Edition Bobbett1. Texts by Elizabeth F. Bobbett: 1.1.3. Correspondence, Letters to newspapers
1938 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Wicklow People, 30.07.1938
Apology and thanks
Will you kindly permit me through your paper to apologise to the members of the Irish Farmers’ Federation of Annacurra branch for not attending their meeting on last Monday evening after they had specially invited me. I had three acres of first crop hay down, and as Monday afternoon was very fine I had to work hard at the hay. I have only two men at present, but thanks to them and to my very good neighbours who came in to help me with the hay we got most of it safely up by 9 pm.
When sufficient help came to the field I gladly relinquished my seat on the rake and retired to milk the cows and do the usual yard routine so that my men would not have to remain too late. I have the best men and the best neighbours in Ireland and am very grateful to them for their many kindnesses to me. I wish to thank the many friends and sympathisers who wrote to me since my appearance in court for rates I could not pay. I assure them I was glad of the opportunity to state my case before our highly esteemed Judge Comyn; in all fairness to myself it was the proper thing to do. I am not ashamed or afraid to work, but if the County Council strike a rate beyond the capacity of the farm to pay, it is not my fault if I default.
In 1931/1932 the rates were 4s 6d in the £, and that was sufficient to keep the local services going, hospitals, Home Help, Board of Health, etc. In 1936/1937 the rate was 12s 6d in the £. The majority of farmers have been paying rates out of capital. If they stated their case and showed what they had lost during the past six years it would show the public the true position of the farmers. It was untrue to say my land was fully stocked and that I made no effort to pay. One tenant had ten acres on the eleven months’ grazing up to February 1938. His rent had been paid in to the solicitor for the County Council towards my rates. This man took away his stock in December 1937 after the first seizure in the county. His division of land was idle till 5th May 1938. Another division had nothing on it only a donkey from October till I got some cattle at head rate on 21st May. On 19th April I got in 35 ewes and lambs at head rate, but they were so troublesome that at the end of three weeks I had to beg the owner to take them away. The fact that in the month of June I had 40 cattle coming in on 19th April, is proof enough that the land was idle during the time October to April. If it had been stocked there would have been no grass owing to the very dry spring. If I do owe rent and rates, thank God I do not owe much to shopkeepers, or to farmers. The rates and rent will be paid some time; they are secured on the land.
In conclusion I hope and pray that something will be done in the very immediate future to put the farmers in a position to pay their way.