The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-09-13
FARMERS GO
INTO DEFERRED
CLASSIFICATION
Special Care Is to BE Taken TO Defer
Agricultural Workers.

|
special provision is made for inform
j ing the district boards in regard to
farm-labor requirements in order that
necessary food production ma be
maintained, says a statement issued
by the Department of Agriculture.
The statement continues:
In the new draft the district boards
are charged with the duty of putting
into deferred classes those persons
who are more likely to further the
war by remaining in civilian occupa-
lions than by entering the Army. Ac-
cordingly, three advisers are to be Sc
lected for each district board-one for
agriculture, one for labor, and one
for other occupations. The agricul-
tural adviser will be appointed by the
board upon the recommendation of
the Secretary of Agriculture. The adj
sisers are not members of the board
but may, when invited, attend its
meetings.
How Agricultural Adviser VIII Aid
The luties of the agricultural ad
wiser will be to furnish to the board
facts relative to farm-labor require
ments. not only of his own district,
but of the whole country. He should
be the repository of all facts having
relation to the deferment of agricul-
v1.nN1 1NA
cessary farm laborers, managers or
operators. He will be expected to
advise the district boards as to a
shortage or surplus of necessary farm
workers for any given district, as well
as for the entire Nation. Such in
formation will be supplied to the ad-
visers by the Department of Agricul-
ture. This will make 1t possible to
have necessary workers transferred
from districts in which they may not
be necessary to other districts in
which they are sorely needed.
The adviser may also concern him
self with individual cases that come
have the right, under certain condi
tions, to examine the missionaries
and other records in the files of the
local board for the purpose of ascer-
tanning whether persons entitled to
deferred classification have actually
claimed it. In case he finds the names
nf arrtg Two 10, In f,fg
them a claim for deferred classified
ton with the district board, which, in
turn, MAG require the local board to
certify the QUESTIONABLE and record
of any such registrants for considera-
ton. Reasonable time will be given
for the purpose of obtaining informa-
quired. If a local board determines to
consider a case for deferred CLASSIFY
cation because a registrant is engaged
in necessary occupation, notwith-
standing no claim for deferred CLASH
fication on that ground has been
made. it shall endorse the recommen-
registrant and forward it to the dis
trict board having jurisdiction. The
district board will thereupon consider
the case and proceed to classify the
registrant, Notwithstanding the fact
that no claim for deferred classiflca-
ton by or in respect of the registrant
has been made.
Claims in Behalf of Necessary
Employees
A further duty with which the ad-
wiser is charged is to confer with en-
ployers of necessary farm workers,
and to instruct them as to their
right under the regulations to file a
claim for deferred classification in re-
spect of any registrant who has failed
. or refused to file claim for deferred
} classification in his own behalf. This
: in the opinion of the War Depart
ment, is very important matter The
} apparent injustice of placing many
! registrants in Glass l is often due to
the fact that employers have failed to
make claims for deferred classical
ton on behalf of necessary workers.
II is to avoid repetition of this trou-
bic that farmers should see that all of
their necessary employees, whether
sons or other laborers, of the draft
age have made for them just claims
for deferred classification.
One important explanation is made
in the new SeIeetiye Service Regula-
tions in connection with the express
sion Skilled farm laborer," The
QUESTIONABLE provides deferred class
ification for the necessary skilled
farm laborer in necessary agriculture
enterprise. The new regulations
provide that in Class ii shall be
placed any registrant found to be en-
gagged in necessary" agricultural
enterprise. and found to be neces-
sary to such enterprise in the capac-
ity OF farm laborer-"especiall fit
ted for the work in which he Is en-
gagged" This quoted phrase consti-
tutes an explanation OF what Is meant
by skilled" as applied to farm Ia