Edition Bobbett1. Texts by Elizabeth F. Bobbett: 1.1.3. Correspondence, Letters to newspapers
1939 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Connacht Tribune, 02.09.1939
Bishop’s Advice to Farmers1
Sir. On reading the address given by Most Reverend Dr. Browne, Bishop of Galway, when he formally opened Muintir na Tíre Rural Week at the University College, Galway, on August 13, anyone not conversant with the true position of the agricultural industry today and the causes thereof would certainly take it that our Irish farmers were a lazy, ignorant, careless lot, and his Lordship urged the farmers to organise and adopt newer and better methods of production. His Lordship may not be aware of the existence of the Irish Farmers’ Federation which has spread to twenty counties. If he is not the fault lies with the daily Press who won’t give the Irish Farmers’ Federation a fair show, and for some reason keep the public in the dark about us. As briefly as possible allow me to point out a few of the causes why our production has fallen.
In 1931 there was a world slump in agriculture and the countries which to-day are pointed out to us by everybody as a headline to follow are Denmark and New Zealand. In Denmark, Government assistance bringing in laws providing for moratoriums, the reduction of interest rates on mortgages, alleviation of property taxes, etc., and excise duties on butter and margarine are provided by the Danish Government to help agriculture, and in that country in January, 1933, a further devaluation of the Krone assisted in easing the burdens of the Farmer to some extent. The tendency generally there was to relieve the countryman of some of the expense borne by him and to transfer it to the townsman. The cost to the latter may be high, but if the farmer again attains stability and a spending power it cannot fail to confer benefits on all classes of the community. It may be a highly desirable consummation.
Quite recently Mr. Walter Nash, Minister for Finance for New Zealand, visited Dublin and had interviews with our Ministers of State, and it was reported in our daily Press that New Zealand had taken control of the credit of the country and had greatly improved the position of the agricultural industry there. It appears that our Government of Eire has no control over the currency in Eire, or if it has it refuses to use the currency to the advantage of the farmers.
Following the five years’ economic war came a disastrous harvest in 1938, and the outlook for 1939 harvest is not hopeful. The farmers bore the whole burden of the economic war, leaving them without capital, stock or credit, and many of them steeped in debt to banks and accumulated arrears of rates and annuities which they are unable to pay. In these circumstances how can we produce more? While our agricultural prices were reduced to one-third during the economic war the rates on agricultural land soared in some cases up to three hundred per cent, and our cost of production was doubled. The Irish farmer is willing to produce anything on his farm that will show him a moderate profit, but in the present state we cannot produce at a profit.
On the 5th July last a deputation from the Irish Farmers’ Federation had an interview with Dr. James Ryan and put up to him six points which we consider vitally necessary if the agricultural industry is to be brought back to prosperity as follows: 1) The grant of £ per £ of the PLV on each holding (with a minimum of £ 25) as a partial recompense for losses suffered during the economic war, and to provide funds for reconstruction purposes. 2) Complete derating of agricultural land and buildings. 3) A wage subsidy of 10s per week to be paid to each farmer in respect of each worker, whether a member of his family or an employee – 5s of this to be passed on to the worker immediately. 4) Remission of annuities. 5) Fixity of tenure. 6) Withdraw the sheriffs and flying squads from the counties.
Dr. Ryan refused to consider even one of the six points or hold out any hope for the farmers.
The Irish Farmers’ Federation is composed of practical working farmers from the various counties, and we have given great time and study to the question of re-establishing agriculture and rural life, and until our demands are granted there can be no improvement. The overhead charges and cost of production must be brought down or the farmer cannot produce and money must be provided to put the farmer working again.
The flight from the land is not caused by the dullness in rural life and the attractions in the cities – it is economic. There is no life so full of interest as life on the land where you are dealing with nature every day. City people often blame the farmers for the high cost of living when they pay 6d for a cabbage or 11d for a loaf, but they should ask themselves is it not the high cost of Government? The price the consumer pays bears no relation to the price the farmer receives. The Federation is prepared to supply a Council of Agriculture who would advise and consult with any Minister for Agriculture for the wellbeing of our industry, and surely those living by farming should be the best judges as to the farmers’ requirements.
1 - Parts of this letter were published in the Irish Independent, 24.08.1939.