Rushden Local Tribunal - Shoe Trade Cases – Adjourned Until After Sept 25th.
Important Regulation
The Local Tribunal for Rushden sat at the Council Buildings, Rushden on Tuesday night, when there were present Messrs T. Swindall (chairman), H. Knight, J.P., G. Miller, J.P., C.A., O. Bates, and C. Cross, C.C., with Mr. W. H. Beetenson (deputy clerk). Mr. John S. Mason was the military representative.

A firm of corn merchants appealed for a married man, aged 27, who also appealed personally on the grounds of physical unfitness for military service, as he could not walk without a special boot. There are three partners in the firm. The elder one has just returned from active service at the front, being time-expired, and on his return his two brothers enlisted. Conditional exemption for the man was granted.

A married man, aged 36, working in a shoe factory, appealed. He is an out-patient of Northampton Hospital. He produced a certificate showing that when attested he was rejected as being unfit for military service. –The Chairman: They cannot send you.

The latest list of certified occupations which was presented to the Tribunal, has some important references to the boot and shoe trade, as follow:–

All married foremen are reserved, as are all unmarried foremen 30 years of age and over.

With regard to clickers, sole cutters, lasting machine operators, pulling-over machine operators, and screwing machine operators, all men in these occupations are reserved up to Sept. 25th, after which date the age limits will be 41 for single men and 25 for married men.

As to all other classes of workmen in the boot and shoe industry, single men are not reserved, but all married men are reserved up to Sept. 25th, after which there will be an age limit of 25 for married men.

All shoe trade appeals were consequently adjourned until after Sept. 25th.

Chelveston - Conditional Exemption was granted by the Rushden Tribunal on Tuesday in the case of a Chelveston man employed by a Rushden dairyman.

Rushden Local Tribunal – Interesting Cases
The Local Tribunal for Rushden sat at the Council Buildings, Rushden, on Monday night, when there were present: Messrs. T. Swindall (chairman), F. Knight, J.P., G. Miller, J.P., C.A., and C. Cross, C.C., with Mr. Geo, S. Mason (hon. Clerk). Mr. John S. Mason was the military representative.

A Rushden trading society appealed for an assistant in one department in which, the society’s manager stated, they were working with the minimum strength.—The assistant, who lives at New Wymington, was a married man, with one child. The Military Representative urged that the staff in that department, five in number, was larger than absolutely necessary.—Appeal dismissed.

The same society also appealed for the manager of a branch shop, a married man aged 33.—The Advisory Committee did not consider the man essential to the business, on the ground that the work could be done by another man who had been rejected as unfit for military service.—The manager of the society stated that they had allowed all single men to go and all "understudies", and were only asking for those in certified trades.—Application refused on the ground that the man could be replaced.

A Nottingham tradesman appealed for the manager of his Rushden business, a married man, aged 39.—Two months’ exemption.

A firm applied for the driver of a motor vehicle, a single man, aged 23, who had served in the Motor Transport Corps and was now time-expired. It was stated that all the other men had gone.—A month allowed (final).

A money-lender and commission agent, 35, married, with four children, applied for exemption in order to arrange his affairs.—Appeal dismissed.

At the County Appeals Tribunal on Friday last Frank King (25), lift manufacturer and stiffener, Park-place, Rushden, asked for exemption on business grounds. He said he was the only male in the business, and he delivered the goods personally by motor van.—Exemption to Oct. 31st.

Rushden Local Tribunal – More Men Wanted - Colonel Fawcett’s Request
The Local Tribunal for Rushden sat at the Council Buildings, Rushden, on Monday night, when there were present: Messrs. T. Swindall (chairman), F. Knight, J.P., G. Miller, J.P., C.A., and C. Cross, C.C., with Mr. Geo. S. Mason (hon. Clerk). Mr. John S. Mason was the military representative.

Colonel Fawcett and Captain Wright attended, and the former urged the great need for fit men. Many men were wanted to fill up the gaps caused in the big advance.

A hairdresser and tobacconist, single, 25 years of age, who had been passed for garrison duty only, and who had been previously granted temporary exemption, again appealed. The Advisory Committee were of opinion that it was not in the national interests that the appellant should be retained in his present employment.—One month’s exemption, without leave to appeal again.

A watchmaker, jeweler, and optician, single, 26 years of age, previously granted temporary exemption, again appealed. He had been medically examined, and passed for garrison duty abroad.—One month’s exemption, final.

An insurance company applied for exemption for a superintendent.—One month, final.

A dairy farmer, cowman, and stock-breeder, single, aged 29, was granted two months’ exemption, to be final.

A boot manufacturer appealed for a confidential clerk, aged 28, single, and it was stated that he had charge of a number of enterprises outside the factory.—Captain Wright saif he thought he could find the firm a man 40 years of age who would do the work.—Appeal dismissed.

A heel manufacturer, married, working for himself, appealed on conscientious grounds.—Adjourned for a week.

Mr. Holland (secretary to the Education Committee) said the headmaster and four assistant teachers of the school were on service. The committee had arranged to replace Mr. Dunbar by another teacher, a rejected man, who had recently come into the service of the committee. Within the past week, however, this man had been re-examined and passed Class A, and had now joined up. In these circumstances it was necessary to ask for further exemption for Dunbar.

