Edition Bobbett2. Speeches and statements by Elizabeth F. Bobbett
1937 Dunleer, Meeting of the Irish Farmers’ Federation
Source: Dundalk Democrat, 24.04.1937
Miss Elizabeth Bobbett, secretary of the Association, said that she was glad to see ladies present, because the enthusiasm of the ladies was necessary to get the men to meetings. She detailed the progress of the Federation in its short life. Since the first conference in September 1936 sixteen counties had been represented at subsequent conferences, and since the public conference on 3rd March, there were branches started in 23 counties. The Federation was being registered under the Trades Union Acts. It might be asked what they had done in the past year. It would be admitted that but for the agitation in different counties they would not have got the increased price for wheat, which, while far from satisfactory, was better than it might have been. As a result of organised action by the farmers, they had got increased prices for milk, consequent on the milk strike. If it was not for agitation in various counties, she did not believe the farmers would have got their only budget concession, the removal of the butter levy, but there was not a word about compensating them for their losses during the two years they had put up with levy. Farmers in her own county had lost £30 a year over the butter tax.
The Agricultural Wages Bill is coming on, and it was their concern to see that farmers would get the cost of production and a profit on their products. Farmers whose sons and daughters helped them on the farms should have their families compensated for their work the same as the hired men. If a man had three sons working on the land he might say he was able to get along comfortably, but if he had to pay them 30/- a week, he would not be so comfortable. Why ask his sons, wife and daughters to work for nothing? She knew little girls of 10 or 12 years that had to milk cows before going to school. In other industries they hadn’t to do that. Even a road-sweeper did not have to get his children to help him sweep roads to draw 36/- a week. But a farmer’s children had to help him thin turnips, milk cows, feed pigs, then do their lessons and get slapped if they did not know their Irish. (Laughter and applause.) When another man’s children were sick, he got a red ticket, they got cod liver oil and malt, the services of a County Medical Officer at £800 a year, and free hospital treatment. And the farmers, who were ashamed to say they were unable to pay, were expected to pay for everything. She was a farmer and not ashamed to say she could not pay. She asked them to form a branch in every parish.