Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-19
LOCAL COMMENT

1t has come to the notice Of the local
exemption board that an extraordinary
number of farms in this county are be-
ing managed by young boys within the
draft age and that an unprecedented
and unbelievable number of farm par
ents have become physically unfit for
farm work since the questionnaires
have been made out from which to
classify young mep for military service.
In more than one instance the affida-
Wits of parents have shown two boys as
managers Of the same farm and the
parents unfit, while in others the par
ents have certified themselves unfit to
manage the farm while they were fit
to pick corn thruout the month of De-
cember. The district exemption board
has sent out orders to county councils
to investigate every marriage of a reg
istered man which took place since the
draft law was enacted The inference
is that somebody is stacking. The
county attorney should appeal every
case of occupational exemption and
county councils should investigate the
facts as to exemption claims. There is
a whisper of suspicion about an UNI
precedented abdication of middle-aged
farmers in favor of their twenty-three
year old sons.
The county council of defense has
resolved against the food slackers. as
there are altogether too many Of them.
Many people seem to- think that they
are under no obligation to observe
wheatless, meatless or sweetless days
If they can afford to pay for the food
they use. The closing Of factories in
the east because there is not coal
enough to go around should convince
us all that the shortage is a real one
and that every person must give up
something from his own consumption
in order to feed the army and it's allies
Tuesday is meatless day and the per-
son who fails TO observe 1t is unpatri-
otto. In a small way and thoughtless
way he is a Stacker. Wednesday is
officially the wheatless day. Saturday
is porkless day. Each should be OBJ
served. We would make pretty mess
Of 1t if each individual reserved the
right to observe Christmas, Thanksgiv-
ing, and Fourth of July, national holi-
days, on any old day he pleased. Peo-
pie in this town are still serving pork
at public dinners when it is wrong. The
law making bodies should compel eV-
erybody to observe conservation pol
icy, but until that Is done the indlvid-
ual who fails to do it voluntarily is UNI
patriotic. There is no excuse. We
can't have business as usual when
there is war and we can't live as usual
when war needs are calling for US to
give I'D wheat and pork. and coal and
sugar.
Farmers living along county roads
should get busy il their highways are
to be included in the project for fed
eral and state aid. The county board
Is now disposed to begin on the road
to State Center first, because the far
rers nearby are offering a bonus OF 81
per acre. There is not enough in the
federal and state aid funds to improve
all the roads. 50 the neighborhood that
shows the most active interest will get
in under the abbreviated blanket.
800
It Is not too early to be organizing
for the spring garden drive. This city
did not do as well as many a western
CITY in the vacant lot campaign last
wear, y0r II lacked OI A~>SiS
lot should be not only listed but soiic-
tied. Men with teams to do the plow-
Ing should be listed and their prices
regulated. The people to do the gard
ening should be stirred up. This next
year is going to make greater demands
upon the nations food supply than
ever. for next winter the war may be
lost by the foreign nation which col
laDses with hunger first, and it would
be disastrous for US to fail to keep our
allies in the war until we win. Further
more. the pressure upon prices is going
to be severe and we should all work in
the soil this year, men, women and
children.
Selfish people will now try to make
a run on the coal yards because coal
Is temporarily short. There Is two
weeks supply on hand at least and lots
OF wood. OF course, If the trains should
omit r,,nning,-but they will not. The
patriotic thing to do is to conserve.
Close up all unused rooms. Save fuel
and order from shovel to fire The
person who tries to hoard by ordering
from more than one dealer Will be
summoned for unpleasant notoriety.