an grant the whole of the cost where
necessary. It is easy to appreciate what a difference this important
reform must make, not merely to the landscape or to the comfort and
health of the children, but to the general efficiency of pupils and
teachers alike. There is, however, still much room for improvement. The
grants hitherto given have been sadly inadequate, and in order to
provide suitable school buildings, even in those cases alone where the
present structures are actually a danger to the health of the children,
it would be necessary to make grants at the rate of about L100,000 a
year for the next 4 or 5 years, after which they might be reduced to
L50,000.

Another satisfactory development is the increase of teachers' salaries
which has taken place during the last two decades. In 1895, the average
income from State sources of principal teachers in primary schools was
L94 in respect of men, and L79 in respect of women. By 1910, it had
risen to L112 and L90 respectively. Notwithstanding this, their
financial position, especially in large and important schools in centres
where the cost of living is high, is not yet as good as it ought to be,
if it be compared with that of similarly situated teachers in England
and Scotland. As for the incomes of assistant teachers, they also have
risen in the same period from L61 for men, and L49 for women, to L81 and
L68 respectively, and the money, though still insufficient, is now being
paid for a better article. Readjustment of numbers in the higher grades
of national teachers is also required, so as to enable all efficient
teachers who have complied with the conditions of service to receive the
increases of salary to which they are entitled. The cost of such a
readjustment would be about L1,000 a year for the present, but the
expense would gradually increase, and might ultimately amount to L18,000
per annum. For the convenience of the profession, it is also desirable
that salaries should be paid monthly, instead of quarterly, to the
teaching staffs of the schools. The expenditure (non-recurring) required
under this head would be about L280,000, with an additional yearly sum
of L5,000, due to increased cost of administration. That a Dublin
Parliament would welcome or even less be able to satisfy these various
demands upon its purse without further taxation is extremely improbable,
especially in view of Mr. Birrell's warning that the finances of Home
Rule would be a very "tight fit