<Dist Ex. Bd>

Asheville, North Carolina,
January 8, 1918.

Hon. T. W. Bickett,
Governor of North Carolina,
Raleigh, N.C.

My dear Governor:

I have just noticed in the Greensboro papers, and also have been notified by our office at Statesville, that Mr. A. M. Scales has been appointed a member of our District Board, to take the place of Mr. Klutz, resigned. Also that the office is to be moved to Greensboro.

Now, Governor, it does not concern me very much as to who is appointed a member of the Board, but the removal of the office is a different question. As you know, we did have some friction in getting our office work started off right, but since this friction has been removed we have an office force second to none; and as many of our office force have bought Liberty Bonds, it would hardly seem fair to them to move the office from Statesville. It would be a great inconvenience to these bond holders to throw them out of employment at the present time as there would be very few of them, if any, in all probability, that would want to go from their home town to work. Besides, it would cost the Government from $1500 to $2000 to move the office, to say nothing of the extra expense and worry it would take to get another office force trained to the efficiency that our chief clerk, Mr. Sloan, has his force trained, so that every one knows his place and just where and how to take hold of the work to make it profitable to our Government. It would look to me almost like foolishness to think of moving our office anywhere from Statesville. If Mr. Scales does not want to serve on the Board if the office is not moved to Greensboro, I think you could find some good man from Gaston or Cleveland counties that would serve, or some other county in the Ninth Congressional District, thereby creating harmony all around.

I know, Governor, that you will pardon me for writing you this plain letter on the subject, as I am interested and do not want to put the Government to one dollar of unnecessary expense; yet I do feel that we members of the Board that have stayed on the job through the hardest of the fight should have our “say” as to whether or not the office is moved.

Hoping that this matter can be satisfactorily adjusted, I beg to remain,

Respectfully yours,

O R Jarrett
Member Western Dist Exempt Board