Evening star., 1918-03-30
D. c. BOARDS MAY
GET BACK RECORDS.
Return to Old Plan Likely to
Decide Dispute on Draft
Capitalization.
REGISTRATION FIGURES

Restoration Of questionnaires and all
records to each Of the ten boards cen
tralixed at the District building may re-
suit from the refusal Of board No. 3, To-
Gated at the city post Office. to turn over
its records to the District building.
With the Senate Endorsement Of the bill
which would register all young men who
have become Of age since last June like
ly to become a law almost any day, it is
believed the necessity for each board hav-
ing in its absolute individual possession
all records becomes more pressing.
A chairman Of one of the local boards
which has had its records centralized
with those Of nine other boards today
declared emphatically that ''chairmen
OF all the boards agree with the stand
taken by Mr.. Chance" chairman OF
board No. g.
with the determination of the three
board members OF board No. to re-
sign II their questionnaires and records
are taken away from them. 1t becomes
apparent II this board Is allowed to re-
tain Its records, as there seems every
indication that 1t will be allowed to do,
the other ten boards must also be al
lowed to retain their records.
May Restore Records.
This can only come about through the
restoration to each separate board OF
Its questionnaires and other records. 1t
is believed. At present the question:
naires of all the boards except No. 8
are under the control OF record clerks"
at the centralized file room on the fifth
floor OF the District building. There
are three woman record clerks. each
tain number of boards under her juris-
diction. A registrant who wishes to
make known to the authorities any
change in his status as a registrant. as
he is called upon to do by the selective
service law. must take the matter up
with the record clerk.
Reg1strants trying to get in touch with
members Of their local boards at the
District building now find 1t very difficult
to do So and are told by the woman
matters pertaining to questionnaires must
be taken up with them, the clerks There
have been cases in which the clerks have
refused to connect registrants calling on
the telephone with board members. even
when such board members were at the
time in the District building
Bars Personal Touch.
All this, board members declare. takes
away from the registrant that sense of
personal touch which he formerly enjoyed
with the members Of his board.
Under the old system, when each
board had in its complete possession its
questionnaires and other records, a
registrant of board could come to the
headquarters of the board and lay his
claims. kicks or otherwise before a
board member.
Many delicate matters are involved
in the missionaries. 1t is pointed out
concerning which registrant might
show not unnatural hesitancy in talk
ing TO a strange young woman whom
he had never seen before.
This personal touch with board mem
hers. on the other hand. Is regarded by
the civilian board members as one or
the strongest features of the old sys
tenn. when every board had complete
possession of its files. and is SO re.
garded by the Office of the provost
marshal general
The integrity and power of boar,
m eLnbers has been recognized generate
and even registrants who have not
always been satisfied with the treat
ment received have not at any time at
tacked the integrity of a board mem
Der In the District of Columbia.