Edition Bobbett1. Texts by Elizabeth F. Bobbett: 1.1.3. Correspondence, Letters to newspapers

1941 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Westmeath Examiner, 12.04.1941

Farmers and Food Production1

Sir. An Taoiseach, speaking in Limerick on March 29, is reported as stating: “Farmers had a duty to perform to the community in tilling the soil and sowing as much cereals as possible. They could be assured of a good return, a fair price for their work, and a ready market.” And again: “It is no use to say that they could not till the land.” In justice to the farmers, I beg to remind An Taoiseach and the public that if there is a shortage of food for man or beast the blame cannot be placed on the farmers. The farmers will not fail to produce all the food possible this year, but the community and the Government have a duty to the farmers. If their duty is not carried out, it is not the farmers who are responsible.

In September, 1939, we placed before An Taoiseach certain reliefs that were necessary if agriculture was to be put in a position to produce the requirements of the nation. Again in February, 1940, from our annual convention we sent resolutions to the Government asking that the Government and the Irish Banks confer with the object of providing the necessary credit to ensure the nation against any food shortage. Still a deaf ear was turned to our proposals.

It cannot be forgotten so soon that the farmers lost approximately £350’000’000 by the economic war - viz. £117’000’000 which we lost on exports, multiplied by 3, to make up for losses on our total production during that time. Many farmers were left so impoverished that they had no capital, stock, or credit, to go into production in 1939, as would have been necessary.

In order to carry out tillage you need cash to pay labour, and cash or credit to buy seeds and manures, so if the farmer has been deprived of these during the economic war he cannot be held up as a criminal if he is unable to till his land now. When the farmers held a national conference in Dublin last January An Taoiseach refused to meet them. Over and over again we have asked for economic prices for all farm produce and adequate credit facilities, for without these assurances the farmers are not in the financial position to carry out the necessary production, and we have been refused.

1 - The same letter was published in the Irish Independent, 16.04.1941.

About the digital edition

This volume of Elizabeth F. Bobbett’s writings and speeches is divided into four parts. The first section comprises 321 texts written by her. The second part contains 150 speeches and statements by Bobbett, most of which were published in newspapers. Part 3 contains 727 texts written about Bobbett by contemporaries of her or addressed to her. Finally, Part 4 is a collection of 50 source texts that are important for understanding Elizabeth F. Bobbett’s activism. Parts 3 and 4 will be made available online in March 2027.

Suggested citation

Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Westmeath Examiner, 12.04.1941, in: Peter Moser (ed.), In her own Words. The Writings of Elizabeth F. Bobbett (1898-1971). Farmer, Feminist and Public Figure, Bern, 2026, https://www.histoirerurale.ch/editions/pages/bobbett/1941-04-12-85.html, consulted on .

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