Lea Mils Exemptions

 

Newspaper Reports

High Peak News, 3 March 1917
The cases from Lea Hosiery Mills were next dealt with. On the initiative of the Military Representative, eight cases were called up for review, viz: Jno. Jas. Wragg, work distributor; Geo. Price, Wm. Worthy, Henry Siddall (Middleton), Harry Bush (Holloway), Chas. Gregory (Nether Heage), framework knotters; Jno. H. Sellors, head packer and storekeeper; and Geo. Wm. T. Barton (Holloway) , contract and shipping clerk.
Wragg is 22 and single. He had had conditional exemption since May last and is the sole support of his father, unable to work, and he is the only son at work.
The Military Representative said the ground on which he appealed against this was the age 22. He had passed B1.
Granted conditional exemption.
Harry Bush (29), attended on a persoinal ground. There was also an appeal by the firm. Bush asked for consideration of the responsible post he held with his family. He had to keep his mother. He was doing more good where he was, though he did not wish tio evade service. He was class A.
Granted conditional exemption.
The other cases above were dealt with the rest of the firm's appeals.
At the outset the Military Representative made a statement of his report in camera.
Later, Mr McConnel and Mr C.A. Gregory attened for Messrs, Jno Smedley and Co. of Lea Mills, and at the request of Mr McConnell his hearing was also taken in committee.
The decisions arrived at were as follows:-
Sam Atkins (27), B2, granted conditional exemption; Alfred E. Bush (35) C3, conditional exemption; Chas. Turner. B2, six months; Frank Barber (30), C1, three months; Ernest Young (29), C2, six months; Fred Gregory (23) six months; Alfred Higton , B2, has already enlisted; Albert Taylor (19) C1, refused; Geo. Barber (40), C3, conditional; Francis Newton (38), C2 , conditional; Charles Limb (20), C2, conditional; Horace Thomas Holmes (35) A, three months; Jas. Worthy (38) B2, conditional; Arthur Knowles (40), C2, conditional; Thos. Yeomans and Arthur Chas. Hughes, aged 41, both over age; Albert Lowe (35), C3, conditional; Ernest Staham (34), C1 six months; John Botham (33), conditional; Fred Bunting (32), conditional; Geo Bunting (32), C3, conditional; Clifford Jas. Bunting (28), B3, six months; Wm. Limb (27), B3, six months; A. Walker (27) C3, six months; Arthur Seedhouse (26) B3, six months; A.E. Bosley (25) C3, refused; Jno. Hy. Holmes (33), C3, refused; Charles Limb (34), C1, refused; Jno. Higton (19), B3, refused; Geo. Hy. Holmes B1, three months; Geo. Oakley (32) A, three months; Walter Twigg (32), C2, six months; Francis Bond (30), A, six months; Ernest H. Dennis (30) A, refused; Jno. W. Turner (30), A, refused; Jno. Wm. Brown (33) C2, six months; Jno. Wm. Else (30), A, refused; Joseph Knowles (32), A, three months; Herbert W. Saint (33), A, three months; Henry Holmes (33), A, three months; Fred Gillott (33), A, three months; H.W. Jones (33), A, three months; Herbert Patilla (34), A, three months; Saml. Hollingsworth (25), A, three months; Ernest Whitehurst (34), B2, conditional; Wm. Thomas Allwood (27), A, six months; Wm. Limb (27), six months; Joseph Peach (39) B2, conditional; A.E. Bush and Frank Barber's appeals on personal grounds were refused. Decisions as to firm's appealsin their cases appear above. As to the reviewed cases, the Tribunal refused exemption for Geo. Price, Wm. Worthy, Henry Sidall, Charles Gregory, Jno. H. Sellors and Geo. Wm. T. Barton.

High Peak News. 2 June 1917
The Lea Mills cases were as follows: – Horace T. Homes (35), Bakewell Road, Matlock; – Hollingsworth (35), Rose Cottage, Crich Road; Herbert Patilla (34), Lea; Henry Whiteman Jones (34), Starkholmes; Henry Holmes (33), Lea; Frederick Gillott (34), 24 Cromford Hill: Joseph Knowles (33), The Green, Holloway, all framework knitters, and all Class A; George William Holmes (34), Bow Wood, yarn storeman, B 1; George Oakley, class A (33), Lea Bridge, foreman hosiery miller and scourer; George Vessey Paulson (31), B 1, Lea, engineer, and Francis Barber (30), C 1, Lea, overlooker.
The Clerk said these had had previous exemption periods.
Mr C.A.Gregory appeared for John Smedley, Ltd.
The Chairman asked what suggestions he had to make to liberate any of the Class A men.
The Chairman: Your cases have generally been taken in committee; have you any wish in that direction?
Mr Gregory: No, I have no objection to the Press. He went on to say he had no idea to release any of them. It would have to be a matter of argument. All the Class A men were necessary. If the men were taken it would create a very great hardship to the other workers. Two days labour a week was being lost through men taken before.
The Chairman: You have more than sufficient to keep the girls employed? – Yes: that is so. We have four contracts running now with the government. It meant girls would be thrown out of work.
The Chairman: It might mean these girls would go and take men's places, as so many were doing now, say, on railways.
Mr Gregory remarked the district was isolated. They had 19 in the Army, and 77 men of all categories.
Mr Gregory: We have crocks. We have men 70 years of age at the frames.
The decision was that they dismiss the appeal is for H.W.Saint. Joseph Knowles, Henry Homes, H.W.Jones, and George W.Holmes; conditional exemption was granted the engineer, Paulson; six months for Oakley and Barber; and the other Class A, three months.
For those refused the Tribunal gave 28 days before being called up.
The Chairman told Mr Gregory he must remember that as to the Class A men, last time other men would have been in training, and in giving another three months, that if the pressure for men at the expiry should of the time was great, they must not look for further exemption.
The three months exemptions were to Horace Holmes, S.Hollingsworth, Herbert Patilla, and F.Gillott.
The Tribunal will meet on June 7th.