The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-04-11
Harding Writes Lee County Exemp.
ton Board = Letter of Warm
Commentator Of les work
During War.
IOWA COST HALF NORMAL
Governor Asks That Congress Thank
Iowa Boards for Extraordinary
and Highly Efficient Work
for Two Years.


inducted selective draft men into tn
service for about half the averag
cost of the whole United States. an
since the Hawkeye boards did a.
their work with equally extraordinar
Governor Harding ha
to Washington tina
congress officially thank them fo
good work.
The Lee county board, headed b
John c. Scott, is still receiving prais
for its work, and the last is lette
Just received from Governor Hardin
which is as follows:
After nearly two years OF patri-
otto and industrious work, the adj
ministration of the selective sery-
ice regulations is drawing TO
close. Boards have shipped their
records TO Washington and board
members are awaiting their Off
cial discharge from a duty which
has had much TO do with winning
the war. Surely this initial work
was the basis for the successful
army that was developed.
II has been my welcome duty
to supervise this work in Iowa
under the direction Of the pro-
vost marshal general at Washing
ton, and / can not allow those
draft officials who have so ear
nestly aided In the discharge ut
this duty to separate themselves
entirely from the draft wofk.
without saying a word of com
mendation for their services IN
the past and another word 10 IL
press for the state of Iowa, iny
appreciation.
Unfamiliar with military pro-
cedure you were called upon ID
handle the papers of 5z3,57S regis
trants and of this number you
sent to camp 67,944 men, and had
$4,000 more ready to go when the
armistice was signed November
18th. You have met every call
made upon you; you have
digested mass of ever changing
regulations and orders and placed
the record of Iowa for efficiency
SO high that it has attracted the
attention of every state in the
union and won the approval and
CONGRATULATIONS OF the war de-
partment.
The general public has no idea
of the mass Of work performed by
draft officials. They do not know
of the trials and tribulations
caused by the necessity OF under
standing a mass OF regulations
with which they had no know
ledge to begin with, and which
must be worked out by study at
night. while draft officials were
busy by day comforting wAh
registrants and their friends and
relatives. The public, however,
may have some idea Of the work
discharged, when they under
stand that the records OF the
boards, sent to Washington.
would fill twenty-five box cars.
The second report of the pro-
yost marshal general shows that
while the national average cost
per man indicted in the United
States was $3.50, the average
cost in Iowa was $4.o5 per man,
remarkable showing for econ
omy.
So impressed have been with
the value of the work discharged
by draft officials in Iowa, that
have recommended to the pro-
yost marshal general, that the
congress be urged to officially
thank them In the name OF the
nation, in some suitable manner.
Sincerely,
w. l.. HARDING,
Governor of Iowa.
The thanks of congress for wa
work is the highest honor conferre
in America, and there will be muc
interest in watching what the mex
session of congress does about tn
OF the Iowa COVER
nor.