The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1917-08-16

fact proceedings have just begun 1t
was last Thursday that the first men
were called for examination and IN
doubtedly many Thursdays will elapse
before the last man is summoned
Something is the matter with the
draft. 1t appears that regulations
governing conscription, change with
every tick of the clock. Examination
officials in this county thought that
things would go along without a hitch
but far from it. When examinations
were closed Thursday night new or
ders appeared governing the height,
weight ct cetera too numerous to
mention What was the result? Many
of the men who were examined and
declared disqualified were again call
ed back for a second examination.
Bright and early Thursday morn
ing conscripts began to arrive from
all points of the compass. Some
came by train others in autos. anyway
to get there at nine o'clock, for the
notices said to be there at nine. Drs.
Young and Sawyer were on hand and
everything was working like charm
During the forenoon several were ex-
amined bur none seemed to come up
to he requirements. Flat feet
broken arches, weak hearts, bad eyes,
in fact something seemed to be the
matter with practically every appli-
cant One big husky lad from the
vicinity of lockwood, a man who
locked as tho he could eat nails for
breakfast food was thrown out be-
cause of fiat feet. Yes. something
must be done or the Somerset county
quota would fall far from the mark.
One after another the men entered
the examination room. Stripped to
the waist they underwent a rigid ex-
animation at the hands of the seeming
ly heartless physicians.
"M-mm-m let's see" said DR. Young,
12S pounds. Well that's all right,
how's the heart Just a triie fast
but perhaps that is due to your pres
ent nervous condition. And so the
examination continues until the mat
ter of pedal eXtremities is. taken up.
Flat feet, fallen arches. Am afraid
we can't use you, said the examin-
inS physician and the next step is to
give the conscript an exemption but
ton. This is the way things went
about all day Thursday 1t was plain
TO be seen that some change would
have to be made somewhere Dur
ing the entire day g. men were ex-
sical test. AT this ratio it would be
necessary to examine over 500 in or
der to get the necessary S5 which is
called for from this county Most
of those discharged were so treated
because of bad feet and bad teeth
On the following day 81 went under
the hammer with the result that 50
passed What wrought the wondrous
change? Why we're so many more
accepted Friday than on the previous
day? Was it because the men who
came Friday were of more perfect
physique than their predecessors |
Possibly. but a rumor has leaked out
from one source and another that
during the afternoon or evening,
Thursday. the exemption officers re-
eeived notice to let up a little on the
strength of the acid test. 1t appears |
that there must have been a little |
letting up On Saturday many !
came but few were chosen and all in |
all the number 10 he taken has not !
.et reached the required S5.
Monday the examining physicians
were again in session. not receiving
conscripts but trying 10 untangle
various knotty problems which con-
fronted them. Dir Sawyer sat at his
official desk and with deep furrowed
brow was scanning certain papers
which were scattered about the roll
top
From the first 200 men called dur
ing the three latter days of last week /
50 had passed the tests and of these
40 asked exemption. Three aliens |
but we're not examined
There were 33 who failed to report
and it was thought that many of these
were from lockwood and other North
ern parts of the County; men who had |
since joined the lumbermen's unit
One man, George Gray of Jackman,
has been killed since the draft meas
ure went into effect and another, ,
Irving Rowe, is now confined at the
Fairfield Sanitarium. Other than /
these two and the SO men from the
Northern section. there were none who 1
failed to report. Already atfidayits /
are beginning to come in for exemp-
tions. The full board was in session |
Monday to consider claims but the
have 10 days from date of /
examination in which to file any dis
sentions they may have. Consider
inc tho fart that the uuOta rauuirna !