Edition Bobbett2. Speeches and statements by Elizabeth F. Bobbett

1940 Rathdrum, Meeting of the Irish Farmers’ Federation

Source: Wicklow People, 09.11.1940

Miss Bobbett said that at the outbreak of the European War they went on deputations to the Minister for Agriculture, Dr. James Ryan, TD, offering the Ministry their co-operation, as increased production of foodstuffs was deemed so necessary for the nation. The cry then was that Ireland wanted to increase tillage, good production, livestock, etc., and they were promised prices would improve. They offered to Dr. Ryan to form a Council of Agriculture with a number of experienced men who could assist him in a practical manner, but that co-operation was spurned, and to-day they saw the effects of the Government’s policy, now that their harvest had been saved and the crops were ready to be marketed, but there was no market for them. Oats, barley, pigs cannot be sold, and instead of the cry of a few months ago that free sows would be given to the farmers, there was the fear that in spite of the situation they would have to sacrifice pigs as they had previously done with the calves. That was a serious position in the present circumstances. As they were aware, the Government last year had allowed importation of 5’000 tons of Canadian seed oats, doing so without first consulting the people who were in a position to render proper advice, the farmers in that federation, who could have told the Minister the exact position in regard to seed oats, but scorning their suggestion the Minister now found himself in the position that there was an accumulation of stocks of oats in the country; people who had bought that same seed oats at 35s to 39s per barrel were now begging merchants who had become overstocked with foreign oats to buy their Irish-produced oats at any price for cash they must have and the smaller farmers had no means of storing oats. The price of 9s per barrel would not pay the cost of planting seed oats, much less the cost of saving it and giving a profit. The Government will not allow the Irish merchants to export grain, just as they would not let them export wool when there was a market for it. When the Government had asked them for increased tillage and production, they should and must find a market for the produce so obtained: barley, oats, wool, pigs, whatever the farmer produced, let the Government hold them or export them, at least they must acquire it from the farmers.

The General Secretary mentioned that the various national movements and organisations, such as the Local Security Force, Red Cross, etc., which called for their support, also affected their own activities as regards branch meetings, etc., but she asked that they consult their own personal interests as of primary importance. The executive had not been backward in protecting them to the best possible advantage. Last week she and other witnesses on their behalf had tendered evidence by request at the Vocational Organisation Commission; they were subjected to a keen examination and numerous questions, and they had to justify what they claimed and stated with evidence and proof. They had been asked why the beet growers did not join the IFF; why Clann na Talmhan was not associated with them, and she was asked had the IFF not proved itself political by supporting Mr. Patrick Cogan in the election, and she had to tender a full explanation of their position in regard to them all. Having first given them the reasons that first led to the organisation of the IFF which had since grown to a membership of 14’500, she told the Commission that where counties had a farmers’ organisation some of them still continued to organise under their own name and affiliated with them; other kindred organisations had done likewise.

Their objects had been to endeavour to make life on the land more attractive and more remunerative to all engaged on it, both farmer and farm worker. They wished that this federation should be a Council of Agriculture representing all branches of the industry, acting in a consultative and advisory capacity, maintaining direct contact with the Minister, so as to put the industry on a sound economic basis, to obtain alleviation of their burdens and grievances, while their activities chiefly concentrated upon getting all farming organisations to co-operate as a united body for the betterment of agriculture, to awaken in the public mind a consciousness of the supreme importance of the farming industry to the nation and how much all other industry depended upon it.

They had already attained much success, such as the alleviation of burdens, staying of bank proceedings, getting two representatives on the Consultative Council for Agriculture. She contended to that Commission that it would be in the best interests of agriculture if State recognition were granted to the IFF, and if the Government admitted the principle of vocational representation, then the Ministry of Agriculture must be changed and must be advised by vocational organisations through their co-ordinating executive. It was one of the main objectives to get all agricultural interests united and to form a vocational council. The Government would have to recognise that farming was the basis of the Irish nation and its national economy; that farming should be controlled by a council composed of farmers and farm workers, and that such a council should not be fitted into a Department of Agriculture or civil service but should be a self-composed body acting in an advisory capacity to the Department, State administration for a number of years had made life on the land so unprofitable and therefore so unattractive that there was a general tendency to get away from the land, but they believed a close co-operation on vocational lines would bring about a better understanding of the inter-dependence of other vocations on agriculture and would lead to a more equitable re-adjustment of the present position. She told them that the existing rates were immoral and unjust, and when questioned about the Agricultural Credit Corporation, as a means to assist hard-hit farmers, she told them that such was the position that a farmer must needs not require assistance to secure any from them, and Mr. John J. O’Kennedy had likened their system of investigation to the “making of a general confession, and when that was done, you would not be sure of getting absolution” (laughter).

