The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-06-06
Total

A common desire to serve the nation
in the hour of its need seemed to rob the
registration of its compulsory feature
and innumerable instances might be
| sighted where men with dependents were
willing to give their all to Uncle Sam.
81 do not claim exemption" said one
man, who added "The government will
take care of my wife and children and
| it is my duty to take up arms if ! am
called" His attitude was typical Of
many men who did not claim exemption
even though they have dependents.
Truly it may be said that the spirit of
real sacrifice seemed to animate large
number of men who registered and in few
if any eases did the registrars receive
the impression that men were attempting
to exaggerate their responsibilities. EN-
ployers in the manufacturing and busi-
ness sections allowed their employees am
pie time to register and used their influ-
ence to promote early registration.
Nearly all of the names were in before
evening and perhaps three -ffths had reg
istered before o'clock in the afternoon.
A remarkable feature of the registra
tion had TO do with the fact that in
Barre as elsewhere the work of receiving
registrations was under the auspices OF
the state and local authorities, although
the army to be raised will be absolutely
under federal control. Beyond doubt
the war department showed wisdom in
enlisting the cooperation of state and
local administrative officers so that there
might be the least possible appearance of
federal interference with popular liber-
-. III - 80
in the choice of registrars, the obvious
whole -heartedness with which young
men of draft age 1oeked to the ward
stations. and the absence of any disturb
ance whatsoever were impressive fea
lures of the registration in this city.
There were some very tired registrars
when the day was done. 1t was a new
Job and a hard one and the attention Of
every registrar had to be concentrated on
the avoidance Of error. The registrars,
along with the moderator, Mayor Glys-
son. the chief registrar, City Clerk Mac
KAY. and the surgeon, Health Officer j.
w. Stewart. served without compensa
ion. but without an exception eheerfully
md efficiently did their best.
In every ward the personnel of the
board included an interpreter
IT two and their readiness to serve great
v facilitated the enrolment. And the
with which men of alien
ongues marched TO the polls revealed the
egistration day proceedings in one of its
most satisfying aspects. In the fifth
ward, where many men of the 2l-3l age
re not wholly familiar with the English
anguage the registration was brisk az
n times and potential members Of the
,ig army to be selected showed a disposi-
ION to cooperate with the registrars in
n Of the little details that entered into
he enrolment and collection OF data.
After o'clock. but before the returns
-erc filed with the chief registrar. the
egistration in each ward was carefully
ldexed. Tabulation at the city clerks
flee was gotten under way Immediately
nd was continued this forenoon. Chief
registrar Msckay had 10 handle large
umber Of registration blanks received
rom residents who were absent. They
ere assigned to their respective wards
efore 2 o'clock In addition the de-
and for registration blanks from men
( the draft age who reside in other
owns. but were in Barre temporarily
a. Unexpectedly large. In the DAYS i'm
.ediately preceding the registration be-
Continued on eighth Page.l