I am writing to you to make a request in behalf of Dorman Stewart Smithson, that he have an opportunity to have his claim for exemption heard or re-heard before your District Board at Statesville. The facts in the case, as I have them directly from his mother-in-law, and as we can furnish your affidavits to show, are:

He was working in Iredell County with Hardaway Contracting Company, at the time of the registration, and his address then was Eufola, R. F. D. 1, in said County. Subsequently he moved with this Company to this place, when this company undertook the erection of the cantonment near here, which is termed Camp Jackson. But he notified the local Board at Statesville repeatedly of his whereabouts and requested the postmaster to give him any notice.

Finally a notice was received and by instruction of the local Board for Iredell County, he appeared here on Aug. 30 or 31st, and made out his papers and was examined Aug. 30th, or 31st. On Sept. 3rd, he mailed to the local Exemption Board for Iredell County an application for discharge on the ground that he had a wife who was entirely dependent on him for support, and he was dependent on his daily labor. The local Board knew at that time, and had known for some time before what his address was here.

He received no further notice from the Local Board about the matter until the 14th. of September, when he received a notice, which is dated Sept. 13th, to appear at Camp Jackson on the 19th., day before yesterday. This notice was mailed to him here at the place where he was working. Immediately thereafter, on the 15th. of September, he made out and sent to the Local Board for Iredell County, and to the District Board at Statesville, his appeal from the refusal of his exemption, though he had never had any formal notice thereof. These appeals were received at Statesville on the 17th. of September, as is shown by the registry receipts.

He has received a letter dated Statesville, Sept. 17th, 1917, from the Local Exemption Board, for Iredell County, which reads as follows:

“In reply to your letter of this morning will state that this board notified you on the 1st. day of September, at Eufola of your acceptance by this board. The law only allows ten days in which to file claim with District Board and, as that time is past, we can do nothing for you. Therefore, you will please report at Camp Jackson on Wednesday evening, September 19th, as per directions.

Very respectfully yours,
Local Exemption Board for Iredell County
Per. W. G. Nicholson.”

You will readily see that it was impossible for him to have taken an appeal until he knew what the order of the Local Board was, and to claim that the man was cut out because he had not taken it in time, certainly works a serious injustice to him; and as I understood, for I am dependent on the newspapers, the District Boards have a right on your request to reopen this matter. And the ruling of the department in regard to the dependents has changed somewhat from what we thought it was at first.

I therefore ask that you request the re-opening of this case. Mr. Smithson has reported to the Camp as required by his notice, but his wife, who is entirely dependent upon him, and has no means or income, her father being dead, also desires this case re-opened.