Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-10-04
SPECIAL PROVISION
FOR FARMERS in DRAFT
Care Will Be Taken to Defer Class
ification of Agricultural
Workers.


agent, has received orders from
Washington to the effect that farm
ers will receive special classification
in the new draft. The letter that
he received follows and is of interest
to the agricultural people of this
county:
"Under the rules of the War De-
partment for executing the new draft
law, special provision is made for in
forming the district boards in regard
to farm-labor requirements in order
that necessary food production may
be maintained, says statement is
sued by the Department of Agricul-
ture. The statement continues:
'In the new draft the district
boards are charged with the duty of
putting into deferred classes those
persons who are more likely to fur
Their the war by remaining in civil
ian occupations than by entering the
army. Accordingly three advisers
are to be selected for each district
board-one for agriculture, one for
labor, and one for other occupations.
The agricultural adviser will be ap-
pointed by the board upon the re-
commentator of the Secretary of
Agriculture. The advisers are not
members of the board but may, when
invited, attend it's meetings.
"The duties of the agricultural ad-
wiser will be to furnish to the board
facts relative to farm-labor require
ments, not only of his own district,
but of the whole country. He should
be the repository of all facts having
relation to the deferment of agricul-
tural workers, whether these be nee
essary farm laborers, managers or
operators. He will be expected to ad-
wise the district boards as to the
shortage or surplus of necessary farm
workers for any given district, as
we'll as for the entire nation. Such
advisers by the Department Of Agri
culture. This will make it possible
to have necessary workers trans
ferred from districts in which they
may not be necessary to other dis
tricts in which they are sorely need
ed.
1.-The adviser may also concern
himself with individual cases that
come before the district board He
will have the right, under certain
conditions, to examine the question
naires and other records in the files
of the local board for the purpose of
ascertaining whether persons enti-
tied to deferred classification have
actually claimed it. In case he finds
the names of such registrants he may
file for them a claim for deferred
classification with the district board,
board to certify the QUESTIONABLE
and record of any such registrants
for consideration. Reasonable time
will be given for the purpose of OBJ
tanning information and supplying
the afidavits required. If local
board determines to consider a case
for deferred classification because a
registrant is engaged in a necessary
occupation, Notwithstanding no claim
for deferred classification on that
ground has been made, it shall en-
dorse the recommendation on the
QUESTIONABLE of the registrant and
forward it to the district board hav-
ing jurisdiction. The district board
will thereupon consider the case and
proceed to classify the registrant,
Notwithstanding the fact that no
claim for deferred classification by or
in respect of the registrant has been
made.
"a further duty with which the
adviser is charged is to confer with
employers of necessary farm work
ers, and to instruct 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 for
deferred classification in his own be-
half. This, in the opinion of the
War Department, is very impor-
tant matter. The apparent injustice
of placing many registrants in Glass
I is often due to the fact that en-
ployers 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 de-
ferred classification.
Zone important explanation is
made in the new Selective Service
Regulations in connection with the
expression skilled farm laborer.' The
QUESTIONABLE provides deferred class
ification for the necessary skilled
farm laborer in necessary agricultur-
al enterprise The new regulations
provide that in Glass II. shall be
placed any registrant found to be en-
gagged in a necessary agricultural
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