Friday 14 July 1916
The case for and against
conscientious objectors was spelled
out in the discussions into the appeals
of a Shipley man who appealed to the
Military Tribunal against
conscription.
William Raistrick, a 37-year-old
metal worker from Alexandra Road,
Shipley said he objected to any kind
of war service, including non-
combatant.
During the course of his cross
examination by the military
representative, J A Burton, Mr
Raistrick said: “My grounds as a
conscientious objector are firmly
fixed and I do not see, if I may say
so, why the law of the land should
come between me and my God.”
Mr Burton said he did not doubt the
the man’s sincerity but said: “Luckily
for you and your wife and family,
there are hundreds, thousands even
millions of men who think differently
and are keeping the wolf out of the
fold.
“If you cannot bring yourself to join
them in this noble defence, at least
you can help them and all belonging
to them by doing something that does
not involve taking up the sword or
rifle.
“I suggest that is the way in which the
Tribunal look upon the matter when it
is a question of a young man of your
age who is fit and well. You should
not hesitate for a moment in doing all
that you can, as we are all doing at
this crisis. It is not a matter of
objecting to warfare at all; there are
hundreds of ways in which you can
help.”
Mr Raistrick: “I consider the work I
am doing now is of great national
importance.”
Mr Burton: “I cannot agree with you
there.”
The Tribunal decided to give Mr
Raistrick a certificate of non-
combatant service to which he said he
would appeal.
Two conscientious objectors who had
already had their appeals turned down
were in court for failing to answer
their call-up.
Lawrence Daker, a woolsorter, of 16
Church Street, Windhill, said he had
‘appealed for a re-hearing and asked
for absolute exemption on
found living in a caravan in Austwick.
He said that since his appeal was
rejected the circumstances at home
had changed. His brother was now
serving in France, leaving him as the
only person to provide for his parents
who were 73 years old.
He too was fined and remanded to
await a military escort.
Conscience weighed against the country’s need for soldiers
Baildon dispensing chemist, Mr H
Robinson, announced that he was
unable to carry on his business in the
absence of his son who had been
called up for military service after
having an appeal against conscription
turned down.
The local council had sent Cllr Holmes
and Ald Dunn to try and persuade Mr
Robinson to carry on as ‘it would be a
very great inconvenience if the people
of Baildon could not get their
prescriptions dispensed in the village.’
Ald Dunn reported that they had not
heard that he had stopped dispensing
so they took it that he would continue
as usual.
Councillors hope to
persuade chemist to
carry on dispensing
‘Enterprising’ cinema
bosses hatch plan to
dodge entertainment tax
The government had recently
introduced a tax on the entrance fees
to all sorts of entertainments, including
the cinema but it seems the Shipley
Times & Express had heard of a new
development.
‘We have inside knowledge that within
a very few days the enterprising
management of the Pavilion De Luxe
are inaugurating a scheme whereby
the tax difficulty will be overcome and
regular patrons of the theatre will be
able to get admission at a
considerable saving.
We hope to be able to say more on
the subject in our next week’s issue.
This is divulging a secret which we
hope Mr Siegel, the popular manager,
will overlook.
Mouth organ’s service
at war recognised
Music critic ‘Musama’ could not hide
his delight that, as he saw it, a musical
instrument had been awarded a medal
for its part in the war.
He quoted a War Office
announcement which read: ‘The
D.C.M. has been awarded to
Company-Quarter Master Sergeant E
S Beech, 7th Battalion Seaforth
Highlanders for rallying his men by
playing tunes on a mouth organ.”
‘That is the bald announcement,’
wrote Musama, ‘but more of the
incident has been brought to light. It
seems that after a desperate
onslaught with the enemy in superior
numbers, our men wavered.
Hail of bullets
‘Then came Beech’s opportunity.
Emulating Piper Laidlaw, who
mounted the trenches at Loos and
unconcernedly played to his comrades
amidst a hail of bullets, so another
gallant countryman essayed much the
same feat and with equal success.
‘Here is a recorded case of a service
of signal value which a mouth organ
has done; what then of the many
unrecorded services of other
instruments in addition to 16 mouth
organs, many of which you readers
have sent?
‘Good has been done by stealth – it
may be accounted fame!’
Mr J E Jennings represented Baildon at a meeting of Wharfedale War
Agricultural Committee at Otley where they learned that the military
authorities were willing to release 500 soldiers, in batches of 20, for work on
the farms during haymaking.
‘It was indicated that the men would bring their own tents but it was generally
thought that it would be better if the men could be billetted at the farm houses.’
After some discussion it was decided to accept the offer and to make it
generally known among farmers.
Soldiers set to help with hay harvest
Shipley Council to go it alone after
joint town-plan is disallowed
Despite extensive coverage of the
Somme, the leading piece in the
editorial columns remained the
disputes that had been going on for a
few weeks between Bradford and
Shipley councils over who should
submit town-plans for approval by
the government.
It had seemed that a compromise had
been reached with agreement on a
joint scheme but this now proved
illegal.
Proper course
‘Naturally the Shipley Council regret
that a joint application is not
allowable,’ said the paper’s leader-
writer, who had been deeply
suspicious that Bradford had been
trying to control Shipley by stealth.
‘They have now decided that the
proper course to be pursued is for
each authority to make its own
application with an understanding
that where boundary areas are
affected there should be an
arrangement whereby the various
schemes would be submitted in such
form that there would be no
disagreement in regard to
development.
‘So far as Shipley Council is
concerned, an application will no
doubt be made for permission to
prepare a town-planning scheme and
it is probable that Bingley and
Clayton will follow suit.’