New-York tribune., 1917-06-12
First Day Rush Catches
Enumerators in City
Unprepared
Exemption Proves
Stumbling Block
Many Seeking to File
Claims with County
Clerk Turned Away

co-fps;on as 20 who may claim eS-
z,.;o, from war service and how the
-, must be recorded attended the
-. davis registration in New YORK
80 Yesterday in the state military
.,s and inventory Of war resources.
n,,,v. in opening some Of the 3'45o
.-;..-ation places, insufficient blanks
"a scarcity Of pens and ink at other
,,... and a lack Of definite instruc-
...,. 70 clerks added TO the perpleXity'
IN, SOC. 600 registered yesterday. the
g;-sc;Or's Office estimated.
EgsSreds Of persons who had claimed
.,.m,,ion at the registration places
r.re told 70 20 to the County Clerks
,s,s and file an affidavit Of the.= claim.
pr, when they reached the County
court House they found no provision
had been made for them. Each claim
,n, brought a slip printed in red which
.;,ed Section 8 of the census law: All
,srsons claiming exemption must with
!, sf,een days after receiving such no.
ice lthe slip) file a written statement
q such exemption, verified by athdaVit'
/, the Office Of the County Clerk.
Rules on Exemptions
County Clerk Schneider instructed
Ii. assistants to inform the holders OF
these slips that mo one is exempted
except persons already in the army
navy. postoffce or custom house SER
vice"
A clerk stood in front Of Mr. Schnel-
ssr's door announcing Persons who
claim exemption for disability, or on
account Of dependents or conscientious
affection can't file any claims here. NO.
body is exempt except some IN the
Federal service"
Clement J. Driscoll, deputy director
sf the census, explained that the clerks
=, the various registration places haC
besn in error in sending every eXemp
,ion claimant TO the County Clerk. H'
said the law provided that those who
claimed exemption on personal grounds
could object after they had been draft
ed and before board appointed foi
that purpose. The printed slips ne
said. should have been given only to
those already IN the Federal service eX'
empted by law.
Courthouse Thronged
DESPITE these explanations, in the
afternoon more than 1000 persons
crowded into the courthouse, brand
ishing the red slips and eXhorting the
clerks 20 record their claims. They
came from all parts of the city. and
said they had been sent by the clerks
AZ their respective registration places
One man displayed a wooden leg
Locke here, How can ! fight with
that" he exclaimed. Another man said
he had Chronic neuralgia eyer since
the war started" and wanted a certifi-
cate a. disability. A blind man and 2
nan half deaf stood side by side. 81
esn see only with a magnifying glass
and couldn't see the enemy at that,
asserted another.
There were scores of conscientious
objectors. men and women. and dozens
Of men who said they had Large de-
penden. families" All walked away
bevildered as the clerks beloved out
"Ysh can't get exempted here. So beat
t."
The confusion was ascribed 70 the
reiey of permitting a person 70 regis
;srEherever he pleases. This plan is in
opposition 10 the one proposed by the
Nsw YORK state Woman's Suffrage
party
When the method Of registration wa7
first considered, Mrs. Norman de R.