She was afraid it was nearly going to be the same with the proposed new farm improvement scheme, which would not advance grants till after the work was completed. If a farmer could afford to pay for labour in this manner, he did not want the help of such a grant at all. They might think the matter of “frozen loans” as of secondary importance, but when they remembered that 125,000 farmers were so involved they would realise its importance, and when other countries had introduced legislation to deal with such a situation, there was no reason why their own Government should not have taken the step long ago instead of waiting ten years to be amongst the last to render this assistance to the farming community. They had also pointed out the injustice of the ever-increasing rates burden on farmers, and of having rates at all on agricultural land. Regarding the payment at present of half annuities, amounting to 2½ millions per annum, she told the Commission that in view of the settlement with England about the annuities, surely, if they did not owe those annuities as a payment to Britain, they should not have to pay them at all, and if that were recognised, it would grant them de-rating on agricultural land.

They had had also a conference with the Federation of Irish Manufacturers, and they had pointed out to those men that they were greatly responsible for the position in which the farmer found himself to-day. They secured their home market through prohibitive tariffs or complete protection, and that was a policy which could not be continued indefinitely, and unless they were willing to offer the farmers a certain amount of co-operation, not from love of the farmer, but in their own personal interests, they would certainly lose. In conclusion, she appealed for increased interest in the federation by members and by branches.

The Chairman said that amongst the things that had struck him as requiring careful consideration was the important one of the cost of living, which few farmers fully realised; the question of a moratorium of arrears of annuities and of rates, etc. He held that until they had a complete survey of their economic situation, that moratorium should have been granted to them. There was no wisdom in the Government trying to force payment of such accumulated debts from people unable to meet them, and he specially emphasised the trouble it meant in Wicklow which was so highly rated and rented.

With regard to subsidising of industries and of agriculture, he felt there was a divergence of views in regard to it. He pointed out that as farming was the sole source of the wealth of this country, any such subsidies which they might obtain for branches of farming must of necessity be met by themselves eventually. County Wicklow was not suitable for wheat-growing, beet-growing, etc.; therefore where those branches of the industry were subsidised, it meant that they in County Wicklow, situated in a worse position than most other counties, were having to pay their share of those subsidies without an opportunity of regaining the benefits. There was absolutely nothing subsidised that grew in this county with the possible exception of milk. Subsidies provided no remedy for depression. They would like to have a fair price, but they simply could not have it without free trade. Could they have this free trade this year? He agreed with the Government that they must not export foot at the present time, and there must be some other way out to be found. The only thing, perhaps, that they could do would be to make the idlers who had money invested inside or outside the country come to their aid. He would not like that farmers insisted on their right to export food now, for it would be better for all concerned that they at least had a plenitude of food next spring in their own country. The new industries in the country were largely responsible for their circumstances to-day; they were favoured and then to a large extent they robbed the farmers of the country with high prices for that which for the most part was an inferior article. That was an infernal weapon which hung above their heads, subsidies for the Irish industries. It was years ago that Mr. Edward Dunne, Avoca, pointed all that out, but, unfortunately, farmers did not attach sufficient importance to his arguments.

The Secretary, replying to the chairman’s statement which differed from her viewpoint, contented that as the Government had called on them for increased production, and as they had complied to their fullest ability, and now found themselves in the position that having involved themselves in the expenditure it meant without hope of reward, it was the duty of the Government to come to their aid, by purchasing the foodstuffs for the nation, to hold for the people, or for export if they so wished. She had heard the debate in the Leinster House concerning the wool market, and she felt that if their Government followed the example of other countries and set up their own currency it would stimulate employment instead of having as at present to sell to Britain at Britain’s price and take whatever she gave them.

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