News: Abbotsford (Farm Group Drafts Protest - 1952)

Transcriber: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Briggs, Courtney, Dahlman, Hales, Hull, Ihlenfeldt, Katerhenry, Laird, McCarthy, Ostenso, Perkins, Peterson, Short, Wiley

----Source: The Tribune-Phonograph (Abbotsford, WI) 2/21/2018

Originally printed in the Abbotsford Tribune, February 21, 1952

Draft protest is filed by Clark Co. farm group

Because of alarm over critical irreplaceable manpower being drafted from Clark County farm, the Clark County Agricultural Mobilization Committee Sunday sent a letter of protest to General Hershey, director National Selective Service.

Others who received a copy are Colonel Courtney, director, State Selective Service; the Clark County Selective Service board, U.S. senators Alexander Wiley and Joseph McCarthy, State Senator Melvin Laird, Rep. Merlin Hull and Walter F. Katerhenry, chairman, Wisconsin Agricultural Mobilization Committee.

The committee states that in order to maintain farm production, the State Draft Board must change its attitude on farmers and farm labor and leave the drafting of farm workers entirely to the discretion of the local draft board. The members also believe that the local board should defer those irreplaceable men who are absolutely needed on the farm.

“This present trend of farm draft in this county means that soon the now productive farms will become idle or at least go into only partial production,” the letter states.

Members of the Agricultural Mobilization Committee who signed the letter are Roy O. Hales, chairman of the committee, R. H. Briggs, Stanley Ihlenfeldt, county agents, Nels A. Ostenso, William Dahlman, John Perkins, Kirmet Peterson and Ralph L. Short.