Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-11-14
DRAFT PLAN COSTS
1888 EACH SOLDIER
Adjutant Generals Office Figures
Up Expenses of Recruiting in
Iowa.
VOLUNTEER SYSTEM
COSTS LESS
Cost of Recruiting Old Way is Esti-
mated at $1.75 Per Man.

Securing soldiers through the con-
script system in Iowa cost on an av-
erage of $3.33 a man, according to
Figures gathered by the adjutant gen.
erals department. The Cost for Sc
curing volunteers was $1.5S less
than that of the conscript system.
Filed with the adjutant general s
department there are already bills
amounting to $4,000. The amount
of bills above this will not be known
until the department has been in
formed by the various district and
local exemption board members as
to whether their services are volun-
ltarily given or are to be compensate
ed.
Iowa has furnished total of 49,
ZOO men through the selective draft
plan. Beginning with the first of May
of this year and continuing through
the first two weeks of April the
state furnished 1000 volunteers for
the federal service. Prior to this
period there were 1000 Iowans al
ready in the federal service secured
Through the volunteer plan.
Large Force at Work.
The adjutant generals depart
ment reports that the cost in secur-
ing these volunteers totaled $4,000.
There was an expenditure of $1,000
for the services of recruiting Off
GERS and $4,000 for other expenses
The average cost for each volun-
lteer was estimated by Major Frank
E. Lyman that the cost for each man
secured through the volunteer sys-
tenn to be $1.75.
Working in the selective draft sys-
tenn there is total of over 500 men
and women involved. There are 112
local boards, the mem bership of each
of these boards being three men
There are two district boards, the
| northern Iowa and the southern
Iowa exemption boards, each having
membership of five men each.
Regardless of the position of the
: members on the board the govern
ment does not allow them more thar
81 day each. The government Il
, accepting volunteer service without
compensation wherever such servic'
is given but the remuneration OF s.
day is paid only when asked for.
a The adjutant generals depart
|, ment is sending out communlca
l tions to all members in the state t.
learn whether or not compensation
: will be asked. 1t is believed that tn
]. number which will not ask paymen
!, for their services will be small !.
Adjutant General Logan said yes
! terday that the local board of Coun
Gil Bluffs had given all of its servl
D ces without pay. Thus far the onl
example of it's kind in Iowa.
In only three cases has the gov
eminent been put to the expense Q
2 renting quarters for the boards. l
most cases the boards met in coul
houses or il other public buildings
In many cases private citizens hav
q voluntarily furnished office room t
|, the government.
Each of the local boards has a
average of two clerks each. TIL
district boards have working sta
|, of fifteen clerks and stenographeI
each. The government is allowin
not more than $3.50 a day as salar
! for the clerk hire.
Outside of the regular local an
district boards the state is mair
tanning under the governors diret
ton an Office where appeals froI
the action Of local or district boar
are taken. This Office was opened Oc
and requires the full time service
of one man and one stenographer.
n Gov. w. l.. Harding appointe
l John Fletcher, formerly of the attoi
! ney generals department, to hea
cases appealed to the governor. Sine
the opening of the Office he has hear
a total of more than 600 cases. Nor
than $50 of these cases have bee
disposed of. This latter number doe
not include those cases which wer
turned back to the local board.
l The governor is not empowere
with the right to grant exemption
but merely to hear a case aid the
recommend to the local or distriC
board that the case be reopenet
Practically all of the cases whic
have come before the governors al
pointee have been based on deper
dency claims.
1t was declared by Major Lyma
that the entire number of men aske
for from Iowa could have been raj
ed through the volunteer plan ha
4 the officials been permitted to do 81
He said that the saving in none