CASES UNDER INQUIRY. (Hansard, 3 July 1918)

§ 71 Mr. SNOWDEN

asked the Minister of National Service (1) if he will give immediate attention to the case of Norman Taylor, of 111, Bottomgate, Blackburn, aged eighteen on the 13th June, 1918, who was taken and passed Grade 2 on 20th June and was immediately sent to Kinmel Park and attached to the Manchesters; is he aware that this young man has only worked for six months in his life owing to ill-health, and for the last twelve months he has been continuously under the doctor and was under medical treatment at the time he was called up and passed into the Army; will he explain why this young man was sent into the Army immediately he had been graded and within a week of attaining the age of eighteen; will he see that he is at once returned to civil life and given an opportunity of appealing against his medical grading; (2) if representations have been made to him about the case of Mr. Williams, of 17, Orchard Street, Goldthorpe, near Rotherham, a check weigher in a local colliery; whether he is aware that, notwithstanding the agreement with the Miners' Federation, the colliery companies are allowed to appeal for the exemption of certain classes of workmen, whilst the workmen, who are the employers of the check weighers, are not allowed to appeal through the colliery recruiting Court; whether he is aware that the refusal to exempt Mr. Williams has caused indignation amongst the workmen; what action does he intend to take to continue the exemption of Mr. Williams, whose services as check weigher and men's representative are considered by the men to be essential and indispensable; (3) if he will demand the immediate release from the Army of William Ewart Thornhill, of 32. Montague Place, Shrewsbury, who, on the 14th June was examined by the medical board and passed Grade 3, and then immediately put into the Army and sent to the Royal Air Force, and within a week was sent to France; and, seeing that this man was given no opportunity of appealing 1701 against his medical grading and that the understanding that men would be given seven days to join the Colours, he will have a thorough inquiry made into the case and see that the proper action is taken against the persons responsible for this action?