The Minister for Agriculture knows quite well that if he were to attempt to pursue his own agricultural policy he would be removed from the office of Minister for Agriculture within 24 hours by the members on his own side. That is why he cannot act in accordance with his own beliefs as stated on the records of this House. He knows, further, that the farmers would not stand for compulsion. We all know that the farmers have reached a very advanced and very educated stage.
They have had three glorious years of freedom in which they could do what they liked, when they liked, how they liked and as often as they liked. The ten fields of inspectors threatened on them by Fianna Fáil were told by the former Minister for Agriculture that they dare not trespass on the fences of the farmers, and that they were only to trespass when the farmers invited them to cross the fences.
It is true to say that, on the last occasion on which he had a Fianna Fáil Government, no farmer could work his land in accordance with his own wishes and desires. The farms in this country were run, and the farmers were dictated to, by the pen and ink farmers in Government Buildings in Merrion Street. But for three years we had the happy experience of having a Government under which the farmers enjoyed a measure of prosperity. They could walk around as freemen in a free country. They could say what they liked, and that is the way we hope and trust the present Minister will pursue whatever policy he has to pursue. I want to say that any attempt by Fianna Fáil, or by the miscellaneous characters and supporters responsible for having them in office, to compel the farmers to do anything but what they want to do themselves, will be met by the strongest and the fiercest opposition from this side of the House, because we believe in, and always have been believers in, freedom. Surely, if a man has not freedom on his own land and to work his business as he thinks best himself he cannot call himself a citizen of a free country. On that aspect, the Minister does deserve a word of congratulation, the aspect of being a convert from compulsion to non-compulsion. Whether his term be long or short as Minister for Agriculture, I hope and trust that he will keep his hands off the farmers, that he will assist them and advise them where they need advice; but, as I say, if he tries compulsion with them, it will be disastrous for himself and for those who sit behind him.
We also have on the records of the House a statement made by the Minister when speaking, again on the 19th April last, from this side of the House. He was dealing with the dairying industry and on the progress of the creameries.
"I happen to be closely connected with the creamery."
and Deputy Dillon interjected——
"God help it."
"Mr. T. Walsh: It is doing very well."
That is an admission that there was at least one creamery in this country doing well under the policy pursued by Deputy Dillon when Minister for Agriculture. In my opinion, every creamery in Kilkenny was doing well during that period.
I wish to join with my colleagues, who have already spoken on this subject, in looking with disgust on the action of the Minister for Agriculture in increasing the price of milk at the cost of depriving of butter the workers of Dublin and the workers of this country, as a whole. This commodity has now reached a price at which it is out of reach of the working class people. I challenge any Fianna Fáil Deputy or any of the five feathers in the tail of Fianna Fáil to tell us in this House that 3s. per lb. for butter is reasonable so far as the working class people are concerned. I challenge those Deputies for not stating prior to the General Election that it was part of their programme and policy to increase the cost of living of the working class people, for it has already gone up for them during the course of the past 14 days as a result of the increased cost of butter. School children are suffering because local authorities who administer free school meals are seriously affected. Children who are particularly advised to consume butter are now feeling the pinch of the Minister for Agriculture's act, and every ex-tuberculosis patient in receipt of an allowance of butter is now faced with the position that he has to pay more for it as a result of Fianna Fáil taking over the Department of Agriculture and the Government of this country.
Is it not an extraordinary somersault that the very set of men who were criticising Deputy Dillon and the valuable work that was being done by the inter-Party Government, the very set of men who were, in fact, criticising them for not bringing the cost of living down to a lower level, should, with their very first action, increase it by giving the dairy farmers of this country an increased price per gallon for milk at the expense of the unfortunate workers of Dublin, Cork, Galway and of the remainder of the country? Can the Minister for Agriculture be really honest in telling us that he could not otherwise finance the giving of this additional sum per gallon for milk to the farmers of the Golden Vale, North Cork, North Kerry and of other constituencies? Could he not have found the money otherwise? Why on earth was it that it was the poor man who had again to accept the punch below the belt?
I am surprised at Deputy Donnellan expressing amazement and horror at this happening 14 days after Fianna Fáil taking up office. Deputy Donnellan should be long enough in this House to know that nothing but such tactics could be expected of Fianna Fáil. I only hope and trust that the Minister for Agriculture will see his mistake, and I believe he will see it. I am confident that the working-class people and other sections of the community who are already heavily burdened without having to bear this additional burden, will cause this Government to rue the day that they have increased the price of butter.
Now let us take the statement which Deputy Allen made in this House to-night. Listening to Deputy Allen, one would think that every farmer in the country was queueing up outside the workhouses and that there was no such being as the farmer who could stand on his own two feet.
I have said it in my constituency, and I say it here, that the farmers of this country never enjoyed such prosperity as they have enjoyed for the past three years. Yet we heard Deputy Allen standing up in this House and telling us that production has gone down and that there is less land under tillage. Be that as it may, if there is less land under tillage, there is more food grown. From the statistics of the Department of Agriculture, which the Minister has available at his hand, he can see clearly that there was never as much food grown in this country as has been grown in recent years. Fianna Fáil were in office in 1939. For the information of new Fianna Fáil Deputies I might point out that, in 1939, in this country there were 255,280 acres under wheat; in 1950 there were 366,012 acres. That was a substantial increase. Deputy Allen cannot deny these figures. Deputy Allen cannot deny that there was more wheat grown in this country under the inter-Party Government than was grown in 1939 when Fianna Fáil were in office. These figures may be obtained from the Department of Agriculture.
Let us take oats. In 1939 536,749 acres were grown, and in 1950 the acreage increased to 614,363. There we see again that there was a larger acreage under oats during the term of office of the former Minister for Agriculture than there was in 1939 when Fianna Fáil were boasting of all that was being produced.
Let us take barley—and I am sorry that Deputy Martin Corry is not here for this. In 1939 there were 73,784 acres of barley grown in this country; in 1950 the acreage increased to 123,241. That is something of which the inter-Party Government can be proud. In regard to rye, in 1939 there were 1,728 acres grown; in 1950 an increase to 3,968 acres is recorded. Those are figures in which I should like Deputy Allen to interest himself. Those are figures which even the mildest backbencher in Fianna Fáil should study and ask himself how it was achieved. It was achieved without compulsion, with encouragement, with good and fair prices and by showing reasonable consideration for the farmers of this country.
Let us take beans and peas, which the Minister for Industry and Commerce, the Minister for Agriculture's colleague, has increased by 2½d. a packet within the last week. In 1939 there were 402 acres grown; in 1950, 1,506 acres were grown. Can those figures be denied?
