We have here this evening one of the most versatile politicians in this House in the person of Deputy Corry. If a discussion on the Einstein theory of relativity was taking place in this House, I think the Deputy who would be most loud on it would be Deputy Corry. One would imagine that Deputies on this side of the House were advocating that no tariffs should be given to Irish manufacturers and that goods from England should be allowed to come in freely. I do not think that any member of the Fine Gael or Labour Party would advocate that policy. I have stated here on numerous occasions when speaking on the Estimates introduced by various Ministers, and I have spoken on the Minister's Estimate when it came before the House, that anybody actuated by the public good will always hold that Irish products are deserving of their rightful place on the counters of the business people of Ireland. I am a businessman. It amuses me to hear Deputy Corry talking. Of course Deputy Corry is talking for the consumption of his own article outside. He wants to be able to say: "I am a great fellow, I spoke up for you in Dáil Éireann." There is no use in blinding ourselves to the fact that in the particular trade of which I am a member, the drapery trade, there has been a considerable recession during the last 12 or 18 months. Nobody but a fool would blind himself to that fact. I am glad to be able to state now, however, that there is a slight come back. The trade is beginning to find its level again. Those temporary phases, whether in industries or otherwise, have the habit of rectifying themselves in the course of time.
We here in Dáil Éireann must realise that because of the high cost of essential commodities, foodstuffs, the necessaries of life, the ordinary man in the country will undoubtedly relegate to a secondary place the non-essentials. He will put off buying them for another year. A man may want a new suit of clothes but he finds that he cannot afford it. If he has to keep a wife and family, he cannot do without food— bread, butter, tea and sugar, the necessaries. Even if the suit he is wearing is somewhat shabby, he must look after the interests of his wife and family and will put off buying a new suit costing £12 or £15 for another year.
No Deputy in this House—I will emphasise that—is more interested in the manufacture of Irish goods than I am. I have stated here on previous occasions that this tradition has been handed down since my childhood days. I remember my own windows when it was not popular to buy Irish goods with the slogan "Buy the products of your own land." I have advocated that here and I always will do it. I never sell the product of any other country before a product of my own, because I realise that when I sell an Irish article I am helping some worker in my own country to make a living.
Deputy Corry, a while ago, spoke about Midleton last Sunday. Yes, Deputy Dillon and myself were there. We discussed matters with some people who, unfortunately, had been out of employment for some time. In this House Deputy Corry takes a tremendous interest in Irish concerns, but may I ask here in the parliament of the country whether he can name any Irish concern, let it be woollens, worsteds, or anything else, in which he invested one shilling of his own money?