Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-09-18
Railroad Director Then Ap-
pealS To Exemption Boards
To Help Him Out.
MANY RAILROAD MEN
REQUIRED In FRANCE
Places Cannot Be Filled And
Boards Asked To Exempt
Every Real Worker

Washington, Sept. 18.-Railway en-
ployes, like allother workers must prove
their services are essential, to avoid the
draft. Provost Marshal General Crow
der has ruled that there can be no
blanket class exceptions of any kind.
Director General McAdoo, who sought
such blanket exemption, today directed
regional chiefs to ask deferred classifi-
cations for every necessary employe.
His directions follow:
Sincethc railroads are indisFansab-
lie and branches Of the service to
which employees belong are indispen-
sable, understand the remaining ques-
tions for consideration by the district
boards are whether a particular en-
ploye can be dispensed with (1) on the
ground that the railroad has more of
such employees than it needs, or (2) up
on the ground that it can readily fe-
place such employees with Others.
Appeals to Boards.
"Please state to the district board
with my full authority that after eight
and half months of thorough and
continuous study Of this subject, being
constantly in touch with employers Of
railroad labor, the representatives OF
railroad employees and the reports OF the
labor situation generally for the whole
country, tLvre is no surplus supply Of
labor from which employees can be
drawn to replace those who may be
taken for military service. Any COM
petent railroad employe taken from an
indispensable branch Of the railorad
service will be subtracted from force
which is already too small and which
cannot be adequately replcnishcd. The
taking of any such employe by any dis
trict board would be step tending to
iniure war operations Of some railroads.
The taking of such steps by numerous
district boards, would in the aggregate,
constitute cumulative and far reach
ing injury to the United States railroad
administration and would destroy the
purpose for which the government took
possession Of such control of the roads.
Skilled Labor Scarce.
"The scarcity of skilled labor em-
ployes is due partly to the fact that
up to the present time the railroads OF
the country, in addition to meeting
their full share on hedcmands of men
for general military service, have been
subjected to the peculiar disability
that they alene out Of all the industries
Of the country have had to furnish
large numbers of men for special nili-
tary service.
Fnundreds Of miles Of military rial
roads in France are being operated Tor
the military forces Of the United sta
tes by men who have been drawn from
the ranks Of the skilled Officers and
employees of railroads in this country
In this way the drain upon skilled rial
road lebor has already been proportion
ately greater than the drain upon skill
ed railroad labor of other industries.
And this, in part, accounts for the ex-
ceptional shortage of skilled labor that
confronts the United States railroad ad-
ministration.
Cannot Be Replaced
s'It must also be clear that employees
in these classes canno be supplied by
the employment and training Of new
employees Practically without excep-
ton, these Dmployments are not suited
to women, but able bodied men are
needed for the discharge Of the duties.
These men are not available in ade-
quats numbers aud will become less and
less available as the war progresses.
Besides, unframed men cannot perform
the functions and if skilled railroad
employees are taken for military service
the substitution Of unframed .snlppyes
even if available would prove destruc-
tive to efficient railroad operation.
at is desired that the understanding
and sympathetic cooperation Of the dis
trict boards shall be sought in all in
stances. To the extent that railroad
men can be spared from railroad service
for military service we ought to spas
them. But to the extent that they arc
needed for railroad service tho district
boards qhould not attempt to take them
for military service.
| Is Patriotic Duty.
N'The United States railroad admin
istration intends to ask for deferred
classification only when the men on
whose behalf the request is made are
needed in the public interest for tho
continued performance of their duties
and when experienced substitutes can
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