I move the motion standing in my name:—
That the Seanad requests the Minister for Finance to make representations to Comhlucht Siúicre Eireann, Teoranta, with a view to the introduction of flat rate railway charges for the carriage of sugar beet to factories operated by the company.
This motion has been put down by me, representing perhaps the northern beet growers, as we have failed to make any impression whatever upon the company which controls the sugar factories, although we have tried every means at our disposal, not for one year but for many. Whilst the grievance from which we suffer may be borne by only a few, it is one which we feel bound to ventilate now, and which we have done our best to ventilate for the past six or eight years.
While the war was on I went to the Minister for Agriculture, and he definitely stated that at the earliest opportunity he would see that our grievance was redressed. The beet factories and beet growing are national industries. The beet factories were founded by the State, and every county and every individual in the community contributed towards their creation. We think we are justified in asking that our position should not be unduly prejudiced when providing the material with which the factories work. I noticed that a representative of the Department of Finance who attended a meeting of the sugar company said nothing unfortunately that would hold out any hope for us.
There are four beet growing associations, and they have 15 representatives for each factory area. The sugar company consults with growers on most matters and then comes to a decision afterwards. On the Beet Growers' Association in Carlow we have two of 15 other representatives. The growers of beet in Louth, Meath and Wicklow, being in a minority, are severely prejudiced in that respect. With regard to the factories at Thurles, Mallow and Tuam, everything over 6/- per ton by way of carriage is paid for by the sugar company. In the case of Carlow, after 8/- there is a subsidy of 1/- if the freight is 9/-, 2/- if it is over 10/-, and ends there. There is no added subsidy if the freight comes to £1 per ton. In Louth and Meath the average cost of freight is from 14/- to 16/- per ton. Although three factories are limited to a maximum cost of 6/- per ton, there is one factory to which the freight in some cases amounts to £1 a ton. I submit that that is something that the Government cannot lightly pass over, and that it is worthy of serious consideration both by this House and by the Government. If Mallow, Thurles and Tuam factories have a fixed minimum rate of 6/-, and if the general rate to Carlow is in the neighbourhood of 8/-, it could hardly be fair to expect the same amount of tillage from areas in a county like Meath.
Farmers in Louth are most anxious about tillage. In my case the freight on beet amounts to 14/- a ton, so that I am competing with farmers paying only 6/-. The time has come when the Minister for Finance must see that justice is done to the counties I am interested in. Some years ago county councils were abolished largely because they were supposed to be giving everything to their friends. The sugar company and the sugar factories are certainly not showing any sympathy with the counties I speak for, and reserve all for their own. On September 29th an article appeared in the Leader that is applicable to this case. It said:—
"The great world war has come to an end and the farmers of Ireland did not make any profits comparable to those of 1914/18 war. On the contrary, the increases of prices were limited by demand and supply in Ireland itself, if we except the case of fat cattle, and here again prices were far below the English marketing price. Food was scarce and there was no incentive to rear young animals, whether of cattle or pigs. Quite a number were content to cultivate the land and to make up for their deficiency in the usual branches of farming by concentrating on wheat, barley and beet. The rearing of pigs was largely abandoned owing to the scarcity of feeding stuffs and the high price of wheat was only a poor substitute.
Owing to intensive tillage, it is true that the soil is getting worn out. It is well known that many farmers tilled more than what was compulsory during the war years; some indeed went so far as to have nearly one-half of their farms under tillage counting the first year's hay, if not the second. That intensive cultivation has so opened up the soil that it has the appearance of being run out and sadly in want of a rest."
The article continues:
"Still there is some profit in wheat and beet, and there is the dilemma. This will not be solved as a problem until the Government ruling about cultivating a certain percentage of the farms is changed. And then the matter will follow the usual law of demand and supply for there does not seem to be any other incentive to produce unless a Government subsidy is forthcoming. Of course the subsidy that should have been given to the farmers, three pounds an acre, was given to the millers, and why? —it is hard to say. It is one of the many mysteries of money going the wrong way."
That article appeared in a paper that supports the Government. All over Ireland I notice that growers have been asking for Louth wheat. At one meeting I saw it stated that in Leitrim and Longford they liked to get seed wheat from Louth. If the Minister were in the House I would say to him that money made on wheat-growing went more to outsiders. We thought, when doing what was required of us, that we would have the State behind us at all times. As to the possibility of growing potatoes, we find that that is not an aid to good farming. On the contrary, potatoes are tremendously heavy feeders on manures which are both scarce and dear. There is nothing like the same incentive to good farming in potatoes that follow beet-growing. We see no justice in the rule which prohibits, or tends to prohibit us, from growing one of the two crops that have fixed prices, wheat and beet. I was opposed to the present Government but they brought in one magnificent scheme which was well thought out as far as it went and for which they deserve every credit. What on earth this year caused the Government to put their foot down with regard to the wheat scheme, I do not know. In Louth we have spectacles that stare us in the face in our idle breweries and ruined malt stores.
A foreign Government looked calmly on the growth of one great concern, Guinness, while the smaller breweries went down one by one. Here we have a State-controlled industry with the Minister for Finance sending representatives to its meetings and permitting two or three counties in Ireland to be charged 15/- a ton for the carriage of beet. Unlike milk, which is under individual ownership, cattle, barley or oats, which are not State-controlled, beet is fully controlled. There is no reason why it should not be distributed and its assets conferred on every member of the community just as when the State decided to erect these sugar factories.
I do not believe that anyone can fail to see the justice of our case, because, be it remembered, we have been prejudiced severely in some of these Border counties. The separation of the northern markets from us is a serious handicap. More serious still is the fact that when the basis for our rents and our rates was founded in the courts, we were assessed highly, because of our close proximity to the markets of Liverpool and Manchester. These markets have gone, and gone absolutely. We have suffered other bad effects in the closing down of our small breweries, a closing which was permitted and tolerated, while a big brewery was growing up the river from here.
We have millers now and evidently the millers have some say in the basic price of wheat this year. I see that there is a row in Tipperary about it and, though it does not affect me, I hope that the Government will not allow itself to be persuaded to alter its magnificent scheme. I hope that they will see their way to implement it again to enable beet and wheat-growing to flourish. We are coming now to a period of the year when we must start thinking of laying down our land. I am not satisfied with the way the Department has done its business in the matter of supplies of deep-rooting grass seeds.
These deep-rooting grass seeds do not seem to be procurable anywhere, but if they do succeed in procuring them they will grow best on a sward from a corn crop following beet. I appeal to the Minister to give his sympathetic consideration to this motion on behalf of the beet growers of Louth and Meath.
