The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1918-09-27
new DRAFT LAWS
CONCERN FARMERS
Special Care Taken to Defer Agricul-
tural Workers, As Food PrOduc-
ton Must Be Maintained

tural Workers, AS Food PRODUCE
ton Must Be Maintained
Washington, Sept. 25.-Under the
rules of the war department for exc
cutting the new draft law, special pro-
vision is made for informing the dis
trict boards in regard to farm labor
requirements in order that necessary
food production may be maintained,
says a statement issued by the de-
partment of agriculture. The state
ment continues:
Gin 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 civilian
occupations than by entering the
army. Accordingly, three advisers
are to be selected for each district
%board-one for agriculture, one for
labor and one for other occupations.
The agricultural adviser will be ap-
pointed by the board upon the recon-
mendation of the secretary of agri-
culture. The advisers are not men,
bers of the board but may, when in
vited, attend it's meetings.
How Agricultural Adviser Will Aid
The duties of the agricultural ad-
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 neces-
sary farm laborers, nag or op-
orators. 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 infor-
nation will be supplied to the advis-
ers by the department of agriculture.
This will make it possible to have
necessary workers transferred from
districts in which they may not be
necessary to other districts in which
they are sorely 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 qu%estionnaires
and other records in the files of the
local board for the purpose of ascer-
tanning whether persons entitled to
deferred classification have actually
claimed it. In Ease he finds the
names of such registrants he may file
for them a claim for deferred CLASH
f~ication with the district board, which,
in turn, may require the local board
to certify the questionable and rec
ord of any such registrants for con-
sideration. Reasonable time will be
given for the purpose of obtaining
information and supplying the aft
davits required. If a local board de-
termines to consider a case for de-
ferred classification because a regis
trant is engaged in a necessary occu-
patton, notwithstanding no claim for
deferred classification on that ground
has been made, it shall endorse the
recommendation on the questionable
of the registrant and forward it to
the district board having jurisdiction.
The district board will %thereupon con-
slider the case and proceed to classify
the registrant, Notwithstanding the
fact that no claim for deferred CLASH
f~ication by or in respect of the regis
trant has been made.
Claims in Behalf of Necessary EN-
ployes
A further duty with which the adj
wiser is charged is to confer with en-
ployers of necessary farm workers,
and to instruct them as to their right
under the regulations to file a claim
for deferred classification in respect
to 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 important matter. The APP
parent injustice of placing many reg
istrants in class No. l is often due to
the fact that employers have failed
to make claims for deferred classifi-
cation on behalf of necessary work.
ers. 1t is to avoid a repetition of this
trouble that farmers should see that
all of their necessary employees,
whether sons or other laborers. of the
draft age have made for them just
claims for deferred classification.
One important explanation is made
in the new selective service regula-
sion skilled farm laborer." The
ication for the necessary skilled
enterprise" The new regulations pro-
vide that in class No. 2 shall be
placed any registrant found to be en-
EoSCh III n NECESSARY lICulluIdI |
enterprise, and found to be necessary
to such enterprise in the capacity Of
a farm laborer-"especially fitted for
the work in which he is engaged"
This quoted phrase constitutes an ex-
PLANTATION of what is meant by "skilled"
as applied to farm laborer. The ex-
preston will make easier the deter
mination of the status of many regis
trants.
War Service in 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
the district boards to keep
in agriculture the necessary workers.
These workers, whatever may be
inclination to enter military
should stand ready to serve
in any capacity in which they can
most toward a speedy end
s~- & A. T. ~-Io~ kl-k A.