Malvern daily record., 1917-08-30
PRESIDENTS RULING
 ON DEPENDENCY

ON DEPENDENC I The following telegram is published for the information and guidance of all concerned:
 Washington D. c. Aug. 25, 1717-- Governor of Arkansas,
 Little Rock, Ark.
 I Number forty twenty first. A feel ing has been expressed that, in passing on claims for discharge on the ground of dependents, local boards ought, in mo case, to refuse discharge to mar ried man or to the head of family. The law under which local boards act requires that before such discharge can be granted, dependency as well as relationship must be established. The matter having been presented to the President the following are his orders thereon:
 We ought as far as practicable to raise this new National Army without creating the hardships necessarily en- tailed when the head of family is taken and l hope that for the most part those accepted in the first call will be found to be men who had not yet assumed such relations
 "The Selective Service Law makes the fact of dependents, rather than the fact of marriage, the basis for ex- emption, and there are, undoubtedly, many cases within the age limits fixed by law, of men who are married and yet whose accmulations or other ee onomic surroundings are such that no dependency of the wife exists in fact. Plainly, the law does not contemplate exemption for this class of men.
 "The regulations promulgated on June thirtieth nineteen seventeen should be regarded as controlling in these cases, and the orders issued un- der that regulation directing Exemp- tlon Boards to establish the fact of de- pendents in addition to the fact of marriage ought not to be abroeated.
 The attention of this office has been invited to the fact that, in a few in- Stancnc local hoordc L,xvo a4.c1 district boards as held for military service, men whose families are ae- tually dependent upon them for sup port on the theary that the wife is able to work and should be put to the necessity of going to work to support herself and children. This situation IS addressed in the following opinion of the District Board of New York City in which opinion this office con- CUTS, with the understanding that the phrase support available from rela- tive" is support partial or total pre- vlously extended to the applicant him. self: "We do not concur in the view suggested Tn some quarters that in case of wife and children actually de- pendent on applications labor for sup port, and where there are no other means of support, the wife should be put to the necessity of going to work to support herself and children. Bona tlde dependency of wife and children on labor of applicant wherein his ab- tsence they will be left without reason able adequate support, after duly talk ing into consideration soldiers wage and support available from relatives. as stated in the rulings of the Provost Marshal General, is ground of dis charge. " This opinion clearly and ad- equately expresses the intent of the law in this regard.
 Paragraph B complied rulings of this office number addressed state of affairs where the parents or oti,.. relatives of the wife or husband are able, ready and willing adequately to support the wife and children, if any. during the absence of the husband This ruling was responsive to a class of eases that had been brought to the attention of this office where claims of discharge had been made on the ground of dependency on a husband, who, as a matter of fact, was not de- pendent upon himself. The ruling di-