§ 13. Mr. LYNCHasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether any instances have been brought to his notice of cases where landlords in county Clare have not compiled with the Tillage Regulations; and, if so, whether any steps have been taken in such cases to secure observance of the law?
§ Mr. DUKEI assume the question to refer to landlords who are "occupiers" of their land. On that assumption the answer to both parts of the question is in the affirmative. I would further refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his question on Monday last.
§ 14. Mr. LYNCHasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he can state, even approximately, the number of acres in county Clare now used for cattle ranches and which could be made avail able for tillage if divided between the uneconomic holders?
§ Mr. DUKEI am not in a, position to furnish even an approximate estimate of the kind suggested in the question. Perhaps I may say I assume the question to refer to grazing lands. It is a little misleading to describe them as cattle ranches.
§ Mr. LYNCHEven on that assumption, has it been brought to the notice of my right hon. Friend that there are thousands of acres available which could be made productive for food, and that that is really one cause of the unrest which prevails in county Clare and elsewhere in Ireland?
§ Mr. DUKENo, Sir. Every means that can. be legitimately taken by the Executive in Ireland has been taken to bring an unprecedented quantity of arable land into cultivation. My hon. Friend refers to unrest. There has developed in Ireland in the course of the last three or four weeks a criminal conspiracy for interfering with the ownership and occupation of land, and I cannot discuss any question of unrest in face of a combination of this kind.
§ 16. Major NEWMANasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether cases have been brought to his notice where owners of land are prevented from complying with the Tillage Order owing to their being boycotted and their workmen intimidated from continuing in their employment by men who desire to get possession of the land to cultivate in conacre themselves; that then, owing to their being unable in the specified time to comply with such Tillage Order, inspectors of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) enter on the land, take it from the owner under a Defence of the Realm Regulation, and divide it out for cultivation in conacre, possibly to the parties who themselves imposed the boycott and intimidated the workmen; and, if so, will he take steps to deal drastically with this procedure?
§ Mr. DUKESeveral cases have occurred in which occupiers of land have claimed that they were prevented from complying with the Tillage Regulations owing to boycotting. If, as a result of inquiry, 'the Department of Agriculture are satisfied that the statements made by the occupiers are well-founded, the lands are not entered upon, and the procedure suggested in the hon. and gallant Member's question is not adopted. It is impracticable to carry out the provisions of the Defence of the Realm Regulations in connection with lands which are definitely boycotted.
§ Major NEWMANMight I send the right hon. Gentleman a case in point?