Edition Bobbett2. Speeches and statements by Elizabeth F. Bobbett
1939 Mullingar, Meeting of the Irish Farmers’ Federation
Source: Meath Chronicle, 15.07.1939
Mr. Halpin introduced Miss Elizabeth F. Bobbett, General Secretary of the Irish Farmers' Federation. She said: "Many of you, farmers, have read in the Press of July 5th the statement made by Mr. Walter Nash, New Zealand, Minister for Finance, at a meeting of the Irish Branch of the Parliamentary Association in Leinster House on the 4th instant Mr. Nash stated that half the farmers in New Zealand were bankrupt from 1931 to 1935 and their lands were mortgaged far in excess of their value. The Government came to their aid and agreed to buy their butter and cheese at a price based on the average received in the previous two years, and that during the past three years the Government of New Zealand had concentrated on raising the standard of living of the poor, which had resulted in an increase in production from 68'000'000 lbs. to 160'000'000 lbs. He stated the creation of new credit stimulated production and that the Government of New Zealand got control of both credit and currency so that nobody outside the Government could destroy the economic and political objective of the Government.
For examples of good farming we find that during the same period the Government came to the rescue of the Danish farmers, and laws providing for moratoriums, the reduction of interest rates on mortgages, were brought in. The tendency we find in Denmark has been to relieve the countryman of some of the expenses borne by him and to transfer them to the townsman; the cost on the latter may be high but it may be a wholly desirable communication for the farmers can thereby attain stability and a standing power which cannot fail to confer benefits on all classes of the community." Continuing, she said the loss to Irish farmers during the economic war period war over one hundred million pounds and Mr. Childers had again stated recently in the Dail that Mr. De Valera had saved eighty-eight million pounds in the financial agreement with England. This eighty-eight million pounds belonged to the farmers of Ireland and they were asking for a share of this money to be immediately given to the farmers as partial compensation for their losses in the economic war so that the farmers might be put in a position to get inro production immediately. As partial compensation they were demanding immediately £1 per £1 of their Poor Law Valuation with a minimum of £25 to any farmer.