Clifden Poor Law Union archive collection, Descriptive List, GPL3.pdf

Clifden Poor Law Union
and the difficulty in collecting the seed rate (GPL3/70, p291); a fact which had been
highlighted on numerous occasions since 1880.
Indeed from the beginning the Board had warned it was likely to encounter difficulties with the
seed rate. When the LGB enabled Unions to take out loans on the security of the rates for the
purchase of seed potatoes to be ‘….given out or distributed to the small farmers on credit.
The Board are of opinion that in this Union such a scheme would be impracticable as the
majority of the small farmers are already in debt far beyond their means to pay and could not
be accepted as sufficient guarantee for the repayment thereof. The Board therefore think that
considering the reduced circumstances of the small farmers and considering too that the
Union is poor and already overtaxed and that this year’s expenditure will raise taxation,
(despite the efforts of private charity) to an alarming extent it would be involving the Union in
utter ruin under the circumstance to borrow money. The Board therefore think that the
deficiencies in the seed supplies of the Union ought to be filled up by the presentment and
funds for that purpose as well as for the giving of extraordinary outdoor relief and the
institution of public works for the immediate employment of unskilled labour in distressed
districts should be voted by Parliament’ (GPL3/52, ff25-28).
In 1886 following an investigation into the Seed Rate accounts the Board urged the LGB to
accept the investigating committee‟s recommendations into the matter and to „…strike off the
arrear of Seed Rate appearing outstanding, and we would ask the LGB to take into
consideration the fact that in consequence of the large sum of £1,900 taken from the funds we
levied for the legitimate purposes of the Union, we are plunged deeply in debt, unable to pay
our contractors and that if the authorities do not come to our relief either by repaying our
Union the sum so deducted for Seed Rate, or procuring us a loan, this Union will be brought
to the verge of bankruptcy as the people of the county are in such a distressed state. We will
find it impossible to carry out our duty of giving adequate relief to the paupers’ (GPL3/61,
p332).
In late 1894 the BG warned the LGB of a poor potato crop and warned that „…many persons
will have exhausted most of their store of potatoes before Xmas, that we believe a little
assistance given now immediately while other provisions are cheap and the people can spare
their seed will go further than twice as much later on when the seed is exhausted and that we
therefore call upon the Government to open up Public works such as piers, roads, drains etc
which all admit to be yet much needed in this Union’ (GPL3/77, p191).
During this time the BG advised the LGB that due to severe weather conditions „...hookers
between Galway and Clifden were unable’ to trade, and requested that the new railway be
used to help get provisions to Clifden to help alleviate the distress: „The permanent rails being
Cartlann Chomhairle Contae na Gaillimhe „…cuimhne dhoiciméadach Chontae na Gaillimhe a shealbhú, a chaomhnú agus a dhéanamh inrochtana’
Galway County Council - Archives „…to acquire, preserve and make accessible the documentary memory of county Galway’
xvi.