Edition Bobbett1. Texts by Elizabeth F. Bobbett: 1.2.1. Published Texts, Articles in yearbooks and anthologies

1945 Elizabeth Bobbett: Irish Farmers’ Federation report of the General Secretary for year 1944

Source: Irish Farmers’ Federation, The Future of Agriculture in Ireland, Yearbook 1945, pp. 77-78

In presenting this, my eighth annual report, I feel that I must sound like repeating our work through the years past but if I do, it will go to show that all through the years the advice and suggestions which we members of the Federation have sent forward to the Minister for Agriculture have been sound and practical.

Indeed several other bodies of late have been making suggestions to the Government and through the Press as how best to help and encourage the export of our cattle and encourage the production of our fat cattle while it is over two years ago since we put forward a scheme to the Minister for Agriculture to secure the Stall-feeding Industry but he would not act on it. That there is not a greater improvement in the production of bacon I feel is due to the uncertainty of the prices as we have no guarantee that a new set of reduced prices will not be announced at any moment, like the eggs prices last year and this year.

Indeed this lack of security in all lines of agriculture is the greatest hindrance to production.

Every other section of manufacturers know what profits they can make, but the farmers’ prices are controlled without him being taken into consultation and with no regard to his production costs.

Transport difficulties and also the very bad, long dragged-out harvest weather made it impossible for us to hold many meetings, but whenever it was found necessary to call our members together, we had the Emergency Committee members always ready to attend.

During the year we have sent deputations to the Minister for Agriculture regarding the Clean Wool Order, price of oats at harvest time, the tillage requirements for 1945, etc., etc. If he does not adopt our recommendations we at least can have an easy conscience of having done our duty, and the farmers are not to blame if there is any further decline in the agricultural output. We have got no help of any kind during the past year, rather have we got the reverse. We warned the Minister for Agriculture in February, 1944, of the threatened shortage of Spring Seed Wheat, but he said “they had ample reports that the harvest of Spring Wheat during 1943 would be sufficient.” While in March had to compel us to sow Canadian Seed Wheat which proved a failure and we farmers had to suffer the loss of expense in putting in the crop and having it a failure.

We are glad to relate that part of the Clean Wool Order was postponed last year, which was a great help to many farmers particularly the mountain farmers who are the largest sheep and wool producers.

You will remember that at our last Convention 1944, one item on our agenda was: How can we best attain the objects of the Federation? It is essential that we have the closest co-operation between all farmers on agricultural matters. It was unanimously agreed that we keep the Federation strictly as a trade union. But seeing that the farmers then had a very strong party in the Dail, Clann na Talmhan, it was decided that we should send them a copy of the Minutes of our meetings so that that party might forward the claims of the Federation in the interests of the agricultural industry. Mr. Patrick Cogan, TD, did bring forward the necessity for amendment of the Wool Prices and Clean Wool Orders and he brought up the matter of a tillage subsidy for all land under tillage, and quite recently he has brought up the matter of freight charges to the Carlow Factory area which is penalised as it is the only factory area which gets no subsidy on the freight charges.

I regret to say that farmers are still being pressed for debts of arrears of rates and annuities and bank debts, the result of the Economic War period. But we have been able to get extension of time for many of them and got some settlements with the banks for more.

Having steered the farmers through a most difficult time for the past few years I believe the Federation will ultimately gain its objectives which are “to unite farmers on all matters dealing with agriculture and to improve the conditions of the agricultural industry in general.” We have had many attempts to drag the Federation into politics, but thanks to our staunch members we have kept away from politics and leave that to farmers’ own judgement. Our duty is agriculture first and all the time.

Organisation

Our greatest drawback towards organisation was publicity, so this year we have published a book, “The Future of Agriculture in Ireland,” written in plain language by farmers for farmers. The response of the various Irish and English firms when asked to take advertising space showed us how interested the business people are in the prosperity of the farmers, so it shows a spirit of co-operation in the right direction.

Monetary Reform

We firmly believe that no substantial or lasting benefit can come to the farmers of this country without national control of the credit of the country so we must try and spread the light in the direction. Until we can regulate our own prices, we cannot have proper planning for agriculture. We must have a long term policy governed by security and economic prices.

While there seems no lack of desire to spend millions on rural electrification, turf production, high speedways, etc., etc. there is never any money to devote to the only real wealth producing industry Agriculture.

In conclusion, I am happy to say that our finances are on the right side, with all our debts paid we still have a good credit balance at the bank, but I would here like to remind the farmers that they should build up their funds so that they can continue to organise in all counties. We must have pioneers to go out to other counties which are not yet organised and we need funds to carry on the good work.

There is no reason why we should be saddled with a term of depression at the end of the European hostilities, unless we are prepared to take any medicine which is handed out to us, and that is not like true Irish men and women, so be up and doing and strengthen the organisation and assert our rights to a just living in our own land.