Unrest in Kent the Home Secretary Intervenes

Dover Express and East Kent News August 23rd 1929

The farmers speak including Grandad, William Clark

THE APPLE STEALING CASE

The letter from Mr. Edwin Bradley to Lord FitzWalter which appeared in last weeks issue in reference to the apple stealing case was copied into the London Press on Monday.> On Friday the following appeared in the ‘Daily Mail’ one of the journals which a week previous called attention to the 14 days sentence that caused the magistrates to pass such a sentence.
The Daily Mail’s correspondent wrote:-
“The farmers in the area of the two new Kentish mining villages of Aylesham and Snowdon are complaining of the damage done to their crops, and special steps are taken to guard them.
Last week a sentence of 14 days’ hard labour was passed at Dover on a young miner of Aylesham, for stealing apples valued at 1s., from an orchard. Mr. Clines, the Home Secretary ordered the man’s release.
Mr. Clark, who lives at Ackholt farm, between the villages, told me:

“Our crops are suffering a great deal. The miners’ women and children took away our peas in baskets. A great deal of trouble is caused by the large number of dogs which the miners keep. My neughbour: Mr. Baleden, had five sheep killed, and three injured by dogs. His loss is about 60pd. And there is no recompense.

There is no resident constable in either place, through the population is now 3600.

We want to get on comfortably with the miners and their families, but as the fathers have to go to work at different times, many of their children are inclined to run wild. Last week boys put a number of corn sheaves into a hedge and set fire to three of them.”

Mr. Arthur T. Stead of Ratling Farm, who was the prosecutor in the apple stealing case said:
“I have lost much of my fruit since the mining villages were built, and I am also losing about 30 poultry each year. I have asked for police protection.

2nd part