The Tribunal granted a further period of three months, and expressed the hope that further steps would be taken to secure a substitute.

Mr. Hyde said the man was a welt sewer; in fact, he could do almost anything, and that was why he was appealed for. He was engaged on the understanding that he should do welt sewing, and take the place of a man aged 28, who was in the rough-stuff room, and was being called up. He contended that the case was one of petty spite, and had arisen through the action of the Trades’ Union.

In the information supplied to the Advisory Committee Hatton was described as foreman of the rough-stuff room.

Hatton said he learned welt sewing with the British United Machinery Co. 16 years ago. He had been in the shoe trade all his life, and since he was 18 he had held no position of less responsibility than that of foreman.

The decision of the Tribunal was two months final.

It appeared that, notwithstanding the undertaking given that these cases were not to be pressed in any way before the County Appeal Tribunal, no intimation to this effect was given to that Tribunal by the Military Authorities at the hearing except in two cases which were dismissed. The result was that in each of the other five cases the decision of this Tribunal had been varied, with the consequent result that any further applications by the men concerned would have to be made to the County Appeals Tribunal.

The Local Tribunal considered this a breach of the undertaking arrived at, and decided to adjourn, pending a satisfactory explanation.

Rushden Military Tribunal - When Doctors Differ – A Case for Medical Re-examination
Monday, present Messrs. T. Swindall (chairman), F. Knight, J.P., C. Bates, G. Miller, J.P., C.A., and C. Cross, G.C., with Mr. W. L. Beetenson (assistant clerk).

William Ernest Whitney, clicker for Mr. W. L. Duncan, passed in Class A, produced two doctor’s certificates, one stating that he had broken down under military training, and had been discharged from the Army, and the same thing was likely to occur again, and the other certificate stating that he was suffering from a nervous heart. The case was referred to the Central Medical Board in London.

Rushden Military Tribunal - Older Men released by the Manufacturers
Younger Men Retained – Strong Protest by Alderman G Miller
Many cases came before the Rushden Tribunal on Monday evening in which men if 40 and 41 years of age made personal appeals, and protested against being sent into the Army while younger men were retained by the boot manufacturers under the arrangements between the employers and the military.

Ald. G Miller strongly protested against such action on the part of the employers and said it was scandalous that the manufacturers should retain the young men and part with the older men, adding, “If I were one of those men I would not go back to the same employ.”

The Chairman (Mr Fred Knight) endorsed these remarks, and the utterances were warmly applauded by the appellants and others present.

In the absence of Mr T Swindall, who is suffering from the effects of his recent accident, Mr Fred Knight, J.P., presided, and there were also present Alderman G Miller, J.P., and Mr C Cross, C.C., with the Clerk (Mr Geo S Mason) and the Military Representative (Mr John S Mason).

Mr George, solicitor, appearing for a boot operative named Waite, said that his client had three brothers in the Army and he himself was cultivating 3½acres of land. Applicant was granted leave to appeal to the County Tribunal. Note: Part of a longer article

Rushden Military Tribunal – Medical Examinations – Right of Appeal
An important statement regarding medical re-examinations was made at the sitting of the Tribunal on Tuesday night, when there were present Messrs T Swindall (chairman), F Knight, J.P., C Bates, G Miller, J.P., C.A., and C Cross C.C., with the Clerk (Mr Geo S Mason) and the Military representative (Mr John S Mason). It was pointed out by the Clerk that any man who has not been examined by a National Service Medical Board must be so examined if he applies at any time before he is due to report........

The proprietor of the “Rushden Echo” appealed for Charles A White, linotype mechanic and operator, category C1.—Exemption until December 31st, with a suggestion that there should be a medical re-examination.

Harry Cave, 37, class A, edge setter, said he had five small children, while one of his brothers had been killed, one had been a prisoner of war since September 1914, and the others were still fighting in France. His wife’s brothers, too, were all in the Army.—December 31st.

A personal appeal was made by Walter Edward Smith, 39, married, foreman of the lasting room at Mr Horace Wright’s factory, and there was also an employer’s appeal. Mr Wright said that the man was indispensible. He did all the pulling-over by hand, and also managed the room. The Chairman said the employer’s appeal had been dealt with by the County tribunal and dismissed, and that therefore the Local Tribunal had no jurisdiction in the matter. On the personal appeal, the applicant stated that he had five children under eleven years of age, that he was working 40 poles of allotment, and that he had for some years been a poultry keeper, pig keeper, etc.—Exemption on personal appeal until December 31st.

David Magee, 37, class A, married, an edge-setter, said that two brothers had been killed in the war, one was permanently disabled, one was seriously wounded, and another was discharged after serving five months. Another brother had been serving in France for two years. Applicant enlisted himself, but his health broke down while training in England, and eventually he was discharged. He had now been put in category A. He had undergone an operation, and still had the same complaint.—Exemption until Dec 31st, and to be re-examined meanwhile.

A personal appeal was made by Ralph Bond, 37, married, class A, a finisher. He said he had six children under twelve years of age and was cultivating 50 poles of allotment.—December 31st, and to be re-examined. [there are many of these reports in the papers, these are now much older men]