New Britain herald., 1917-06-16
FREIGHT TRUCKERS FAIL ID REGISTER
Federal Agents Give Names of
 Men Suspected As Slackers A NEW BOOKS FOR LIBRARY

t
 Would Have Cost Government s72-
 Trumbul Expec4ed Home Tomor.
 row-Cnnservator for Seymour.
 Names of workmen of the New Haven road who were employed at the transfer station hero on June and who failed to register for con- scription although it Is believed they are between the ages of 21 and 31 have been sent to United States Dis trict Attorney Thomas J. Spellacy by ToFn Clerk R. c. Usher and the for mer has notified the local authori- ties that federal agents will be inn mediately put on their trail. The truckers, whose names are on the list are the only suspected slackers to whom attention has been called by the registration board and the belief is held that local eligibles, with the possible exception of a few foreigners, performed their duty
 On Registration Day. the transfer station gang. which is made up large 1y of "doaters," who seemingly claim no special place as their residence, were brought in . body before tho board of registrars in session in the Town hall. Each was questioned by a representative of the board and while . number of them appeared to be of an age eligible for conscrtption. only two enrolled. the others claim ing to have passed their thirty-arst birthday.
 Two days later the New Haven road, cooperating with the authori- ties in the work of registering eligibles. sent the town clerk . list of names of men in their employ in Plainville on June 4, whose ages. ac- cording to tho information given at the time they applied for places were between 21 and 31. The registration board immediately communicated with the federal authorities and were asked to make an investigation.
 In the meantime, however. the weekly change in the personnel of the working force came about and when First Selectman Johnson went to the freight yard to seek information re- garding the alleged slackers he was unable to locate any of them, all hav- ins quit their places and leaving town.
 The federal agents will now get on their trails and if any of them are located they will be brought into court. Notice has been sent to busi- IlSSS AOOSSS SuIOu8nOut SAAc SOuAASAy to demand the exhibiting of registra- tion cards from those who apply for work and who appear to be of con- scription ages. In this manner it is expected "foaters'' who seek to evade their duty will be apprehended.
 Tne railroad officials are unable to keep track of the movements of the men who work at the various transfer stations and freight houses but they propose to cooperate with the gov ernment as far as, possible in locating the slackers. At the local yards. where over . score of new men are put to work every week, applicants who appear to be under thirty-one will have to show their registration cards before they are given employ ment and if they are unable to pro- duce the pasteboard their cases will | be reported to the authorities.
 Would Have Cost 473.
 1 Acting as representative of the ! registration board Town Clerk Usher l went to Hartford yesterday to file Q report concerning the expenses of registration day in Plainville, the l federal government having asked for ! an itemized account. The report in- 1 dicated that Plainville is willing to do it's "bit' at all times in the interests 1 of the government, tho town making l no charge for the expense incurred in connection with enrolling the eligibles 1 Had the men who worked in listing
 the eligibles charged for their ser l vices it would have cost the govern
 ment SIP, according to the town
 clerks figures, for compiling the names and information sought by the
 war department. All the workers. in- l cluding members of the registration i board, gave their services gratuitously.
 and as a consequence a receipted bill 1 will go to the government.
 Expected Home Tomorrow.
 l John H. Trumbull, president of the 1 Trumbull Electric company, is ex- ! pected. home tomorrow from the