exact justice may not be found in the assignment of quotas. This needed no proof, but in the matter under consideration a perfect basis cannot be found, nor can exact justice be dealt out.

To the second: The conclusion is entirely correct; the fact needed no indorsement.

To the third: It is true that in the city of New York many causes operated "necessarily to produce an erroneous and excessive enrollment," but I have already explained to you (see my report of August) that special care and great diligence and labor were bestowed to neutralize the evil effects of these causes, and I have shown, and can if necessary show further, that the pains taken did prevent or remove in a reasonable degree the errors likely to arise from the causes operating. That a "floating population," the presence of "aliens," and the existence of "large manufacturing establishments" should add to the difficulties of an enrollment in New York City is plain enough. These difficulties, however, are common to all large sea-board cities, and prevail in taking the census, which the Commission recommends as a basis for making the quotas "right."

The only source of error in the enrollment peculiar to the city of New York, and which probably did not exist to the same extent in taking the census, arises from the fact that the political condition of New York during the spring and summer was such as to breed a senseless opposition to a correct enrollment. Ignorant men and women were led to think that the execution of a law distasteful to them and dangerous to the hopes of their leaders might be defeated by the straws they threw in its way, and that by obstructing the enrollment they might prevent a draft. On this account it is doubtless true that the enrolling officers in many cases finding themselves unable to get correct information, entered fictitious names and names which should have been omitted, and failed to procure names which should have been entered. The draft has not yet been carried far enough to make these defects-for which the people are responsible-burdensome, and notwithstanding the discouraging view taken of it by the Commission, I have no doubt the defects will be essentially corrected before any great hardship will result from them. You will perceive in this third conclusion of the Commission that the manner of carrying out the law as regards making the enrollment is approved, but it is clearly stated that the "law itself" necessarily compels error and injustice. I regret to say that the entire report seems to me t have been prepared with a view to prove that the law must necessarily produce error, injustice, and hardship. I do not feel it my duty to enter upon a defense of this measure further than to say that, in my opinion, less injustice is likely to result from the assignment of quotas under this law than under any other, and that the wisdom and patriotism of the last and the present congress could not have been more clearly displayed than in making and amending the enrollment act. The results of the direct and indirect operation of this law in strengthening the Army, periodically reported to you, give evidence on this point, and I think afford a sufficient answer to the political effect likely to be produced-whether intentional or not-by the report of the Commission.

To the fourth: I do not dispute that "the enrollment in the State of New York is imperfect and erroneous," but I deny, and the Commission has failed to establish, that its errors and imperfections are greater than those to be found in any other basis that could be obtained. I do not dispute that it "cannot be relied upon as a just and equitable