Edition Bobbett2. Speeches and statements by Elizabeth F. Bobbett

1939 Aughrim, Meeting of the Irish Farmers’ Federation

Source: Wicklow People, 28.10.1939

Miss Bobbett said although they had not held many meetings in the county, they had at least held their branch meetings. They had had many meetings in Dublin of the National Executive and also of the special committee or committee of action and they were watching the farmers’ interests very acutely briefly over some of the meetings held on the 5th July they sent a deputation to Dr. James Ryan, and put forward five points to him, most of them embodied in the resolutions before the meeting to-night, the abolition of annuities, complete de-rating, withdrawal of the Flying Squad, and the Minister refused to consider any of the five points. By request of the delegates from Wexford they held a meeting in Enniscorthy on 16th July, which was attended by over 15’000 farmers and they demanded the resignation of Dr. Ryan. They were proceeding very well with organisation and they were practically ready to take a very decided step, when the news of the declaration of war by England came and of the crisis facing the country here and they decided that it would be the correct thing to do to approach the Minister or attempting to offer their co-operation provided he gave them their demands. Some counties had criticised them for going near the Minister, or attempting to offer co-operation to the Government until they got all their demands, but they had information that Dr. Ryan sent for the live stock exporters to consult with them about the sale of their produce in the British market, and their committee of action were called together by wire, and they said an interview with Dr. Ryan would be best. They were told they could not see him, he was too busy, and was meeting the exporters, and they went over to the Department and met the exporters coming down the steps. When the message went up that the IFF wanted to see him, Dr. Ryan said he would see them next week. They said they would stay there until he would see them, and they were subsequently given 15 minutes’ interview. They asked him to give them adequate representation on any Board set up because they were told there was a Control Board being set up, and he said as far as he knew there would be no Board set up. They asked him to receive them again at a very early date, and he said “certainly.” That was on the 5th September. On 14th September, he received them in conjunction with other agricultural interests, at least he was to receive them, but when they went over to the Department they found that the other agricultural interests were represented by the Beet Growers’ Association and the National Ploughing Association, and Dr. Ryan was not available.

They were received by Mr. Eamon de Valera himself and they had a three hours interview which was anything but satisfactory. Mr. William Clune put it straight to Mr. de Valera that he should give a moratorium immediately on rates and annuities, and withdraw the Flying Squad and give them money to put them back where they were. Mr. de Valera said he had no fairy chest into which to dip his hand to give them out this money. The farmers were the biggest taxpayers, and if he put it on the tax payers, the farmers themselves would be paying it. Mr. Clune told him he didn’t want a fairy chest to dip his hand in when he increased their own salaries and gave them pensions. He refused to withdraw the Flying Squad. It is stated that they wanted 17’000 acres of wheat and one million acres increased tillage twice as much potatoes, and three times as much oats. As far as they could see there was no sign of giving anything to the farmers. Mr. de Valera said he looked on it as only right that the farmers should pull their beet now, before they knew what they were losing and he even promised to give them a bonus for their loss in pulling it now to facilitate the public in getting sugar. They came away very dissatisfied. They were also very dissatisfied with the representation that their produce was going to be bartered in England at whatever price England wished to give for it. They had a meeting on 11th October and formed what was now called “The United Front for Farmers.” They had at that conference a number of representatives from various associations, from Cork to Donegal, and they discussed the proposed Agricultural Consultative Council. They all agreed that the idea of giving the IFF two members on that body was inadequate, and decided to go again to the Department of Agriculture and see the Minister. The representatives went to the Department but Dr. Ryan was otherwise engaged and could not see them. They decided at the National Executive meeting to provisionally nominate two men, and they didn’t send forward the two names until they had a further conference with the National Front, when they accepted under protest two seats on the Council. The representatives were Mr. John Murphy of Dundalk, and Mr. John J. O’Kennedy, our President.

Following up these moves made by the IFF, and their repeated annoyance to the Department, regulations regarding the sale of their cattle had not yet been put officially into force, nor did they know what those regulations were. Unfortunately, she saw they had put in the regulations for the export of their pigs and bacon. A great number of their members were very strong that one of the first things they would have to do was absolutely disband the Pigs’ Marketing Board and the Bacon Marketing Board. No live pigs could be exported except under licence, but who had got a licence? An export licence for a pig was worth £1 today. And very soon they would have the same peddling in licences as they had with the cattle. The same thing was happening over eggs: they were getting 9 d a dozen in the North of Ireland. These were things which would have to be tackled immediately.

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Miss Bobbett: With regard to the points put up of de-rating and annuities and wages, and compensation, these points are not lost sight of, but you cannot single out any one point and ask anybody to pull it. Each county wants something different, and if you want to down tools we will down tools for the whole country. The people in the West of Ireland their holdings are small. A big holding in Mayo was 16 acres, the annuity was 16 s, and the rates £8 10 s. In those counties they get grass schemes. In some areas they get different grants and they get £ 1 an acre for draining boglands. They don’t understand our position at all when we speak of the Flying Squad or de-rating. They don’t employ any labour: most of them go out and get work on roads and relief schemes, and some of them have money coming from their relatives who go to Scotland for the harvest, and from their relatives in America, so they don’t understand our position. The same thing applies in the South of Ireland. They could hardly believe any such treatment would be meted out in any Christian country. One man his horse even was taken, and he was left without a drop of milk for his wife and six children. And when some people when you mention the Flying Squad, they want to know is it an aeroplane (laughter). The Federated Creameries comprise over 40 creameries with a supply of 300 to 400 suppliers. They are a very powerful body, and if we are going to take action and withhold supplies, the creameries will not send their milk to Dublin. When we are getting the support of 40 creameries we are strengthening our hands with regard to any action we may take. Organisation was never going on better than it is at the present time.

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Miss Bobbett: With regard to Mr. Condell’s resolution, we must remember that 90 per cent or perhaps 95 per cent of England is industrialised, and only about 5 per cent agriculturists, so that they can be subsidized and be taxed from the industries for agricultural purposes, whereas it is the other way round here. It is agriculture pays the bulk of the money here, in fact we are subsidising the industries, and we have got to see that when we ask for a subsidy, it is not going to be taken out of one pocket to go into the other. The English farmers got £2 an acre for ploughing up lea; the North of Ireland get the same, and they have de-rating. What I would suggest is that you say the Government must find the money, and I think we should demand that they set up a National Currency to finance agriculture, and to see that we are not sold on the British market, that we get remunerative prices. The only two things we are short of are wheat and beet. Surely we should get the best possible prices for what we export. If we don’t get a remunerative price, don’t export it. We should force our Government to get us a remunerative price for anything we export. Are we going to take whatever price England likes to give us for our produce? I think that we should demand that the Government set up a National Currency to meet the situation that arises at present.