHA, Loankwatd Crescent, ewarthill, "ne Motpege ell, feotland. ei Chara,—Having noted Sovietism in Treland.” cout date oth Feb., 1 ould Tike, te sibl ted and Conente pee in vie poliey advocated) hy. the vs Connol lis ideal: Was. Rene th in ail the land and aM therein nita a duction and distrib ition, should gud controlled by the people. for the people. Now, surely the problem sail not ie difficult to Saive when, Wwe hatte he chains ich bind us to Imper nd. Tt ria is ‘Ino to all that there av ee tials to human life— essen- food, Glothing, and s se thi being a public wssity, is it then tnreasonaile for the Dubie to org sitie er hand, “will they Is ve ‘te wont of this important public supply t need t the inate profit an th pre nd when thee cumot d> this, the ponpie. have to go with out. cont. although the county able to produce eno ough. and to to Keep the entire population in comfort, we have the deplorable: spect ele of thousands and sisters on the verze of ind without Mdecont or adequate Honsing, Under a system of production for profit, eve citizen, could Hook fora! to 2 life’ of ity, and social pr », without Feat xiety ior. ‘he fntar Of cow «1 of, or this would not the is tever cre Nows the capitalist Pre this ‘system at that so. TH er and thinker, Lenin, realised that it ras impossible, in the case of any isolated pation. to carry out this in i entirety, and, ‘recog t this Policy must adopted ficrnationally, Within ‘a meas ble distance of his ig ra he ise fiat it would be politig toa se. i lara w ad” be ahordinate! to the rest of the tate... This slizht con- ce rhe | toe Italien was inevitable, in view of the ov Jed. rd to the hunger of. the easantry. the Soviet Govern- ment allowed Mie small Jandholders to re- ion. eving that van human light to the Western World, as Russia is to the Eastern. and. im peri able monn ment to ovr lead on 9 the inité- ative and inteltigence of t Mba forming. sir, that. this mine merit publica- tion in > that ‘yaiwable: paper, Stxn Fer oe PAT CREGAN. |

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