Edition Bobbett2. Speeches and statements by Elizabeth F. Bobbett

1945 Monaghan, Meeting of the Irish Farmers’ Federation

Source: The Northern Standard, 08.06.1945

Miss Bobbett in an eloquent address stressed the necessity for a general farmer's organisation. She traced the history of the foundation of the Irish Farmer's Federation of which she had the honour of being the first General Secretary. They were living in a critical time and unless they raised their voices to better themselves they were in for a bad time. The Irish Farmer's Federation was a non-political organisation. It had been kept as such and would be kept non-political. They had carried on the organisation in a quiet way and had been successful in getting better prices for wheat, beet, pigs and cattle. They all knew that the farmer was not properly remunerated for his produce. They wanted a stronger organisation and there was no reason why there should not be a branch of the Federation in every parish. They in Monaghan lived near the Border and had only to look across the Border and see how farmers were treated there. Price control should be put into effect here. It was only a matter of financial arrangement, and there was no reason why it could not be carried out here as well as in New Zealand. The first consideration should be the land. Everything had to come from the soil of Ireland. Better housing and better hospitals were advocated for the health of the people, but little could be done without good food and good food had to come from the soil. They were giving much time to other schemes but they were forgetting the land. They had not half enough people employed on the land. The farmer was the only person who could not pass on tax to other people. If the blacksmith had to pay more for shoeing iron he passed it on to the farmer when getting his horse shod. If the professional man or the shopkeeper had additional income tax to pay, the fees went up or the price of goods went up and all went back on to the farmer. She concluded by asking all farmers, no matter what their political views, to come together and form a branch of the Federation in every parish and have a strong and powerful organisation.