Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 170, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 August 1917 — Only Bona Fide Excuses Are Good. [ARTICLE]

Only Bona Fide Excuses Are Good.

Washington, Aug. 3.—A ruling issued today by the postoffice department shows that department officials will make few requests for the exmeption of postal employes from military srevice. Postmasters are instructed not to ask for exemption tor carriers or laborers or for clerks in second clags offices below the SI,OOO grade, clerks in first class offices below the $l,lOO grade, dr any above these grades, unless they are qualified distributors of mail. As generally construed the postal ruling shows the purpose of the administration to make the government department leaders in freeing valuable employes for war service. The entire mail Carriers’ force numbering thousands of men, of whom a considerable petcentage are within the draft age limits, is. excluded from exemption except for physical reasons or because of dependent families.

Provost Marshal General Crowder took steps today to reduce the number of exemptions because of dependent families. Instructions were sent to the governors of all states pointing out that the minimum pay df soldiers is now S3O a month and that local boards must consider whether a man’s dependents could not be supported on that amount. The telegram follows: “Please call attention of local boards to the fact that a soldier’s pay is not less than S3O a month and that all clothing, subsistence, medical treatment and housing are furnished him. Under the law he may allot portion of his pay to a dependent. Many soldiers receiving S3O a month are easily able to allot $25 monthly to the support of dependents. In case of death in line of duty the government will pay to the beneficiary designated by the soldier six months’ pay. “Section 4 of selective service act provides that those in a status with respect to- persons dependent upon them for support which renders their exclusion or discharge advisable may be discharged, but it does not require that they shall be discharged in all such cases. The discretion of local boards is invoked by this provision and such boards may well take the facts recited above into consideration in deciding claims for discharge due to dependency with a view to determining whether, as a matter of fact, the person claiming such discharge will not be in as good or better position to support his dependents after selection for military service than he was before. If such ‘is the case, of course, the discharge should not be granted.” . ; . . . General Crowder has suggested to the governors that each assemble the full membership of all district boards in his state for a general conference, to insure uniform procedure regarding appeals. The governors were asked .also to appoint an official in each local district to file appeals. County attorneys were suggested.