Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-11-19
GENERAL cRoWDER OBJECTS TO
SOME OF EXPENSE ACCOUNTS
PILED UP.
PROPOSES TO FERRET
OUT ExrRAvAGANcEs
Unofficial Estimate Of Cost Of Draft Is
About 100000, as Against Crow
ders Estimate Of $500 00o-BIanks
Being Forwarded to All Boards and
Reports Must Be Filed.
special to Times-Republican.

Special to IlmeS-Repupilcah'
Des Moines, Nov 19.-Provost Mar
shall General Crowder is after unpa-
triotic~ draft boards which have piled
I'D big expense accounts. Recognize
ing that there have been thousands OF
boards throughout the country whose
members have rendered highly pa
triotic and generous service as mem
bers of the board, nevertheless there
are boards whose members have run
ND big expense accounts, he says. And
he is not only going to find out what
boards these are but he expects to
make public what he finds out.
Adjutant General Logan is transmit
ting to local and district boards re-
quest for an accounting as made from
General Crowder. He declares that
General Crowder expresses surprise
and displeasure because the boards
have incurred more expense in TAX
ing the first draft than was expected.
It is estimated unofficially that the
draft will cost the country something
like $4,000, 900, whereas General Crow
ders estimate of it's probable cost
was s1,500.000.
General Crowder's complaint is OF
course based on the reports from tie
boards throughout the country and
not against any one state NJ scctltn.
He cites as TN example y soma OF the
extremes where one board, whose total
quota to be produced was six men,
submitted a claim for compensation
amounting to $500.
EXPENSE Blanks Forwarded
Blanks are being forwarded to all
members of local and dis let boards
to ascertain all expenses up to Nov.
rs.
Boards whose claims are exorbi-
tant or which exceed deasonabfe cost
as disclosed by comparison Of the ex-
pense accounts of the majority Of
boards or Of the most efficient boards
will be required to explain their figures
and will be cautioned that not the
least effective index Of their co-opeda-
ton in helping the nation in this. emer-
gency Is this figure Of COSTS" declares
the order from Crowder
CAS- soon as the reports on the en-
closed blanks are received 1t will be
added to the total and from this a
unit cost will be figured for the plac-
ing Of man at the railroad station
ready to entrain for mobilization camp.
Later on a report will be made OF the
unit cost for each board, showing ex-
actly what it cost in each county to
produce selected man ready to en-
train
General Crowder in his telegram
says further:
"A vigorous and renewed appeal
should be made to the splendid pa
triotism and unselfish devotion with
which the administration Of this law
was begun. At the time the present
fiscal policy was under consderat ton
all departments of the federal govern
ment were overwhelmed by offers Of
voluntary and uncompensated ser.
vice.
Wide Variance in Expenses
Influenced by this splendid showing
we telegraphed ITO forty EIGHT states
on the question that was before us,
vice should be solicited and received
in the execution of the selective SER
vice law. The response was an al
most unanimously affirmative. We
adopted the policy and went before
congress with an estimate for funds,
computed with view to large pro-
portion of such gratuitious service.
In the main, the response has been
most inspiring but here and there, not
only have such services been charged
but we have reports of boards that
have met from day to day with an ap-
parent sole purpose of basng claim
for compensation. For instance, one
board whose total quota to be pro-
duced was six men. submitted a claim
for compensation amounting to $500.
This Is an exceptional case which
by far the majodity OF the board
members should condemn but 1t is
such boards as this that are RESPONSE
BILE for inflated unit cost Members Of
boards were from the very beginning
of our administration given to under
stand that the necessity for economy
and uncompensated services was an
element Of the psychological atmo-
sphere which would surround the ex-
ecution of this law. That the duty
of all selection boards was to go into
American homes and take out for SER
vice for the nation our strongest and
best young men to send them to the
battle lines to incur the risks of a
sacrifice which is not and can not be
measured in terms Of money compen-
sation. That the duty Of selection
boards ought to be given the aspect
Of service OF the same sort and that
as far as possible this service should
be rendered without compensation"
IOWA LEADS FIVE CONTINENTS.