er the provisions of the Act of Union, and upon
the ground that she has for many years been, and now is,
contributing towards the public revenue a share much in excess of
her relative taxable capacity; I think that Great Britain as a
manufacturing and trading country would in the course of time be
amply repaid by the increase of prosperity and purchasing power in
Ireland for any additional burdens which this annual grant to
Ireland might involve. Looked at simply as a matter of good policy,
it would be that often advocated with regard to Crown Colonies of
Imperial expenditure with a view to the development of a backward
portion of the Imperial estate. Ireland is so much nearer to and
more exclusively the customer of the trading and manufacturing
districts of Great Britain than any Colony, that this argument in
her case should have redoubled weight. It is at least probable
that, if in place of the fitful method of casual loans and grants
hitherto pursued, there was a steady, persevering, and
well-directed application of public money by way of free annual
grant towards increasing the productive power of Ireland, the true
revenue derived from that country might in time be no longer in
excess of its relative taxable capacity."[79]

The wisdom of this Liberal Chancellor of the Exchequer makes a strange
contrast with the folly of the Radical Chief Secretary, who tells
England to "cut the loss" at the moment of Ireland's rapid progress
because Irish Old Age Pensions have exceeded in number the reckless
anticipation of the Right Hon. Mr. Lloyd George.

A SUGGESTION FOR STATE TRANSIT OF HOME-GROWN PRODUCE.

The present writer ventures to suggest that under a general scheme of
Tariff Reform, the home-grown food supply of the United Kingdom might be
generally increased and cheapened, and Ireland, along with the other
agricultural districts of the United Kingdom greatly developed, by an
extension of the principle of the Parcel Post, and the constitution of a
great Home-Grown Commodity Consignment Service worked through
arrangements between the Post Office, the Railway Companies, the
Agricultural Departments and Farmers' Co-operative Associations. The
railways already provide special rates for farm produce. But if the
system were organised by the State in connection with the Railways and
Agricultural Associations, and the parcel post e