The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-28
'0CCUPATIONAL CLAIMS
ARE GIVING TROUBLE
District Boards Are Having Difficulty
On Account of Ambiguous
Replies Submitted.
ESPECIALLY TRUE OF FARMERS
They Fail to Make Clear Their Own
Importance to Agricultural Work,
Dwelling Only on importance of
Agriculture Generally.

District boards of both the eastern
experiencing difficulty in arriving at
a just settlement of claims for ex-
emption made to them by persons on
occupational grounds because of the
ambiguous character of the replies
being made by claimants to questions
of the board as to their occupation.
Particularly is this true in the mat
ter of exemption claims made by ag-
ricultural workers, who do not file
affidavits sufficiently clear to guide
the boards intelligently in their work.
In considering claims for exemption
on the ground of agricultural occupa-
ton, the matter to be made clear to
the board Is the claimants importance
to NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. his being
taken into the military reserves OF
the country will result in loss of
crops, or of cattle and whether lands
will go uncultivated in the event he
Is drafted Claims for exemption up
to this time have stated merely that
the claimant Is engaged in agricultural
pursuits, and then have gone on In
detail as to the Importance of agricul-
ture to the people, rather than stat
ing the Importance of the claimant to
agriculture. all of which has been Of
no value TO the district boards.
Information Essential.
The information wanted by the
board must include whether the claim
ant is an owner. tenant or laborer:
the amount of wheat. corn, hay. other
agricultural products and live stock
grown. whether the operation of the
farm can continue IL the owner Is
called away, or whether, in the case
of a tenant or laborer. someone else
can be obtained to I'll his place These
and all other details regarding the
necessity of the man claiming exemp-
ton remaining on the farm must be
given.
so great have been the number of
exemption claims that have poured
in on the district board sitting here
that a call was sent out yesterday
by Chairman e. r. Cox, asking for
volunteers to assist in the monument
tai task confronting the members of
the board. In addition to the papers
in the cases which are coming in
like an avalanche, there is a constant
stream Of people coming into the
office daily seeking information Of all
kinds. To meet this an information
bureau has been established. where all
shades of questions are answered
Any person who has the time to spare
to assist the board in handling the
exemption claims is asked to volun-
teer at the office OF the board In the
Postoffice building.
In short time cards will be In
the mails notifying men that they
have been called for service. and tell
ing them to hold themselves In read
mess. Cards viii be sent to the first
3 per cent of the drafted men about
the first of the week. The first card
to be sent to the men will be green
one, which informs the drafted man
that he must hold himself in read
mess to leave In twenty-four hours
The second card Is a red one. and
tells the man when and where he is
to report for transportation.
May Make Another Call.
AT the local board yesterday things
were generally quiet. all OF them
spending the time in going over
claims for exem ption. and one or two
mpleting their work It is believed
that three OF the boards will be
forced to call In another list of men
in order to get the entire number Of
their quota. No. . will examine on
Thursday. Ne. will doubtless make
another call about the latter part OF
the week
Military fever yesterday seized one
OF the drafted men of Division No. 8
He appeared before the board and
declared that he wanted to go to war
quick, and made the request that he
be taken from his regular order. and
sent with the first quota from the
city. 1t is probable that the request
will be granted by the board The
mans name was James w. Gordon.