The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-09-14
EXEMPTIONS FROM SERVICE.
Priorities of Industry Announced
Not to Bind Boards.

Washington, Sept. 9.-The new prl-
critics classification Of industry an
nounced yesterday by the war 1ndt1s-
tries board will not bind district draft
boards in determining deferred class
ifcation on occupational grounds sof
men between the ages Of Is and+45
years who are to register Thursday.
The boards may determine that 9th
er industries are necessary but lE
granting deferred classifications they
must satisfy themselves that the in
dustry is necessary and further that
the individual registrant is essential
to the industry.
These facts were disclosed by Pro
vost Marshal General Crowder's
plans for applying more liberal oc-
cupational exemption scheme In
classifying the new registrants, which
was made public today together with
the complete text of the amended
draft regulations and a supplement
to the questiennaire explaining sto
registrants the, sections in which
which facts relating to their CLASH
fcations should be noted.
The regulations provide that the
advisory committee of three to. each
district board, one to be named by
the department of labor, one by the
department of agriculture and the
third by the board itself, may intro
duce at hearings on deferred classi-
ication the war industries board prl-
rcrities list, but adds:
"Such lists shall not be regarded as
binding upon the district board 4 in
it's conclusions as to whether OF. not
any particular industry, occupation
employment including agriculture. is
a necessary industry, occupation o.
employment within. the. meaning4o1
the law and regulations nor shall
such lists prevent the district board
from holding as necessary any indus.
try occupation or employment@in
cluding agriculture not contaanet
therein Such preference lists ano
other facts and information in.the
possession of such advisors will sup
plement the information = in posses
sion of the district boards aid Wiz
also be used to assist the GSr3el
boards in dealing with specific cases. $
Detailing the method boards are
to follow the regulations say a reg
istrant shall be considered entitled
to exemption only when Completely
engaged" in an occupation the boards
class as essential; when his removal
would result in substantial damage
to the enterprise and when tthe
available supply of persons conlpe-
tent in the capacity is such that the
registrant can not be replaced with
out direct, substantial, material loss
and detriment to the operation Of
the enterprise" sr
Further restricting the granting. OF
deferred classification on industrial
grounds, the regulations notify
boards that they should consider
among other things the length OF
time a registrant has been in en-
ployment and become convinced, be-
fore granting his claim, that he els
not so engaged for the primary pur-
pose Of avoiding military service"
In general the regulat $ fix the
place of a necessary workman in a
necessary occupation in Class 2, the
place Of an expert or assistant man
ager or divisional head in Class 3. and
the place Of sole manager or direc
tor in Class 4.
The advisory committees to the
draft board are empowered to claim
deferred classification for registrants
who are entitled to it, but who for
patriotic reasons may object to max
ing the claim for themselves. Pro-
vost Marshal General Crowder has
insisted that registrants entitled to
such classification should make the
claim when filling out their question
naires rs a patriotic duty to prevent
unnecessary work by the draft
boards