New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-06
Changes in Draft
Rules Suggested
By Board Heads
They Would Exempt All
Married Men Till Bach
elors Are Enlisted

Tho chajrmcn OF twenty-five local
draft boards in New York have SUD
mitted TO the President, the Governor
the provost marshal general ana tne
state adjutant general suggestions Tor
improving the administration OF inc
drsr% law. The suggestions were maze
public yesterday.
They recommend that registrants be
examined only as they are needed fof
actual service, as otherwise many
might lose their positions and would
find it impossible to volunteer, while re-
examination Of most of them would De
necessary later and the draft boards
task would be doubled.
1t is also suggested that married
men subject to the draft be exempt
until all available unmarried men have
been called into service, with the eX-
ception that marriages contracted with
a view TO avoiding military service
should not be considered rs excuses.
Taking married men in ordinary CIR
cumstances in order of draft would,
the board chairmen think, cause public
dissatisfaction, tend 70 produce moral
and social dangers, exercise an unia-
yorable influence upon the next genera
tion. cause increased casualty and
death payments and withdraw older
and more experienced men from the
community before their time.
Wonid Preserve Savings
Bona fide dependents, including those
not in the classes specifically men
toned in the rules, should provide ade-
quate reason for discharge, in the opin-
ion Of the chairmen. Nor would they
DENY discharge 10 a registrant because
his savings probably would suffice 10
support his dependents unless such
savings yielded an income sufficient
for that purpose without impairment
Of principal
II is also suggested that the boards
be empowered 70 issue subppnas which
would have the force Of tl@ose issued by
Federal and state courts. Revision Of
affidayits 70 obviate oral examination
of registrants is recommended, as well
as Standardization OF the draft machin-
cry. with a uniform system of records
and files.
In large ci,ies, the local board chair
men think. the rule that every local
board member must be n resident Of his
district ought TO BE- waived, and sup
porting afidavits which the registrant
presents should be accepted If they are
made b. responsible persons nying in
the city or county.
Instructions for physical eXamina-
tions should be revised, in their opin-
ion, before the next draft, so as 70
minimize changes during the draft
process. They suggest that the govern
ment notify every board in advance Of
the names of those registrants in its
districts who actually are in the ma
tional service, and that Federal officials
pass on their claims.
The local board chairmen hold that
the automatic appeals by the provost
marshal general should be abolished
as largely perfunctory and constitut-
ing wasted effort. New or additional
evidence in exemption claims, they
think, should be presented to local
boards and that presented % district
boards should be limited accordingly
They suggest some insignia for the vol
unteer draft workers.
Among those signing the suggestions
were Lawson Purdy, lsidor Wssseryo-
gel. Irving Putnam, Albert s. Bard
Frederic r. Coudert, Or. Henry a
Wise, George Gordon Battle. julius
Henry Cohen. Robert Grler Monroe and
Nathan Ottinger.