Second. By the method adopted by the Provost-Marshal-General in computing quotas under the present call no State or district would be out of the draft unless it had an excess equal to its quota on a call for 1,400,000 men.

Third. A State or district which has furnished no excess on previous call s could avoid the present draft by furnished one- third the number of men or years of service required of those States or districts which have furnished their quotas in advance of the call . To substantiate these facts I presented the following statement, which shows the great injustice and inequality in the practical working of the system pursued in assigning quotas. In this statement three districts are assumed to have the am enrollment, but to have furnished their quotas under previous calls, with a different excess in each case of the given districts was admitted at the department to be correct and in accordance with the plan adopted.

STATEMENT.

DISTRICT A.

Enrollment.......................... 18,000

Gross quota........................ 10,500

This district has furnished in excess over all calls 3,500 three- years" men which by formula issued January 25 is to be multiplied by 3 too give the number of years of service, which is 10,500. District A is therefore out of the draft, but has no excess after satisfying this call.

DISTRICT B.

Enrollment....................... 18,000

Gross quota..................... 10,500

This district has furnished in excess over all previous calls 10,500 actual men to serve for one year. District B is therefore out of the draft, but has no excess after satisfying this call.

DISTRICT C.

Enrollment.................... 18,000

Gross quota................... 10,500

This district has furnished no excess beyond previous calls; this quota is therefore, by the formula, to be divided by 3, giving as the actual number of men required 3,500, which if furnished, relieves District C also from the draft.

It will be seen by the above statement that District A has too furnish three times as many years of service, and District B three times as many actual men, in advance of the call, as would have been required of them if, like District C, they had furnished no excess on previous calls.

The injustice of this system is thus made apparent, as well as the fact that the call falls most heavily upon such States as have anticipated the necessities of the Government and used every effort to place men in the service in advance of the requisitions of the President. Another marked peculiarity in the system is the fact that if Rhode Island had furnished the 1,459 men now assigned as our quota, the State would still be deficient 973 men, as will be shown below.