le, whilst the landlords as
a body, made none whatever. Their views were put in a striking manner
at a meeting of landowners and farmers held at Aghada, in the County
Cork. Mr. Fitzgerald, a landowner, attacked the Board for doing
unprofitable work. They had, he said, a staff of incompetent officers,
who were, moreover, absurdly numerous, there being, he asserted, an
officer for every workman in the works at Whitegate. The reply to this
attack is obvious enough. If the Board of Works were doing unprofitable
work, they could not help it, they were compelled by Act of Parliament
to do it; and when the Government enabled the country to undertake
profitable works, where were the landlords? They were in conclaves here
and there, elaborating objections to the Government plan, instead of
affording aid to carry it into execution; they seemed to make it a point
to throw obstacles in its way, and certainly showed anything but a
disposition to make it a success. Very likely, the Board of Works had
too many officers; doubtless they could not all be competent, or even
trustworthy persons, there being ten or eleven thousand of these raked
together from all quarters in three months. Mr. Fitzgerald next attacked
the farmers for not employing the workmen. In fact, according to him,
every class of the community had responsibilities--was called on to make
exertions and sacrifices to save the people from famine, except the
landlords--the owners of the soil of the entire kingdom. He expressed
his opinion, that the proper way to begin the business of the meeting
was, to pass a vote of censure on the Board of Works and send it to the
Lord Lieutenant. The Chairman, Richard G. Adams, thought Mr.
Fitzgerald's suggestion a good one. So it was, from the landlord's point
of view; it being their policy to turn attention away from themselves
and their shortcomings, and make the Board of Works the scapegoat of all
their sins. Mr. Fitzgerald proceeded: the farmers, he said, were banking
their money. He had cut out of the _Times_ the article on the increase
of deposits in the Irish Savings' Banks, which he intended to have read
for the meeting, but he had unfortunately mislaid it. No matter, there
could be no doubt of the fact. No one present opened his mouth in
defence of the unfortunate Board of Works, but a Mr. Kelly took up the
cudgels for the farmers. He said, few farmers in that district had money
to put in Savings' Banks, but if the farmers had hun