On This Day, 26 June 1918

Birmingham Daily Post 

Wednesday 26 June 1918

BEFORE THE TRIBUNALS.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN ACROBAT.

An acrobat, aged 38 and passed for Grade 2, and with heavy domestic responsibilities, applied to the Warwickshire Appeal Tribunal in Birmingham yesterday and asked for a renewal of his exemption.— Mr. Willison explained that three homes depended upon his client’s ability to continue his work. The  father, aged 76, and the mother, an invalid, aged 69, had to be looked after by the daughter, and appellant, to keep this home going, had allowed them 50s. a week for the past nine years. The brother was an epileptic with a wife and four children, and appellant employed him in his music hall turns, and allowed him £3 a week; and there was appellant’s own home to support.

On the casting vote of the Chairman (Alderman Pritchett) appellant was given three months’ exemption, but was warned that when he came up again he must prepared to go.

The National Service representative (Captain Sydenham) asked that the case should go to the Central Appeal Tribunal, and the application was granted.

JAM MAKER’S EXEMPTION

A manufacturer who, owing to shortage of sugar and labour, converted his toffee factory into a jam-making factory, had the support of the Ministry of Food and the Local Food Committee in his appeal for his jam boiler, aged 43, who bad received temporary exemption until July 6, and for whom longer exemption was asked. It was stated in the application that £3,000 had been spent upon the erection of special plant, that £3,000 had been spent in adapting old machinery, and that there was a liability of another £3,000. Forty-five to 50 tons of jam was produced weekly. The letter from the Local Food Committee pointed out that manufactured jam was not to be compared with domestic jam, and that the weights to be carried were too much for a woman.

Three months’ exemption was granted.

QUAKER’S REQUEST FOR ABSOLUTE EXEMPTION

An estate agent, 43 years old, and a member of the Society of Friends for twelve years, and associated with the Society for 27 years, appealed against the decision of the local tribunal, which had granted him exemption from combatant service, whereas he asked for absolute exemption. He said that the decision was against the weight of evidence. He did not wish to take part even in a defensive war, as all war was evil.

Alderman Pritchett pointed out to him that he was in comfortable circumstances, and asked him if thought ought to do nothing to assist the country in a time of crisis.

Appellant: I do not say that.

Alderman Pritchett: Have you any suggestion to offer?

Appellant replied that was already doing what was in accordance with the spirit of his life, and at a later stage said that his present philanthropic, social, and religious work was the highest form of national service.

Captain Sydenham asked appellant why he should not go and help the civil population in Belgium, and appellant replied that there was more work to done at home.

The tribunal decided that appellant should have conditional exemption on joining the oversea branch of either the Friends’ Ambulance Unit or the War Victims’ Relief Committee.