The Alaska daily empire., 1916-03-30
SINGLE MEN TRY
 TO KEEP OUT OF
 GOING TO FRONT
lsnoclnl corronnondanee.l

l AA RAA NaNNA " NWNANa A@NAA-N~-Nf sitting throughout England hearing applications for exemption from men eligible at the front, Many complaints have begun Co so up over the leniency shown by the tribunals to single men who have offered rather fantastic req sons for eyading service in the army
 Complete exemption has been grant ed In comparatively few cases, but postponements have been most ire quent. and the tribunals now are be- Ing warned that every single man ex- cused means the earlier calling out of the groups of married men attested under the Derby plan.
 There is every indication it will not be long after April when the first of the married men will be called Go the colors. Thus far the married men in the army have gone only through voluntary enlistment. The compul- sory service act does not apply to them as yet but thousands have at tested their readiness to serve when the supply of single men is exhaust ed
 Their Duties Arc saoredl
 Many single men, with mothers or sisters dependent upon them, arc mak- ing the claim that their domestic du- ties are just as sacred and just as deserving of the nations consideration as those of the married men. They make the further plea that their fam | fly obligations were imposed on them through no act of their own, whereas the married men assumed liability for others through voluntary choice.
 'If am to be called away from the support of my widowed mother and three dependent sisters" said one young clerk. 'I will be followed by the thought that they must eventual ly go to the workhouse, and am sure that under the circumstances l would not make very good soldier for the King"
 Exemptions are sought upon the theory that the applicant Is "indis- pensible" to the conduct of the busi. ness in which he is engaged. Often the pleas are made by the employer who himself is beyond military age.
 "This clerk manages my entire bus mess and is absolutely indispensable said one employer to the tribunal at Lewlshoam.
 He Gets Four oOllars
 And what do pou pay him?" asked the chairman.
 seventeen shnlings sixpence each week"
 The Tribunal held that absolute indispensabfity" was worthy of high CT consideration than S4 a week, and the clerk was swept Into the army
 One employer appealed for the ex- emption of an artistic sign painter '
 'Tn such time of stress as this | think the country can get along with inartlstic signs" ruled the chairman.
 At Liverpool an undertaken claim ed he was truly indispensable. The tribunal told him to R. !. P" for six months. After that he must join the army. where there Is much work to be done by those skilled In the bur ial Of the dead.
 The Lord Mayor of London an en- thusiastlc worker for recruits, applied to the London tribunal for the exemp- ton of footman employed at the Mansion House. The applicant said it was in the national interest that Mansion House arrangements for re- cruiting the public work generally should rot be disturbed. Sir T. Vezey Strong. the chairman thought O post ponment of one month sufficient to allow the Lord Mayor to make other arrangements.
 A widow Of Penge obtaiped a three months reprleve for her eligible son on the ground that he was indispen- sable to the conduct of her small laundry. .so laundry" said she. land does more ironing than any two women"
 Farmers Use Threats
 Tho tribunals face their greatest difficulty in dealing with the agricui- hral districts. Some farmers have cone to the extent of threatening to abandon their farms entirely if not allowed sufficient help. The tribun- als now have adopted the policy or allowing three men to each 100 acres of land. In the meantime hundreds of thousands of women arc being re- cruited for farm work
 One young man unnecessarily quot ed from a speech of the Prime Min Ister Mir. Asquith. in the House or Commons. in seeking exemption on the ground that he was the sole sup mort of a widowed mother. He quot ed Mir Asquith to the effect that the taking away of the sole support Of a widow would be 'monstrous.' The annIicatlon was refused when It was shown there were other relatives with whom the mother might live.
 Another young man told the tri' bunal 1t was condemning bis mother to death in sending him to the war.
 If were alone in the world ] should have gone long ago. he added. Tn appeared. however, the financial condition of the family was sufficient.
 A theatrical manager was granted three months grace when he explain ed that if there were no amusements "the people would have nowhere '0 go"
 CHILDREN MARCH SAFELY.