Abstract
BELFAST, Tuesday Night.
BELFAST is quite'the centre of Irish industry, and one of the most progressive towns in the kingdom. People are living who remember it with less than 20,000 inhabitants; now it has near 200,000. As a proof of industry and thrift, it offers a good example to the rest of Ireland. The Association has not met under very favourable circumstances, for unfortunately at this moment no less than 20,000 men in the town are on strike, and somewhat less than 15,000/. a week is withdrawn from circulation. A smaller town with a less elastic population would be paralysed, and the influence of the strike is sufficiently felt as it is. The population of the town is very mixed; it is not true Irish. Belfast is less Irish either than Dublin, Cork, Galway, Deny, or Limerick. There is a large leaven of Scotch and Scoto-Irish, who have indeed the merit of a thrifty nature, but who lack many of the good qualities of the Irish; among others, their hospitality. The thrift of these people has caused the hotel and lodging arrangements to be carried out in an abominable manner. We have been shamefully fleeced0 One hotel charges a sovereign a night for a bedroom, others half as much; in any case, members of the Association are charged at least double the ordinary prices. In final despair we were driven to inquire at a small coffee-shop whether they had a room; the people replied that they had; but that if we were a member of the Association we must pay ten shillings a night, the ordinary price in that house being about two shillings. When people travel from a distance, and sacrifice time, money, and rest, to do the work of the Association, and not as pleasure seekers, it is rather hard to be swindled because you happen to be a member of the Association.
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The British Association at Belfast . Nature 10, 336–343 (1874). https://doi.org/10.1038/010336c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/010336c0