Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-09-16
DRAFTED FARMERS
PROVIDED FOR
Special Care To Be Taken To De-
fer Agricultural Workers.
Are Needed Home
LOCAL BOARD DECIDES


necessary food production may be
maintained, says a statement issued
by the Department of Agriculture.
The statement continues:
In the new draft the district boards
are charged with the duty of putting
into deferred classes those persons
who are more likely to further the
war by remaining in civilian occupa
tions than by entering the Army. Ac-
cordingly, three advisers are to be
selected for each district board-one
for agriculture, one for labor, and
one for other occupations. The ag
ricultural adviser will be appointed
by the board upon the recommended
ton of the Secretary of Agriculture
The advisers are not members of the
board but may, when invited attend
its meetings.
How Agricultural Adviser 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 having
relation to the deferment of agricul-
tural workers, whether these be nee
essary farm laborers, managers, or
operators. He will be expected to adj
wise the district boards as to a short
age or surplus of necessary farm
workers for any given district, as
we'll as for the entire Nation Such
information will be supplied to the
advisers by the Department of Agri-
culture This will make it possible
to have necessary workers transferr-
ed from districts in which they may
not be necessary to other districts in
which they are solely needed.
/ The adviser may also concern him
self with individual cases that come
before the district board. He will
have the right. under certain condi-
tions. to examine the questionnaires
and other records in the files of the
local board for the purpose of as
pertaining whether persons entitled
to deferred classification have actual
" 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 missionaries and
record of any such registrants for
consideration. Reasonable time will
be given for the purpose of obtaining
information and supplying the affida-
Wits required. 1t local board deter
mines to consider case for deferred
classification because a registrant is
engaged in a necessary occupation,
. notwithstanding no claim for deferred
classification on that ground has been
made, it shall endorse the recommen-
dation on the QUESTIONABLE of the reg
istrant and forward it to the district
board having jurisdiction. The dis
trict board will thereupon consider
the case and proceed to classify the
registrant, notwithstanding the fact
that no claim for deferred classified
ton byor in respect of the registrant
has been made.
Claims In Behalf of Necessary
Employees
A further duty with which the adj
wiser is charged is to confer with
employers 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 claim for
deferred classification in his own be-
half This, in the opinion of the War
Department, is very important mat
ter. The apparent injustice of plac-
| ing many registrants in Class l is
often due to the fact that employers
have failed, to make claims for de-
ferred classification on behalf of nee
essary workers. 1t is to avoid a rep
etition of this trouble that farmers
should see that all of their necessary
/ employees, whether sons or other la
7 borers, of the draft age have made
for them just claims for deferred
classification.
One important explanation is made
/ in the new Selective Service Regula-
\ tions in connection with the express
sion skilled farm laborer" The
| QUESTIONABLE provides deferred clas-
sification for the necessary skilled
/ farm laborer in necessary agricul-
tural enterprises" The new regula-
lions provide that in Glass ii shall
be placed any registrant found to be
engaged in a necessary" capacity of
a ENTHUSIASTICALLY fitted for
the work in which he is engaged
This quoted phrase constitutes mex
| PLANTATION of what is meant by skill
ed" as applied to farm laborer The
4 expression will make easier the de-
/ termination of the status of many
registrants.
War Service In the Right Place
The purpose in the appointing of
advisers is to place men where they
can do most to help win the war.
These advisers will be able to help
greatly the district boards TO keep
in agriculture the necessary workers.
These workers, whatever may be
service, should stand ready to serve
in any capacity in which they can
contribute most toward speedy end
ing of the war In order that this
may be done a frank statement
should, in each case, be made to the
/ boards IT is believed that il will