Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-30
CITY REGISTRARS
WILL DRAFT $3.50
Board Ready to Pick Fight
ers Under U. S.
Direction
STATE MUST GIVE $4,000
Voters Lists Will Be Used, but
Nonvoters Will Not
Escape
STATE MUST GIVE $4,000

Phiadelphia's share Of the first 500 900
soldiers which the nation is to raise by se-
lective draft is $3.50: that of Pennsylvania.
$4,000.
This was determined today. as tentative
plans for the draft were discussed by reg.
istration officials The quota of fighting
men is exclusive of the volunteers which
the city will be called upon to furnish to
bring the regular army and States National
Guard up to war strength.
The regisl ration oI Philadelphia men
of the military age to be fixed by Congress
will he conducted by the Board of Registra-
ton Commissioners appointed by the Cow
ernor. Frederick j. Shoyer is chairman of
the board the other members being Albert
II. Ladner Jr., secretary, and George g.
Pierre and William A. Carr. Within one
month after the enactment of the selectiNc
draft BILL according to the plans of the
War Department. the registration of men
between the age of twenty-onc years and
the maximum age to be decided by Con.
gress will begin throughout the city. This
probably will be about June 1.
MANY NOT LISTED
The regular registration machinery used
20 classify voters for elections will be used
in the 1887 division polling places to class.
fy fighting men and workers for the war
vision by Federal authorities.
A national registration day was advo.
Gated today by several officials who pointed
out that many men eligible for military
service are not listed with registrars.
Philadelphias full registration is ,92S
men, according to Il. J. Cattell city statis-
tican. Based on population, there are 307,-
EOS men between eighteen and forty years
old in the city
However, since last october. when the
sInI
600 young men have become of age, it is
estimated The total number of names Of
eligible men not on the lists is estimated
at about 10000.
Because the registration lists in the va
rious divisions are not complete. officials
were strongly in favor of augmenting these
lists by new registration designed to OBJ
tain the names of men now not enrolled
among the voters, The present lists, it was
pointed out, afford good basis of opera
ton. not only because they contain the
names of nearly all men above the minimum
age limit for the conSCript army. but be-
cause they give the occupations of the men,
as important feature in selective conscrp-
tion. But the incomplete nature of the lists,
II was held, makes it unfair to select the
fighters from them alone. Neither was II
deemed advisable to disregard the voting
registration lists altogether in gathering
data because of the possibility that there
are 'sackers' willing to vote but not will
Ing to bear arms.
MAY COMBINE METHODS
A combination of the voting lists and
of data obtained by fresh registra fsn
would be the fairest means of picking the
fighters it was said
'If a national registration day is fixed,
II would be a wise precauton to have the
work supervised by men with the authority
of United States Marshals to enforce obedi-
once to the rules of the registration" said
Harry Stone, chief clerk of the County
Commissioners.
The registration in each voting division
! could he completed in one day, it was es-
timated. AS soon as the lists are compiled.
$3.50 names will be drawn from the total by
the Jury wheel" system. Local exemption
boards then will pass on the fitness of men
for army service, wedding out those phys
ical4y unfit whose work is of such Il
natu O that it is as essential as military
service fresh drawing then will fill up
the gaps made by the exemptions