The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-19
,REEN PATCH FOR HENS MUST BE PLANTED AT ONCE
FARMERS AND THE NEW DRAFT

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 Uhder the rules of the War Depart ment for executing the new draft law special provision is made for informing the district boards in regard to farm labor requirements in order that neces- sary food production may be maintain ed, says a statement issued by the De-. partment of Agriculture. The statement coEtinues
 are charged with the duty of putting | into deferred classes those persons who are more likely to further the war by re- rnaining in civilian occupations than by entering the army. Accordingly, three ad- visers are to be selected for each district board-one for agriculture, one for la l bor, and one for other occupations. The agricultural adviser will be appointed by the board upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Agriculture. The advis- CTS are not members of the board but may, when invited, attend it's meetings,
 ADVISER WILL AID
 | The duties of the agricultural adviser will be to furnish to the board facts rela- l tive to farm labor requirements, not only | of his own district, but Of the whole country. He should be the repository of all facts having relation to the defer ment of agricultural workers, whether | agers or operators. He will be expected to advise the district boards as to shortage of surplus of necessary farm workers for any given district, as well as for the entire nation Such infor-
 nation will be supplied to the advisers by the Department of Agriculture. This 1 will make it possible to have necessary
 workers, transferred from districts in which they may not be necessary to other districts ill which they are sore | ly needed.
 1 The adviser may also concern himself
 with individual cases that come before i the district board. He will have the right, under certain conditions, to ex- anime the questionnaires and other rec ords in the. files of the local board for the purpose of ascertaining whether per- sons entitled to deferred classification have actually claimed it. In case he 1 finds the names of such registrants he | may file for them a claim for deferred l classification with the district board, | board to certify the questionnaire and Lrecord of any such registrants for con- sideration. Reasonable time will be given l for the purpose of obtaining information l and supplying the affidavits required If a local board determines to consider a case for deferred classification because a registrant is engaged in necessary I deferred classification on that ground has
 been made, it shall endorse the recom- incubation on the questionnaire of the registrant and forward it. to the district board having Jurisdiction. The district board will thereupon consider the case
 and proceed to classify the registrant. inotwithstan nding the fact that no claim for deferred classification by or in re- [spect of the registrant has been made. ] A further duty with which the adviser | is charged is to confer with employers of necessary farm workers, and to in struct them as to their right under the regulations to file a claim for deferred classification in respect of any regiStrant who has failed or refused to file claim flor deferred classification in his own be-
 half This, in the opinion of the War Department, is a very important matter.
 The apparent injustice of placing many regiStrants in Class l is often due to
 the, fact that employers have failed to make claims for deferred classification on
 behalf of necessary workers. It Is to avoid a repetition of this trouble 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 Selective Service Regulations in | connection W1Ln tHc e4pFeSSiOH AShillCt farm 1aborer.' The questionnaire pro
 vides deferred classification for the
 necessary skilled farm laborer in neces' sary agricultural enterprise" The new
 regulations provide that in Class Il
 shall be placed any registrant found tc
 be engaged in a necessary" agricul- tural enterprise, and found to be neces' sary to such enterprise in the capacity ) of a farm laborer-"especially fitted fol the work in which he is engaged" This
 quoted phrase constitutes an explana- ton of what is meant by skilled" as applied to farm laborer The expression , will make easier the determination o1
 the status of many registrants.
 WAR SERVICE IN RIGHT PLACE | The purpose in the appointing of ad visers is to place men where they car ] do most to help win the war. These
 advisers will be able to help greatly thu } district boards to kep in agriculture thu . necessary workers. These workers, what } ever may be their inclination to ente } military service, should stand ready tt