It might be argued, for instance, that it would be better for
Great Britain to make herself responsible for the Royal Irish
Constabulary as an Imperial charge, and therefore have a motive for
reducing it. That action might be taken as a generous substitute for
the bonus of L500,000 a year, which may possibly not produce favourable
effects on the relations between the two countries. As against the
extra charge to the British Treasury, you would have the fact that the
British Government could immediately proceed to reduce the
Constabulary.
But once give Ireland a chance by some such settlement as this, and
then the main problem of finance will solve itself. For we cannot
ignore one very important aspect of that problem--the extravagance of
Irish government. One of the most startling revelations of the
Financial Commission Report was that Ireland, a poor country, cost
twice as much to govern as Belgium, a country of nearly twice the
population. Mr. Kettle has shown since that the Civil Service of
Ireland is four times as great, and costs more than four times as much,
as the Civil Service of Scotland.[74]
Why is this? Because at the present moment two systems of government
are existing in Ireland side by side--the old and the new.
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