Milford chronicle., 1918-07-05
The RULE FOR DELAWARE
men IS WORK OR Fight
State Council of Defense Starts the
Enforcement of the New Anti
LOaiing Law in State.

With the opening of offices Monday
By the Compulsory Work Bureau or
the State Council of Defense active
work upon the enforcement Of Della
wares anti-loafng law began. The
headquarters of the bureau are locat-
ed at the old Federal Building, Sixth
and King streets, Wilmington, which
has been taken over by the United
States Employment Service.
The law provides that every man
in the state between the ages OF eight
cen and ifty-five must be engaged IN
a legitimate occupation. Violations OF
the Act are punishable by a fine Of
not more than $500. three months i'm
prisOnment, or both Under the Act
creating the State Council Of Defense
that bOiy is authorized to round up
all persons who will neither work
nor fight. The law does not differen-
tiate between essential and nOn-es-
sential occupations, it merely pro
vides that all men must do some law
full work during the duration OF the
war and for six months after the
close Of hOstilities.
Many residents of Wilmington past
the draft age are engaged in callings
which are declared to be nOn-essen-
tials under the regulations prOmulgat
ed by Provost Marshall CrOwder have
made inquiries regarding their status
under the law. Christopher L. Ward
director of the Compulsory Work Bu-
reau, has informed all inquiries that
that the Act does not compel walters,
BARRIERS, theatre attendants, bartend-
ers. clerks and other workers engaged
in trades declared by Provost Mar
shall CrOwder as nOn-essenttals TO
leave their positions.
The Compulsory Work Bureau has
secured the services of a corps of in
vestigatOrs whose duty ii is to visit
all sections of the state and discover
violations. Mr.. Ward has also ap-
pealed to the citizens Of Delaware to
aid in the enforcement of the law by
reporting all violatOrs to the bureau.
although the Act was in effect i'm
mediately after its passage" Mr..
Ward said, I'VE have just opened our
offices today and we Will begin active
work in rounding up all viOlatOrs at
once. We are obtaining the names OF
all idlers. They will be investigated.
If we find that the yhave no legitimate
occupation we will summon them TO
our Office and order them to get to
work.
We are cooperating with the Unit
ed States Employment Service in car
rying out the law. The names of
idlers, who express a willingness to
engage in some useful occupation, to-
gether with their trades, qualifca-
tiOns and their choice of employment
will be turned over to the United
States Employment Service. Posi-
tions will be obtained for them.
The Act provides that all males
between the ages Of eighteen and fifty
five years must be regularly employ
ed After we have made proper
investigation into each individual
case the man will be assigned by US
to do a particular kind of work If
he fails to heed our warning, or OBJ
tains work and does not keep steadily
at it we will order his arrest.
Under the law a violation of the
Act is a misdemeanOr punishable by
a fine of $500. three months impris
onment or both. We have already
received a large number of com
plants.
There is one thing, however.
which should be borne in mind, and
that is that the law creating the State
Council of Defense and authorizing
it to abolish lOafng in Delaware
makes no provision regarding essen
tial or nOn-essential occupations. II
merely specifies that all males be-
tween the ages of eighteen and fifty
five must have a lawful occupation.
There is no reason why any man
should be loafng at the present time.
There is sufficient employment for
all Every man must either work or
fight The law will be strictly en-
forced "
Mr.. Ward declared in answer to
questions that there have been no
figures compiled which would indicate
the number of men affected by the
law. He could not. he declared, from
reports submitted to him, even ap-
proximate the number.
The reason for the creation OF the
State Council of Defense is given in
the Act as "a means of defense and
preserving the order within the state
and to insure the maximum output Of
agricultural and industrial products
and the maintenance of vital enter
prises during the duration of the war
in which the United States is now
engaged, a Council of Defense for this
State is hereby established, which
shall be known as the State Council
of Defense, which shall consist of the
Governor and six or more suitable
persons, not to exceed fifteen, resi-
dents of this state, who shall be ap-
pointed by the Governor.