On This Day, 19 February 1916

Birmingham Mail 

Saturday 19th February 1916

CHILDREN OUTSIDE PUBLIC-HOUSES
AN APPEAL BY THE LICENSED TRADE COMMITTEE

It will be recalled that at the recent Brewster Sessions in Birmingham, the chairman (Mr. G. Boealy) referred to “the lamentable spectacle that was frequently seen at night of little children standing about outside public-houses in all weathers while their mothers were inside drinking,” and urged the Trade to take steps to put a stop to this practice, much [sic] caused much suffering to the children.
The Greater Birmingham Licensed Trade Committee have lost little time in carrying out the suggestion, and have now issued notice to be displayed in all licensed houses in the city, urgently appealing to customers “not to leave children unattended outside or in the doorways or passages of these premises.”

Birmingham Mail

Saturday 19th February 1916

BIRMINGHAM TRIBUNAL
LARGE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FOR EXEMPTIONS
LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS

There was a long queue of single men – applicants for exemption forms under the Military Service Act – outside the Birmingham Council House to-day, and for several hours the clerks were busily occupied in supplying information and handing out the necessary documents.
The Birmingham Advisory Committee of the new Tribunal appointed to hear appeals has decided to elect a Sub-Advisory Committee in each of the following sub-area recruiting districts of the city: –
1 – Handsworth Council House.
2 – Aston Council House.
3 and 4 – Thorp Street Barracks.
5 – Harborne Tenants.
6 – Stoney Lane Barracks.
Nucleus sub-committees are already in existence, and additional names will probably be added during the course of the next week. These sub-committees will be required to examine the lists of men who come within the category of certified occupations (starred and badged men and men in reserved occupations). The object of this scrutiny is to reduce as far as possible the number of men engaged in civilian employment, and it is believed by the authorities that a very large number of men will from this source be available for military service. It is pointed out that a very large proportion of the men who are “starred” were “starred” by reason of their own statement contained on the registration cards.