126 REPORT OF THE SCOTTISH COMMISSION 



2. Rural Industries 



It was more difficult to teach the Irish people rural industries 

 than it was to teach them domestic economy or agriculture, inas- 

 much as they knew something about domestic economy and agri- 

 culture, because both were part and parcel of their lives. They 

 knew nothing about home industries. The industrial habit had 

 died out in the country. Housekeeping and agriculture had to be 

 improved ; home industries had to be created. But the creation 

 of them was an absolute necessity. Many of the holdings in Ireland 

 are uneconomic and until Ireland becomes a much more industrial 

 country than it is to-day they will remain uneconomic, for there is 

 not available land in the country to provide economic holdings for 

 all those who are dependent on the land for a living. The only 

 hope for them is that they may be made economic by the assistance 

 of some kind of subsidiary industry. Sir Horace Plunkett and his 

 friends were cheered by the example set them in connection with 

 home industries by different Continental countries, particularly 

 Wurtemburg. There, fifty years ago, agriculture was depressed. 

 There was no home industry, and the people were in a state of 

 extreme poverty. Home industries were introduced and developed 

 and the people of Wurtemburg to-day are carrying on a great in- 

 dustrial trade in their homes side by side with their agricultural 

 work, facing and fighting the competition of steam and electricity, 

 and succeeding beyond their wildest dreams. 



The Department desires to follow in the footsteps of Wurtemburg. 

 It provides, with that object in view, instruction in carpentry, 

 building construction, wood-carving, metal and glass-work, boot- 

 making, lace-making, crochet, embroidery, hosiery, weaving, shirt- 

 making, etc. It not only gives technical instruction in regard to 

 these, it gives financial assistance on the ground that these industries 

 are in their experimental stage, that they are infant industries, and 

 that they are necessary for the good of the country. Once on the 

 inclined plane of State aid, it is not difficult to go far and justify the 

 going. There is even a temptation to go too far. This is one of the 

 temptations in Ireland. 



We should explain that there is no attempt in Ireland, as there has 

 been no attempt in Wurtemburg, to create home industries by 

 which the people of the country could wholly maintain themselves. 

 The object in view is to create industries which will fill up spare 

 time, give occupation to the members of the family who would not 

 otherwise be occupied, and supplement the income of the farm 

 proper. We had an opportunity of visiting a shirt factory in the 

 hills, eight miles from Dundalk, which is typical of the industries 

 we refer to. The farms in that district are small and there is no 

 occupation for the farmers' daughters. The factory gives employ- 

 ment to them. They earn from 7s. to 10s. per week, not of course 

 a great wage but a wage which goes a considerable way to supple- 

 ment the income of the farm and to stem the tide of emigration. 



We are witnessing the beginning of the industrial movement in 

 Ireland. We do not know where it may end. It may not be 



