Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-07-26
EXEMPTION
QUESTION IS
PARAMOUNT
Prospective Soldiers Seek In,
formation as to Rules Un-
der Which Exemptions
Are to Be Given.

Now that the order OF liability has
been fixed for the selective army, the
next important step is that of passing
upon those listed for the purpose of
determining eligibles and exemptions.
There are three general classes Of
exemptions, to-wit: Q) Those liked
and determined by the plain language
of the law; GU The matter Of depend
encies and physical disabilities. con-
corning questions of fact. to be de-
tefnined by the local exemption
boards; CD Occupational exemptions.
coming under the jurisdiction of the
district board.
The direct law exemptions apply to
legislative, judicial and executive Off
GERS. ministers of religion. students of
divinity, persons in military or laval
service, subjects of Germany residing
in the United States, all other resident
aliens who have not taken out their
first papers.
Additional to the foregoing automatic
exemptions. the local boards are in
structed to issue discharges on prop
erly s~ubstantiated claims, as follows:
County and municipal officers. custom
house clerks, persons employed by the
United States in the transmission of
mails, artificers and workmen employed
in the armories, arsenals and navy
yards Of the United States, pilots, ma
riners actually employed in sea service.
In the matter of dependencies, passed
upon by the local board, discharges are
issued to persons called for service on
a valid showing Of dependent wife,
child, father, mother. brother or sis
ter under Is. The general rules as to
each and all of these dependencies are
the same. therefore the language of the
official instruction In regard to de-
pendent wife or child shows the con-
ditions which viii govern. The regu-
lation provides:
That such wife, child or children is
(are) dependent upon his labor for
support as the term labor" is used In
the rules and regulations: that his in
come from which such wife and child
or children received such support was
mainly from the fruit of his mental or
physical labor, and was not mainly de-
rived from property or other sources.
independent Of his mental or physical
labor.
Claims for exemption on account of
dependencies, which will constitute the
greatest number of exemption cases,
must be made by affidavit within 10
days after the filing of claim for dis
charge. The claim may be PRESENTED
and supported by the dependent, in
stead of by the registrant, the same
general rules applying.
Additional to the exemptions herein
cited. the local board will determine
physical qualifications. this being the
first formality.
If a listed man is found eligible by the
local board, and ST reported. the dis
trict board applying to the federal jul
dicial district), will IA upon the ques-
ton of occupational exemptions. The
district board also will hear appeals
from the inal action of the local boards.
Claims for ~occupational exemption
nay be filed with the district board on
the following grounds: That he is act
ually engaged in a particular, designat-
ed Industrial enterprise necessary to the
maintenance of the military establish
ment. to the. effective cooperation of the
military forces. or to the maintenance
of national interest. The act refers tc
persons engaged in industries, includ-
ing agricultural" but the special regu-
lations emphasize that agriculture Is to
have only the same treatment as, other
industries. Only those vital to national
interest will be exempted on occupa-
tional grounds.
Only a sufficient number needed tc
make up the quota of each district will
be summoned for examination and only
those cited for appearance need to file
exemption claims, where such intention
exists. blanks for making the affidavits
can be secured from the local exemp-
ton boards.