The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-09-19
FARMERS AND THE DRAFT
Special Care TO be Taken TO Defer
Agricultural Workers

hVIlCuituid al WOihti
Under the rules Of the War De.
partment for executing the new
draft law, special provision is made
for informing the district boards IL
regard to farm-labor requirement:
in order that necessary food pro-
duction may be maintained, says
statement issued by the Department
Of Agriculture. The statement con-
tinues:
I'm 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 ad-
visers are to be selected for each
district board-one for agriculture,
one for labor, and one for other oc-
equations The agricultural advis-
er will be appointed by the board
upon the recommendation of the
Secretary Of Agriculture. The adj
visers are not members of the board
but may, when invited, attend its
meetings.
How Agricultural Advisers Will Aid
The duties of the agricultural adj
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 hav-
ing relation TO the deferment of ag-
ricultural workers. whether these
be necessary farm laborers, mana
gers or operators. He will be ex-
pected to advise the district boards
as 10 the shortage or surplus of
necessary farm workers for any
given district, as well as for the en-
tire Nation. Such information will
be supplied TO the advisers by the
Department of Agriculture. This
will make it possible TO have neces-
sary workers transferred from dis
tricts in which they may not be
necessary to other districts in which
they are sOrely needed.
The adviser may also concern
himself with individual cases that
come before the district board. He
will have the right, under certain
conditions, 10 examine the ques-
tiOnaires and other records in the
files of the local board for the pur-
pose of ascertaining whether per-
sons entitled to deferred classifica-
ton 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, which. in
turn, may require the local board to |
certify the questionable and record /
of any such registrants for consid-
Grafton. Reasonable time will be
given for the purpose of obtaining
information and supplying aflida-
Wits required. If local board de-
termines TO consider a case for de-
ferred classification because a reg
istrant is engaged in a necessary
occupation, Notwithstanding no
claim for deferred classification on
that ground has been made, it shall
endorse the recommendations on the
QUESTIONABLE Of the registrant and
forward il to the district board hav-
ing jurisdiction. The district board
will thereupon consider the case
and proceed to classify the regis
trant, Notwithstanding the fact that
no claim for deferred classification
by or in respect Of the registrant
has been made.
Claim in Behalf of Necessary En-
ployees
A further duty with which the
adviser is charged is TO confer with
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 a claim for
deferred classification in his own ,
behalf. This, in the opinion Of the
War Department, is a very impOr-
tant matter. The apparent injus-
tice Of placing many registrants IN ,
Glass | is often due 10 the fact that
employers have failed 10 make
claims for deferred classification on :
behalf of necessary workers. II is
10 avoid repetition Of this trouble
That farmers should see that all OF !
heir necessary employees, whether
sons or other laborers, Of the draft 0
lge have made for them just claims
Tor deferred classification.
One important explanation is Z
made in the new Selective Service
Regulations i'm connection with the
oppression, skilled farm laborer."
L.