On This Day, 7 May 1917

Birmingham Mail

Monday 7 May 1917

THE CONSERVATISM OF FARMERS

At the First Court of the Birmingham Military Tribunal this morning (Mr. Goodman presiding), an agricultural implement engineer (31), married, and passed for general service, was granted two months’ exemption. He was engaged he said, solely in the sale and repair of agricultural machinery, and claimed that he was in a certified trade which was of national importance to the food supply of the country. Mr. Norman Birkett appeared for the applicant, and said that his client covered part of Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Staffordshire, and had on his books 600 to 700 farmers who relied upon him for machinery. It was admitted that applicant did a considerable amount of travelling, and that it was a fact that tribunals did not consider travelling as necessary in these days; but Mr. Birkett contended that it was impossible to carry on business with farmers through correspondence.  “Of all conservative people in the world, commend me to farmers”, he said.