April 12, 1943

C. P. S. #59
Elkton, Oregon
April 12, 1943

Dear folks,

Have you heard any rumors from Wilsons about CPS furloughs being cancled? Well they are. The 31st of Mar. we got a telegraph from Gen. Hershey saying that there would be no more furloughs till further notice. I never said anything about it to you because I hoped to hear something of the reason and perhaps when we would get them back. But we havn’t heard much as yet so I figured I’d better wise you up. We have had some scanty information from Paul French. As I understand it about all he can get out of Hershey is that this is war and that Seclective Service does not propses to tell everything it does and why. Paul French seemed to think that Hershey acted for the best interested of CPS. He hinted that transportation had something to do with the furloughs being cancled. We have had all sorts of Ideas, from all of us going on farms to everyone being re-examined. None of them have any real grounds. The transportation one has about as much chance of being right as any. We heard a rumor that there was to be a large movement of troups some of these days which ties up with that. Of course this work of fight programs might have something to do with it too, they are trying awfully hard to get COs on farms. The NSBRO has been sort of divided on the deal. The Bretherns and Menonites are ready to eat dirt from SS and the service committee isn’t The service comm. has tried to hold out for our money to be used in relief work but the comptroller general deems to think it belongs to the gov’t. They finally agreed to hold it till after the war but no one seems to know what will happen to it then. I think it should be used for relief work right now cause now is the time when people are starving and by the time the war is over they will be gone. Also after the war it will take them a long time to agree to let the Service Comm have it. This money I’m talking about is what is left of a farm detached service man’s wages after his maintance has been deducted. That is to be 50¢ a day. The balance of the wage is to be held but the Gov’t till after the war. And I’m not crazy about working on a dairy farm either. I think if it comes to a move I’ll hold out for something else. But we shall see when the time comes.

What I started out to tell you is that the chances are that I’ll not get home for some time they way things look at present. If furloughs are started again it will have to be soon to do us any good as the first of July is when we have to start staying around close in case of fire. The month of June is filled up with applications now and I had mine in for May which is also full now. But we probably won’t have to worry about. I look for Hershey to keep us corked up for half the summer.

I havn’t heard anything about Surveying either. I don’t know whether if fell through with in face of all this farm fuss or not.

Another thing Paul French in his last letter said that they ahd requested a meeting with Hershey to examine their realations, It seems that French and the NSB are pretty burned up about the furlough thing. Well here’s hoping.

I recon that you are finally over the mumps by now. I have said that for a month now but now there’s no one left to get them. That was some mumpy poem Mom. I hope you didn’t have any trouble getting them out of your “tummy”. Maybe I’ve got them in my tummy to cause the food here tastes crummy too. We blame it on the rationing are you having trouble getting anything? It seems that everything is rationed and the things that I like least like macaroney and carrots count the least points so that is what we have most of. We have several beans too which I like very much but some grype about them. I eat lots of things that I never did before tho.

I heard from Ab the other day and he said that Coshocton was down to 53 men now. He didn’t say much about his furlough jus that he went home again. He let on like he didn’t use it all the first time. He said that some of the guys at Coshocton were plenty hot about the fourlough business. And I can imagine, we had some good agitators there.

I was glad you opened Kingsley’s letter. It will save me telling you about it.

My big shoes are great. The camera I got is dandy but I havn’t been able to get any film yet. They still make it but it si like any other film the drug stores are rationed and they sell it when they can get it. If Dad wants to keep his eyes open when he’s in towns he might be able to pick me up some. It will use either of two different numbers. Eastman 620 or Agfa PB20, they are the same size made by different companies. I’d sure be glad if I could get some. I have one roll of the little film left, I have been hiking around the last few Sundys taking a few pictures of things. The more I take the more I want to take.

We are making a prefabricated building to be used as a warehouse in Eugene now. We make it in sections here and then will take it to Eugene and set it up. It is 20 by 30. I am doing some of the engineering on that but not much of the work. There are 4 other guys that are working on it. When I’m not helping them get started on a new section I work on the drafting tables. Did I tell you that we are going to make 5 more.

That’s about all I can think of right now. I got some modern tracts that I don’t like so well, some of them are alright.

Yours,
Bernard