Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 92, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 February 1919 — REGORDINGDISCHARGEPAPERS [ARTICLE]

REGORDINGDISCHARGEPAPERS

Borne Action Should Be Taken at Once to Safeguard Soldiers. All soldiers mustered out of the Mrvice should take special precautions to preserve their discharge papers, for by so doing they may save themselves an endless amount of trouble and considerable expense in the years to come when 'such pa»pers are needed fqy the purpose of establishing proof of their . service. The Democrat finds that, a record was kept in the recorder’s. office in the Jasper county court house for recording the discharges of soldiers of the Civil war, and this old record is quite well filled, too. It is probable that our state legislature if necessary will order by statute such records provided and kept in each county for the recording of discharges of soldiers of this world war. But it is hardly likely that such a measure will be passed in the prfesent session, as the members are too busy discussing the merits of .the various dog bills. Perhaps there is now some statute covering this matter and, if so, our county commissioners should order the proper record book for the recorder’s office and direct that these discharges be properly recorded. In any event, it would seem that such record should be procured at once and the soldiers notified that their discharge data can be preserved by recording them at the recorder’s office, naming the fee, if any should be charged, for very few '.returned soldiers have suitable places for filing away valuable papers, and no doubt many will' be lost or destroyed within a year.