Edition Bobbett1. Texts by Elizabeth F. Bobbett: 1.1.3. Correspondence, Letters to newspapers

1937 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Wicklow People, 30.10.1937

I kindly ask you to give this letter space in your paper in order to bring before the public the serious state of the agricultural industry. I note in to-day’s “Independent” that Dr. James Ryan is going to spend a considerable sum of money in an effort to restore the egg production industry and has increased the bounty on all eggs exported after the 25th October. The Department of Agriculture is endeavouring to make the farmers’ wives and daughters more “poultry and egg-minded.” It is chiefly the small farmers who go in for poultry and egg-production, and they get no remuneration for their labour, they are not counted in the relief given under the agricultural grants. These wives and daughters should be assured of a reasonable profit for their work. It is stated we have roughly 1,000,000 fewer hens in the Saorstat than last year. It is a serious situation that the country is facing, with a huge decline in almost every agricultural commodity as recent publications show. We have [[?]] acres less wheat; 10,000 less breeding sows; 38,000 less cows, less store cattle, less potatoes. History repeats itself. Are we facing a famine? While all European nations are striving to increase food production, we agriculturalists here are being forced out of production by over taxation and having to see our produce below the cost of production. These conditions cannot last. City and town workers, don’t blame the farmers. It is not their fault if they are forced to hold up supplies until they get relief.