. Ireland yesterday and today . land, the popu-lation of Ireland is one-seventh, yet her railway passengersnumber only one-thirty-seventh and her freight traffic onlyone-seventeenth. Poorest of the three countries, Irelandbears relatively the heaviest burden. But in examining the cost of government, which is oneof the most serious counts in the indictment against the pres-ent system, the most glaring inequalities are undoubtedly tobe found in the police records. In the policing of Ireland wefind the policy of Dublin Castle in full flower. It should beunderstood, first, that the Royal Irish Con
. Ireland yesterday and today . land, the popu-lation of Ireland is one-seventh, yet her railway passengersnumber only one-thirty-seventh and her freight traffic onlyone-seventeenth. Poorest of the three countries, Irelandbears relatively the heaviest burden. But in examining the cost of government, which is oneof the most serious counts in the indictment against the pres-ent system, the most glaring inequalities are undoubtedly tobe found in the police records. In the policing of Ireland wefind the policy of Dublin Castle in full flower. It should beunderstood, first, that the Royal Irish Constabulary is quitedifferent from the police force as it is known in England,Wales, Scotland and America. It is infinitely more than anorganization for the preservation of the peace and the pre-vention and detection of crime; it is, in fact, a military force,an army of occupation, a reinforcement of the regular consists of more than 11,000 men, armed with carbinesand bayonets, swords and revolvers, and occupies some hun-. DUBLIN CASTLE dreds of strongly fortified barracks throughout the addition, there are supplementary forces in Dublin, Bel-fast and Derry. But the chief thing to observ e is that thisarmy of occupation, miscalled a police force, is controlled byDublin Castle: that is to say, by the foreign people of Ireland have absolutely nothing to do withthe Royal Irish Constabulary-, except to pay them. Whilethe expenditure is paid out of the imperial treasury, it ischarged, of course, to Ireland, and becomes a burden uponthe Irish taxpayer. The Dublin Castle commanders of theforce are English army officers. They direct it and controlit without the slightest reference to. the popular will andwithout any responsibility to the public. Now- let us com-pare the size and the cost of this irresponsible organizationwith the size and cost of the police in other parts of theempire. Here are the figures for 1906: Population. Police. England and Wales
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