The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-09-26
NOT PATRIOTIC TO
WAIVE EXEMPTION

Leslie Evans, county agricultural
agent for Humboldt county. arrived in
Winnemucca Wednesday to check up
on the skilled farm labor registered
in the new draft. Owing to the needs
of skilled labor to harvest the crops
next year it is necessary to keep all
the skilled farm laborers at home on
the farms.
Mr.. Evans is leaving for Paradise
Valley and McDermitt tomorrow to
investigate the need of labor there. 1t
is his intention to assist the local
draft boards in every way possible.
In the matter of the deferred classi-
fication of farm operators and work
ers, the Official United States Bulletin
of September IL contains a very inn
portant statement by Provost Marshal
General Crowder. He calls special
attention to two facts. One of these
facts is that the basis for deferred
classification requires something more
than the mere filling out of ques-
tionnaire. Some one must indicate
that the individual case is one which
should arrest the special attention of
the draft board in respect to the
registrant's occupational status" said
General Crowder. To the question,
what happens to the registrant ne
glecting to state his claims for de-
ferred classification he replied: IF
he does not put them down in his
questionable and no one else puts
them down, the claim can not be con-
sidered." The second fact is that it
is the duty of an employer to aid his
necessary employees in necessary
occupation in presenting their cases
to the board.
81 have noticed" said General
Crowder. "in the general expressions
of the public attitude which reach
this office, two frequent features
which lead me to the present COM
ments. One of these features is the
belief that the process of awarding
deferred classification to a registrant
requires merely the filling out of the
QUESTIONABLE. and that the selective
service boards will perceive the pro-
priety of making the deferment with
out the assistance furnished by the
registrant's formal claim indicating
the deferment desired. The other fea-
ture is the employers failure to real
ize his responsibility to intervene in
aiding the boards determination. and
therefore to inform himself fully on
all The considerations which should
affect tho decision as to deferment
Both of these features are due to a
single larger fact, viz. a failure on
the part OF many to reflect on the
industrial considerations governing
deferred classification.
''As to the aforementioned belief, it
must be pointed out that If it were
universally acted upon the process of
classification would be seriously ham,
pered and delayed. Some one must
indicate that the individual case is one
which should arrest the special atten-
ton of the boards in respect to the
registrants occupational status. The
boards do not possess super-human
omniscience. Nor are they permitted
by circumstances to devote unlimited
time to the search of questionnaires
for possible grounds of claim.
But who is to make the claim for
deferment? Ordinarily the registrant
himself will indicate the claim on his
QUESTIONABLE. But if. through mis-
taken chiyalry, he should fail to do
so, another may make ii for him. In
industry, agriculture. or other occu-
pations, this other person will natu-
rally be his employer or some other
representative of his associated group.
And this brings me to the second fea-
ture above mentioned.
why should the employer, or other
third person. in such cases, make tn
claim? Because the employer in this
situation represents the nation-be-
cause Tin the statutory phrase) the
maintenance of the military establish
ment or of national interest during
the emergency requires that some
well-advised third person should look
after that national interest, which the
registrant himself may not have suffi-
ciently considered"