The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-08-10
TOO MANY CLAIMS
FOR EXEMPTION
Provost Marshal General Crowder Sends
Warning to Gov. Graham, as to
All Other State Execu-
fites
Gov Graham has received the follov

i Gov. Graham has received the follow
ing statement from Provos. Marshal zen
eral Crowder relative to exemptions from
military service because of dependent
relatives;
Washington, d. c., Aug. o, 1917.
"Governor of Vermont,
Montpelier, Vt.
| Number three thousand seventy. Sec
2 of the selective service law exempts nc
person from military service on the
ground of dependency. 1t only author.
ICES the president to exclude or discharge
from draft those in a status with re.
spect TO persons dependent upon them
for support which renders their exclu-
sion or discharge advisable The con-
trolling necessity is to raise an army. II
is advisable to disturb dependents lust
as little as the necessity of raising an
army win permit. To this end Sec. Is
of the regulations was compiled care
fully and after the most earnest consid
Grafton, If experience is to prove that
thegenerous conditions prescribed by Sec.
Is, or any abuse of them, will interfere
with the raising of an army, then it is no
longer advisable TO discharge so wide a
class and the conditions stated therein
viii have to be restricted until an ad-
visable rule is reached. Nothing has hap
pened to change the belief that the per
sons enumerated in Sec. Is could be dis
charged without interfering with the
raising of an army, but there are indica-
tions that abuses of Sec. Is may render
its continuance no longer advisable.
Reports are TO the effect that in some
districts, as high as 80 per cent of per-
sons called before local boards are filing
claims for discharge on the ground of
dependent relatives. Such percentage
of claims when viewed in connection
with all available statistics indicates be-
yond question that advantage is being
taken of the provisions of the law and
regulations which were intended to re-
iuee TO minimum the misery at home
normally attendant upon var. There is
4 moral certainty in the extravaganza of
this percentage that hundreds of un-
founded claims are included in these to-
tails. This state of affairs greatly in
20 high a percentage of registrants claim
only the uneompromising ac
ion Of local boards can prevent new
equation on the subject of dependency |
which shall reduce discharges for de-
tendency to far more restricted class |
md to very necessitons and clearly de-
ined circumstances.
"In the absence of stern repression
" local boards of unmeritorious claims
his result is inevitable since any such
ercentage OF exemption as reports of
laims indicate would nullify the law
nd prevent the raising of AN army. 1t
thus apparent that the filing of these
improper claims will react directly and
liuriously on persons whom the present
equations were designed to protect and
hat the welfare of persons who have
led bona fide claims under the present
enerous clauses of the regulations, is Sc
ously imperilled by persons who have
led claims without merit, and that the
My protection of persons whose cases
re within the meaning of the present !
lies, lies in the power of local boards ,
, refuse exemption in every doubtful
tse.
at is true that cases of discharge on :
le grounds of dependency are appealed
the district board, but this clause is |
lly inserted to secure uniformity of ac-
on. District boards are to examine /;
ese cases to discover departures from /
lie law, regulations and rulings; and
ey will not and cannot open every case ,
its merits. 1t is in the local boards
one, therefore, that the solution of the
ficulty and the protection of deserving =
simants lies
"Crowder"