An important debate on the working of the Military Service
Act took place in the House of Lords on Thursday week, when Lord Derby spoke very plainly about the number of exemptions. These, he said, were excessive beyond all reason. The Govern- ment were allowing a small band of men in the House of Commons led by Sir John Simon to spoil the working of the Act.
In particular, agriculture had not played its proper part. In some parts of the country agricultural labourers had recruited splendidly, in other parts they had dono extraordinarily badly.
The reserved occupations must supply far more recruits, and women must take the place of the men. Ho submitted two proposals ;— " (1) No single man who has not attained the age of thirty-one should be allowed to plead for exemption on the ground that ho is starred, hedged, or in a reserved occupation.
(2) All other single men and all married men should not be considered as being in the starred or reserved occupations unless they held their present positions or positions of a similar character in other firms before August 15th last."
These proposals did not apply to skilled workers in munition works.
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