New-York tribune., 1917-07-21
Conkling Forbids
Draft Officials
Protest Meeting
p,,t Exemption Board
Members Air Grievances
on Sidewalk
Clerical Help Lacking
officials Object to Paying for
stenographers Out of Their
Own Pockets
Clerical Help Lacking

Members o. aoou' "''! Va 'N
,.,,l exemption boards which will pas:
r.on New Y6rk's quota of the draf'
~ went 10 Public School 30, at 35I
ws.t Thirty-ffth Street, last night tc
.,,snd 4 meeting called by officials Of
"a, Exemption Board 110, with head
'nsr,ers in the school building.
The purpose Of the gathering ac'
...d;nr 10 the announcement of its pro-
mo,ers. was "to endeavor TO bring
r.,l. order and common sense out OF
=. chaos in which the local boards are
vorking." This purpose, however
,,aed to meet with the approval OF
po.eOe S. Conkling, Deputy Attorney
c.,sral. who recently came here from
albany to supervise the local draft ma
.,;,sry. and from his Office in the head
,usrters Of the Mayors Defence Com
,;,,se ne issued orders that the meet
az be called off or postponed until
,sxt Wednesday.
aNr. Conkling advises us that IT
v,uld be no less than sedition to hold
n, meeting we had planned" Jacob l.
v;.uer. chairman Of Exemption Board
no. told the assembled board members.
a, saws we should have notified him
,h,t we wanted to meet, so that word
eeuld have been sent to the Provost
Marshal General at Washington"
aHow about getting some help to
take care Of all the clerical work that's
inst pilirg up on us?" asked mem
itr Of Exemption Board 9S.
search me-" replied Mr.. Wiener.
That's Just what this meeting was for.
We are here because we want TO know
where we've at. But if we attempt to
ind out we'll be guilty of sedition, ac-
.ording 10 Mr.. Conkling. He says
there must be no intermingling of the
y,rious boards at any official meeting
! guess we can stand on the sidewalk
and talk il over, though"
Meeting Held on Sidewalk
The sugge,tion was acclaimed, and
ihs sidewalk group, enlarged from time
&c time as other board members ar
rved, gave itself over TO q more OF
less intimate discussion Of draft doings
70 the Interest and enlightenment OF
the neighborhood.
"We can't &c: any cooperation what
Esr from those in charge" complained
". Wiener. "Pm as patriotic as the
,rt fellow, but I'm q lawyer with a
e,,d practice and | don't think / ought
70 be made 10 do stenographic and
.srical work. But Mr.. Conkling, in a
k.ter sent to the chairmen OF all the
'otsl boards this morning, tells US that
ne cannot hire any help, as there is no
-sney TO pay for it,"
Seven Volunteers | had working
ior our board quit as soon as they
heard about the letter" interjected a
ksrd member from Brooklyn. But
the government thinks it's easy TO get
free help"
They told US to 20 out and borrow
scsles," said DR.. Frederick Griffith, one
,i the medical examiners of board No.
10. "We shall have to have them 10
weigh the conscripts, and when we sp-
| Piled for them we were told the govern
AtuE COulQu oNcANos
tors serving the draft cannot be ex-
Teet.d 10 carry their own delicately
adjusted scales from their Offices TO
The boards quarters and have them
worn out, as they undoubtedly would
b. Neither can we borrow scales; we
applied TO one Of the biggest scale
manufacturers, appealing to his pa
triOtism, and were told that scales were
/ 80 each"
when We 20 downtown and try TO
pst these matters up TO the authorities
We are told they are not available
uid Mr. Wiener. ~ called on Mr..
Conkling to-day and was not able 70
zee him"
Doctors in Quandary.
number Of doctors who had been
appointed 70 serve as medical exam
iners were in a quandary as TO how
hey could carry out the Instructions
regarding the physical examination OF
eohscripts.
~The examination required by the
government will take at least thirty
mlnutes." said DR.. r. {. baumann'
Usually an hour would be given 20 the
sofk Yet one doctor is supposed 10
e able 70 examine forty men day.
Ne IS supposed 10 do il without in
s;ruments Of any kind, so far as the
goytrnment is concerned. We are glad
. utilize our stethoscopes, buy rubber
gloves, test tubes and other articles
required, but We are not even supplied
ri'h the forms on which 10 make out
Ger reports"
A board member from the upper
East Side said he had spent $40 for
paper on which 70 make records, and
snoiher from Board No. 1. Long Island
Siiy, said he had spent $3.50 out OF
iis own pocket 70 pay clerk hire and
oihsr expenses incidental 20 the hand
hhg Of the 1000 registrations in his
IErIdetion.
q, am not complaining at all
n'sgh," he explained. 81 am glad 70
% j, and hope ! can be Of further
'sFTiee 20 the country"
Board Members Sacrifice e.. O..
Hes well fixed" said one in the
Epsr, but some Of US are making
| aefe Of a sacrifice in just merely serv-
~ On board IT'S up 20 the govern
'ht 70 pay its way. and it's up "a
n'ie IN charge 20 help make our work
1 = sneient a. possible. We are just
| ,iing tine because there's no sensible
Niee;ion.
We have not received any Of the
!" forfns o. various kinds which we
sa~l have 20 fill out in connection with
- Exemption work. These forms will
ave 70 be studied before they can be
..iesly handled. Then we are sup
nete % have frsnking privileges foi
~ mail, but ! sent out lot Of mail
iheet stamps and marked as direct.
and the postal authorities held Il
" Wiener announced 20 the side.
k gathering that he would write
T'ngffow % Nr. Conkling, Provost
rr1rhsl General CrOwder and Adjutsn'
sssfsl stotetbury, clearly stating the
~Ssncss which the various exemp'
- boards have against the suthori