Edition Bobbett2. Speeches and statements by Elizabeth F. Bobbett
1939 Ballymote, Meeting of the Irish Farmers’ Federation
Source: Sligo Champion, 03.06.1939
Miss Bobbett, who was received with great applause, first outlined the formation of the Irish Farmers’ Federation, and stated that it was now very well established, as they had 21 counties represented at the National Convention in Dublin on the 18th May last, but they were anxious to have the 26 Counties represented at their next meeting on the 1st June. She came to ask them if they had any grievances and, if so, were they prepared to try and remedy them. The only way to do this was to join the Irish Farmers’ Federation. “We see,” she said, “what other organisations have done in ventilating their grievances and seeking redress and the success which has crowned their efforts. The Irish Farmers Federation is registered as a Trades Union, and having the Protection of the Act of Parliament, we are free to hold our meeting to-night.”
The speaker then went on to explain how the Federation was run and how to organise the branches. Continuing, she said one of their chief objects was to have a Council of Agriculture to represent the farmers. They could easily form such a Council with twelve or fourteen men who could provide the Minister for Agriculture with the proper information. They held that 98 per cent of the present Committees of Agriculture do not represent the agricultural interests of the community, and, after all, it was the farmers, who earned their living from the land, who should dictate the agricultural policy of the country.
The three main objects, she went on, which worried them at the present time were: 1) derating, 2) abolition of annuities or a moratorium for at least six years, and 3) compensation for their losses. By that she meant compensation for the extraordinary losses they had sustained by the Economic War. “When the present Government was elected in 1932 and the price of your cattle in cash value was reduced to half over-night, did any of you go into a shopkeeper and get a bag of flour at half price,” she asked. “Probably you have now very little stock on your land. Moreover, your overhead charges are over four times what they were, and you cannot get your cows to have four calves. Yous must cut your cloth according to the measure” she stated. Therefore, there was only one way to relieve the farmers, and that was by reducing the overhead charges. The farmers and farm labourers must work side by side. It had not taken the Government forty-eight hours to get £10,000,000 to pay England, and weren’t they terrible fools if they did not look for complete derating?
“Appoint a man form this meeting to-night,” she said, “and tell him vote for or against derating. If you are not able to pay your rates and are unable to keep your families vote for derating. The farmers in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Denmark, and most European countries pay no rates on agricultural land. Moreover, the farmers in Australia have no rent to pay; yet they all send their goods to the English market, and how,” she asked, “can we compete with them?”
Further, there was a tariff of 33 1/3 per cent on everything that they wanted to import into this country. Therefore, the farmers of this country were at a complete disadvantage.
Miss Bobbett, continuing, said that the Irish Farmers’ Federation was absolutely non-political. They had persons of every point of view in their organisation, and no TD or Senator could be an officer of a branch but could be an ordinary member.
Voice: And what would you say to County Councillors?
Miss Bobbett: Yes, that was put up too, but there is talk that the County Councils will soon be done away with, and each county have a Commissioner instead. “With regard to the land annuities, Mr. Erskine Childers stated that Mr. Eamon de Valera had saved £88,000,000,” she said. “That £88,000,000 belongs to you, farmers, and it should be returned to you. They can turn round at a stroke of a pen and increase your taxes. There is money for everything except the farmer. Meantime we should demand a moratorium for six years, but as well as a moratorium we want the rates refunded. She did not know if there had been any seizures in Sligo, but they were going on still in Wicklow, Waterford and Cork.
Referring to the flight from the land, the speaker said: “We have refugees from other countries coming here to Ireland, and there are jobs got for them, but our own boys and girls cannot get work and no one cares for them. Is our country going into the hands of the foreigners, or are we going to do somethings to save it?”
“Remember,” she said, “one county of itself cannot do anything, so it is up to us to organise together. There was a very important matter that affected the farmer. No farmer’s son was going to work from daylight to dark if he was not going to get some money at the end of the week. What, then, was going to encourage them to stay on the land? It was the re-establishment of the homes and they were not going to leave if they saw any encouragement to stay. It is not fair to ask them to work hard with cattle and pigs, etc., if there is no remuneration. I have given evidence before the Banking Commission and was questioned for one-and-a-half hours. Other farmers gave evidence as well but their evidence was not published. Concluding, Miss Bobbett said: “When Europe is facing a world war we should be increasing our production.” (Applause).
The General Secretary then asked for the views of those present, and after some discussion it was unanimously decided to form a local branch of the Irish Farmers’ Federation and the following officers were elected: Chairman, Mr. James Coleman; treasurer, Mr. James Duffy; secretary, Mr. J. P. Kerins. Those appointed on the working committee were Messrs. P. Bruen, J. Quinn, P. Berreen, E. Bright, H. J. Gilmour, J. Flanagan, and R. McGettrick. As delegate to the Convention in Dublin on June 1st Mr. T. Downes was elected.
On the proposition of Very Rev. Canon Quinn, seconded by Mr. Downes, a hearty vote of thanks to Miss Bobbett was passed unanimously. Miss Bobbett suitably replied.
It was the unanimous feeling of the meeting to have South Sligo so organised that at an early date they will have a public demonstration at which they will show their strength and the power behind their demands which will brook no refusal. Thursday, the 29th June, was the day appointed to enrol members in the Loftus Hall, and it is expected that every farmer worthy of the name will be a member of the Federation.