Edition Bobbett2. Speeches and statements by Elizabeth F. Bobbett

1945 Dublin, Technical Students’ Literary and Debating Society

Source: Leinster Express, 24.11.1945

Miss Elizabeth Bobbett, Secretary, Irish Farmers’ Federation, said that the only way to hold the people to the land was to give them a better living there. “In the last few years,” she continued, “over 100,000 have left the land. And if you examined the school-rolls you would see that almost as many have gone from there. Schools in some places are closed. Others which employed three teachers now have only one.” Miss Bobbett said that when the farmers asked the Government for assistance in 1939, the means of production were denied to them. Speaking of agricultural colleges, Miss Bobbett said: “The unfortunate thing is that when a boy is trained in one of these colleges he always wants to be either an inspector or an instructor.” By de-valuing the £, both Denmark and New Zealand were able to sell butter on the London market at 5d per pound sterling. But the price they got at home was equal to 1/3 per pound, and that was what the people of these countries paid. It was desirable that the Government should compel banks to afford loans to public bodies at not more than one-half per cent interest.

It was possible, said Miss Bobbett, to produce petrol from turf and sell it at 5d per gallon. Samples, she knew, had been taken here and sent to England and Scotland for testing. She believed the tests were satisfactory. Concluding the discussion, Miss Bobbett said that the farmers had sympathy with the consumers, and deplored the high prices they had to pay – a price the farmers never saw.