April 1 1924
Mr J H Thomas, British Colonial Secretary, assured Mr Cahir Healy, MP, that he was “aware of the feeling which existed” in Ireland over “the delay in setting up the Boundary Commission provided for in Article 12 of the Irish Treaty signed on December 6th, 1921″.
The representative of Tyrone had asked whether Mr Thomas had knowledge of that dissatisfaction: and the minister had. But Mr Healy also asked the minister to say “if he was yet able to fix the date for a resumption of the conference”: and the reply to this part of the composite query was “As my hon. friend is aware, I am dealing with it”.
Of course, no-one knows how much Mr Cahir Healy knows of Mr Thomas’s intentions; but if the Irish member is aware of nothing beyond the fact that the Welsh minister of the Crown is still “dealing” with a question that arose in January 1922, the extent of his information is not exactly voluminous.
Mr Healy wanted a date; Mr Thomas neither fixed one nor indicated that he had one in his mind. In fact, he said nothing that the Duke of Devonshire could not have said a year ago with equal regard for the truth and disregard for Irish feelings and interests. As Mr Healy did not insist on a definite reply to a plain question, perhaps he is aware of some facts unknown to the public on this side of the Irish Sea; but his effort to secure a statement worth twopence was not successful.
Irish News editorial highlighting the frustration of Irish nationalists with the continued delay in convening the Boundary Commission and seeming indifference expressed by the British government.
Conflict Over Road Workers’ Wages
An interesting situation has arisen in Co Dublin owing to the refusal of the Ministry of Local Government to sanction the rates until the wages of road workers are revised by the County Council.
A deputation from the County Council waited on the Ministry on Saturday last to discuss the question but no means of adjusting it was arrived at, and as a result it is stated that the works in the County Dublin may cease.