The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-08-02
RULES GOVERNING BOARDS
OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY PRO
VOST MARSHAL GENERAL.
Queries From Individuals Are to be
Addressed to Local ENemp-
ton Boards.

tne once Oh the provost nlafSnal gen
eral at Washington has been given
en- to the press with the request that
it be given publicity:
thousands of letters reach the
provost marshal generals Office ev-
cry day concerning the application of
the selective service law to individual
cases. Some of these letters come
from local boards. A vast number
of them come from individuals, and
the question in the latter case is u.s.
ually My circumstances are so and
so; am l eXempt?'
There are very good reasons why
can be directly answered from the
provost marshal generals office, and
some other provision must be made
to furnish the information.
''The selective service law places
the determination of exemptions with
in the exclusive jurisdiction of eX-
emption boards. Individual cases
may not, therefore, be decided by
this Office. Opinions given on the
merits of such cases and without any
opportunity to investigate the true
facts would not be justified and might
be used to influence the action of To-
cal boards. Furthermore, an attempt
to decide individual cases in this Of
fee would be an invasion of the ex-
elusive function of the boards.
Rulings should Go to all Boards.
Somewhat the same considerations
govern the questions that come di-
rect to the provost marshal generals
Office from the local boards. The
same sort of questions arise in each
board. There are 4,557 boards. There
is only one way to answer such ques-
tions in a way that will convey the
answer to the largest number of
boards, and that is by rulings on
cases as they arise, but these rulings
ought to be communicated to all
boards An answer to boards singly
and directly would have to be re-
peated thousands of times and would
leave the center of the system in each
State uninformed. Partly to avoid
multiplication of correspondence the
whole system was devised on the
present plan.
'tThe whole nation is organized un-
der what might be termed system
of supervised decentralization. The
local boards in each State comprise
a separate unit, responsive to the
central control of the governor. Lo-
cal boards should address their ques-
tions to the governor, who will daily
summarize questions that he cannot
answer and present them to the pro-
vost marshal generals Office for his
whole State. Bulletins will issue
from the provost marshal generals
office giving the rulings on these
questions, and these bulletins will be
sent to every board in the nation. In
this way the operation of the law will
be systematized and made uniform.
Distribution of Information.
"For these reasons the following
is announced to the public and the
local boards as the rules that will
govern the dissemination of informa-
ton from the provost marshal gen.
erals office:
Il. Questions by individuals
should be asked of the local board
nearest them. If the board is una
BILE, after, consideration of the regu-
lations and rulings, to answer the
question, it should forward the ques-
ton to the governor for decision.
"2. Questions from local boards
should never be addressed to the pro-
vost marshal generals office, but in
all cases should be forwarded to the
governor of the State.
"3. In no case Will opinions or
rulings be given on individual cases
that have not yet been presented to
the proper local board.
Answering of Questions.
I'm order to enforce these rules
the provost marshal generals office
announces that it will answer no
questions from local boards which
are addressed direct to this office, but
will in each case return the question
er's letter or telegram with request
that it be forwarded to the governor
of the State. Questions from individ-
uals will not be answered direct from
the provost marshal generals office,
but the letter will be returned to the
writer with the request that. he ask
his question of the local board near
est him.
''It is not desired to inject formal
ity into the correspondence of local
boards, but the requirement of uni