New-York tribune., 1917-07-12
Difficulties in Manhattan
Revealed When Organi-
zation Is Attempted
Member Dead a Year
Others Live Outside of Dis
tricts for Which They
Were Appointed

one exemption boards of Manhattan as
could be reached yesterday indicated
that work had commenced. Attempts
were made TO organize most of the eX-
emption boards of Manhattan yester-
day. This revealed the difficulties
ahead. Two members of one board met
during the day to discover that the
third member Of their board had been
dead about a year.
Members Of other boards found one
or more Of their co-workers were
spending the summer out of the city.
The Mayors Committee on National
/ Defence, the organization that had rec
commended members for the boards, had
in many cases picked nom existing per-
sons to serve on the exemption boards.
The committee also showed a weakness
for recommending non-resderts for
certain districts. The exemption reg
uiations are explicit on this point. A
member of board must reside in the
district in which he has jurisdiction.
Elections Board Causes DELAY
Delay was also caused by rust in
:he machinery of the Board Of Elec-
tions The exemption boards wasted
hours trying 20 find registration cards.
In many cases the Board of Elections.
custodian of the cards, mad not the
slightest idea what had become of
them. Batches of cards were run down
in different public schools through a
weary process of elimination. When
the exemption board members claimed
the cards from the draft registration
officials they found that the latter had
not yet finished their labors. although
il is more than a month since the
Federal military census was taken.
The boards were further hampered
by designations. During the day
thrty-seyen members quit, and an
equal number Of men will have 10 be
found to take their places. There were
thirty designations the day before.
Board members who had been doing
clerical labor for several hours and
had become somewhat short-tempered
were inclined to blame the Mayors
committee. 1t was pointed out that
there was little excuse FOR naming Tor
exemDtion boards citizens who could
not qualify because Of non-resldence.
Headauarters Outside of District
For instance. Or. Arthur Fishmann,
member OF Exemption Board ll9, SAID
his home, 239 East Eighteenth Street,
was lust outside the exemption dis
trict of which he is an officer. New
crtheless, DR.. Fishmann has been help
ing organize the board, and its head
quarters is in his home.
Philip Gilber, mem per of Board lO3,
could not be located by his confreres,
DR.. Herman Lorber and DR.. y. j. Hy-
man. Mr. Gilber's address was given
as so Avenue b. This spot is occupied
by a church. R. p. Reid. of 3i6 West
Thirty-frst Street, and John Lopez, Of
2lS West Sixteenth Street, were also
found TO be missing The boards to
which they had been appointed could
not organize because the Mayors COM
mittee had recommended these two
mysterious persons for service.
Where there are one 7 two qualified
members of an exemption division
there is good chance of filing the
membership speedily, for the existing
members can shout for reinforcements.
But in some cases all the board mem
bers are either dead or cannot be
found.
The board named for Exemption Dis
,rict No. 100 consisted of Howard Cros-
by, lS4 Eldridge Street; |. p. Cubber-
man, l25 Suffolk Street, and Isaac
Zarch, 50 Rivington Street. No How
ard Crosby was found at the Eldridge
Street address. Cubberman and Zarch
live outside the exemption district. So
that Board No. l09 is without MEM
Der.
Board No. I4S is unorganized. Two
of its members live outside the district.
and the third. James c. Meyers. Of 653
10th Street, is unable to proceed alone.