Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1918-09-14
DEPENDENCY CHIEF
DRAFT PROBLEM
FACING OFFICIALS
DIFFICULT TO MAKE HARD AND
FAST RULES FOR LOCAL
BOARDS.
QUESTIONABLE ASKS CAREF VI
LY ABOUT REGisTRIANTS RI.
NANclAL CONDITION.
THOSE ENTITLED TO DEFERREO
CLASSIFICATION SHOULD
CLAIM 1T. ~

OF all the problems with which the
War Department and, the Selective
Service machinery have to deal that of
dependency is the most difficult. Few
fixed rules can be laid down in Wash
ington for the guidance of the local
boards in handling the questions which
have arisen and which will arise.
General principles can be stated, but
the circumstances of each case which
will come up will vary from every
other in some particulars, and local
boards must necessarily be given con.
Siderable latitude in passing Ijudg
ment upon them.
This muclr the Government seeks
to impress upon the loacl boards and
upon the new registrants as well: 1t
is not the purpose of the War De-
partment to draft into the military
service Immediately any man whose
family without him would be thrown
upon the Government as a. burden,
or upon the charity Of his friends or
his community 1t is not yet neces-
sary to go that far in order to mus
ter the man power which can be used
effectively against Germany The time
may come when such men will he
needed, but that time has not been
reached and the chances are that it
never will be.
In order to- determine the extent
of such dependency, and in order to
satisfy themselves that It should en-
title the head of the family to defer
red classification, the local boards re-
quire much definite information as to
the registrant's financial circum-
stances, his income, his incomebear-
Ing property, the number OF people
dependent upon him, their relation
ship to him, the ability OF other mem
bers of his family to make living
Tor them and the amount of this ex-
pSaditures
Supporting Affidavit Required.
The head of any family, it must be
remembered, who feels that he should
be given deferred classification in or
DER TO support his dependents, must
make a claim to that effect and must
submit supporting affidavits of every
person above IL years of age named
as dependent upon him. In case he
ieels that he would be embarrassed
IN making such a claim, another per-
son can make it for him, that is, his
wife or his children above 16, or some
outside party who knows the facts re-.
garding his case.
but the point is that a claim must
De made by someone before the local
board is required by the War Depart
ment to consider deferring the regis
uant. There are no automatic exemp-
uons because of dependency or be-
cause of the marriage state. There
was great deal OF discussion OF such
exemptions at one time, most of 1t by
the Secretary OF War himself, but he
later ruled that only dependence, fully
established, would result in deferred
classification OF married men as such.
EVERY sregistrant must answer the
hfst question under the heading Of
dependency" on the QUESTIONABLE
whether he asks for deferred classi-
ncation or not. This question is as
follows:
Question to Be Answered.
Have you wife or child, or aged,
'ntlrm or invalid parent or grandpar
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