1 (Dictated) 23 Rutland Square,
DUBLIN. 14th. April, 1916. Dear Sir Matthew, Your letter with reference to Killorglin town,
Ventry estate, was delivered to me last evening by hand,
but I was unable to reply to it, as I have been confined
to bed since Tuesday evening with a cold, and had no
papers at my home dealing with the estate. The facts relating to the matter in question
are as follows: The Board offered to buy under the
Land Purchase Acts the Ventry estate including the town
of Killorglin. It has been the Board's practice to
include in the purchase all such towns when they form
part of an agricultural estate. On a valuation of
the property it was ascertained that a number of holdings
in the town of Killorglin were not in the occupation of the
direct tenants who paid their rent to Lord Ventry, but
in a considerable number of cases there y were let by the direct
tenants. The policy of the Board in dealing with such
cases was explained to the people of Killorglin by me
to the following effect: That no tenant could buy
his holding under the Land Purchase Acts unless he was
in occupation of it, and that consequently a middleman
could only buy his holding for cash down . The Board would
not put pressure of any kind on a middleman landlord to
sell his property to the occupying tenant, yet if the 2 occupying tenant and middleman came to terms voluntarily
as to the price which the middleman would accept, the
Board would advance such portion of the price as they were
advised the holding was security for, and that the balance
should be found by the occupying tenant, to whom the Board
would then sell the holding at the price which they paid
Lord Ventry for the fee simple of it plus the Stock value
of the advance made to the occupying tenant to enable him
to purchase the middle interest. I further said that
any of the occupying tenants who were able to come to terms
provisionally with their middlemen would be informed of
the sum the Board were prepared to advance, if they so
requested. The judicial Commissioner subsequently made a
ruling that any holdings not in the occupation of the
direct tenants would be regarded as intervening interests
which should be either redeemed or excluded from sale.
Under this ruling 38 holdings in the town of Killorglin
held at rents amounting to £107 10 6 were excluded by
the Land Commission from the Vesting Order, and the sum
of £2,582, being the purchase price of these intervening
interests, was deducted from the original offer of the estate. The Board are advised that it would not be possible
for them now to purchase these holdings under the Land Purchase
Acts, as they are non-agricultural holdings. Lord Ventry
offered to sell to the tenant for cash, I understand, at
the prices which the Board had placed on these holdings, but
this price only included the purchase of the middlemen
rental. The only way I can see in which the purchase
can be effected is, if the occupiers can pay the middle—
men cash to buy out their interest, then they could 3 they could time buy out Lord Ventry's interest for cash,
and if they cannot do this they must remain as they are. Lord Ventry offered to sell these holdings to
the Board for £2582 cash, but the Board by Minute (copy
of which is enclosed) of the 9th March, 1915 declined
to pay cash for the holdings. By doing so they would
merely be putting themselves in the position of the
middlem e n 's landlord, and they would, in my opinion, be
quite unable to get rid of all the holdings as several
of the occupiers are unable to provide cash to purchase
the middle interest. This question was several times before the Board
and the town tenants have been informed that the Board
cannot purchase the holdings. Mr O'Donnell M.P.
has also been informed. For your information I send
you portion of the file with the following communications
marked: 1. Copy of my letter of the 1st December 1915
to Mr Mc.Clure, Agent to Lord Ventry.
2. Letter dated 11th Decemer, 1915 from Mr
O'Donnell M.P. to the Secretary.
3. Letter from Mr. Crowley, Hon. Secretary, Town
Tenants Leag ue , Killorglin dated 27th January, 1916,
with copy of Secretary's reply thereto.
4. Letter from Mr Coghlan Briscoe, Secretary
Town tenants Leag ue dated 16th. February, 1916,
and copy reply thereto. Several of those who are most loudly clamouring to
purchase their holdings are men who have neither the
means nor credit to do so. Yours faithfully, Henry Doran Returned to CDBd
18/4 4 (COPY). Board Minute dated 9th March, 1915, No. 131. Read letter from Messrs Rooke and Rooke
Solicitors for Lord Ventry. to the effect that his
Lordship was willing to sell for cash the excluded
holdings in the town of Killorglin, but he would not
sell portion of them. The Board directed that
Messrs Rooke and Rooke be informed that they cannot
provide cash for the purchase of these holdings in the
town of Killlorglin 5 Royal Irish Constabulary Office.
DUBLIN CASTLE. Administrative Division.
SUBJECT
R.I. Constabulary,
Killarney, 12th Apr. 1916. I beg to report that for some
time past portion of the little
town of Killorglin has been
in the hands of the Congested
Districts' Board, while the
remaining portion still belongs
to various small landlords.
A deputation of the Town Tenants
League is, I know, very anxious
to have an interview with the
Chief Secretary in the hope of
inducing him to compel the
Congested Districts Board to
acquire the remaining part of
the town. I am also aware
that Mr. O'Donnell, the local
M.P., is interested in this matter
and has promised the Town Tenants The Insp General L.T. Killarney
For early report direct
S O'Connell,
D.H. 10/4/16
Under Line
submitted S O'Connell
D.H. 13/4/16 6 to try and procure them an
interview with the Chief Secretary.
Since receiving this paper I have
made discreet enquiry and cannot
find that this deputation has
any other motive. The above is, I am certain, their
reason for seeking the interview. [illegible signature] D. 7
IMMEDIATE.