Milford chronicle., 1918-02-22
STRIKERS ON PLEA
OF WORKING ON FARMS
State Exemption Board Makes an I'M
portant Ruling IN Respect
Of This Question

The District Exemption Board last
week, after considering many cases
sent from Sussex county, among whlch
were agricultural claims, issued the
following statement, which Is Vitaliy
important to those claiming exemption
on the ground of agricultural pursuits.
"The District Board for Delaware
having in charge the draft classlnca-
tion on industrial and agricultural
cases, wishes to explain to the citizens
of the State its policy and interpreta-
tions of the draft laws where they
touch upon the agricultural interests.
"The problem OF maintaining ana
where possible increasing, the prod
ucts of the farms is OF such importance
to both Delaware and the nation that
the District Board will allow deferred
classifcations,t herby releasing such
men from the possibility of an early
draft, in all cases where it was shown
| first, that the registrant is skilled
farmer through several years OF ex-
perience and practical work; second
where the registrant is working on
| farm of such size and character OF
products as would require the active
! services of all workers reported for
such farms.
IF a registrant so classified in a de-
! ferred class by the District Board
| leaves the farm and undertakes work
| in some other line, except for winter
period, when service may not be need
ed temporarily upon the farm, the
District Board, acting under its inter-
probation of the draft laws, proposes
to Immediately reclassify such regis
/ trants in the position of unskilled Ia
! borers in such new work, and there
upon will place such registrants in
class 1, subject to immediate draft.
when a registrant is working on
! farm, where the District Board de-
cides that said farm has an excess Of
| labor, taking into account the tillable
acreage and class of products on the
| farm compared with the recorded
workers upon the farm, and thereupon
places such registrant in class l. the
registrant can secure review with
the opportunity of securing deferred
classification by promptly transferring
! himself to some other farm deficient
in labor. In such case, the registrant
should Immediately advise the District
Board of his change and ask the Dis
trict Board for review to determine
whether or not he may be removed
from the risk of immediate draft and
placed in a deferred classification, for
the benefit of increasing the agricul-
tural products of the country.
when a registrant working in some
industry which does not entitle him to
] a deferred classification finds himself
placed in class 1 by the District Board,
and such registrant can prove substan-
tial skill in agricultural work through
several years of previous experience,
and will Immediately transfer his SER
vices to some farm deficient in labor,
he should promptly report the circum-
stances to the District Board and the
District Board will thereupon review
the case to determine whether or not
the registrant is entitled to deferred
classification.
"AI deferred classifications for work
upon the farms Of Delaware will be
granted and continued so long as the
registrants are giving active and en-
ergetic service upon the farms to in
crease the farm products to the ut
most, and all citizens of the State are
under patriotic obligations to report
Immediately to the District Board OF
any cases of farm slackers within
the draft age.
THE national emergency requires
one hundred per cent workers in all
vital vocations, and the District Board
will only permita continuance of de-
ferred classifcations for farm service
in each case so long as each registrant
continues to do to the utmost his part
ION the farm.
"The District Board desires this
general policy to be fully understood
throughout the State of Delaware so
that one of the most vital problems
, of the war, namely, the production OF
food-stuffs, may be aided to the ut
most by the proper interpretations OF
, the draft laws permitted to the Dis
trict Board in the conditions explained
| l,T