Show EXPLAINS NEW RULE Conge ressman milton 11 II welling in the following communication discusses in detail the draft rule which the government will put into effect relative e to supplying supply iny labor from the tanks ranks of the dratted drafted men who lio have been placed in class 1 coming from such an authoritative source this information ton is doubly valuable the letter was handed to the news by mr 3 11 welling of riverside and it Is given in full herewith there are difficulties confronting the nation in the supply of labor appurtenant pur tenant to agriculture class 1 from which new levies are to be drawn v will ill contain many more men than at present required for the army it would be it a most unscientific and fatuous step if the men in class 1 were called indiscriminately without regard to tile the labor situation in agriculture therefore the local board will be directed to fill their in the order of at liability of men in class I 1 as determined by the national drawing except that where it should be shown shon that a registrant is completely and assiduously engaged in planting cultivating or reaping of a crop his call to the colors shall be deferred to the foot of tile the duoto of his board as long as he continues to be engaged whenever any registrant chos call to the colors has been deterred deferred by reason of oc his engagement in agriculture is shown to have been idle on the farm on which tie ie is engaged or to have trifled with tile the deferment that has been accorded him the board will forthwith induct him into the military service it his order number has been reached in the meantime the effect ot of this expedient is to grant furlo for service prior to actual calls to me lae colors to the men so greatly needed in the production of this years crop this is not however the only expedient beat that Is lo 10 to be adopted to conserve the supply of labor appurtenant to agriculture and to mobilize all means for increasing the harvest for the agricultural season of 1918 there is now pending before congress a bill authorizing the secretary ot of war to grant furloughs furroughs with or without pay to men in vie tae army to enable them to engage in industrial and agricultural pursuits the purpose of this bill is to relieve serious situations in particular instances in which men who are the mainstay of farms have been inducted into the service either thru voluntary or selection and choso whoso services in the present emergency in agriculture ri are needed those fur boughs will be granted after consideration of the circumstances of the individual cases in which they arise and wien the military situation la is such that they can be granted without too great disruption and disorganization of the army of any particular organization of tho the army As to further means to protect agriculture ri a now regulation has been promulgated authorizing agricultural students in their senior year in land grant colleges to enlist in the enlisted reserve Ile serve corps of the department provided their class standing is such as to place them in the upper tah thaid d of their class uy by this means it will be possible to deter defer the draft call of 0 young men in order to enable them to protect themselves as agriculturists and thereafter to protect them in such services as it may seem that they should perform in the best interests of af the nation the whole industrial and agricultural situation la Is being subjected to a very comprehensive study in order to discover any means that may be taken to protect and augment labor supply appurtenant to industry and agriculture without precluding the prompt and orderly program of our military plans it Is confidently believed that great progress can bo be made along this line and that more effective measures than any yet devised can be put into operation to attain the desired end |