East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1917-09-10
FOOD CONSERVATION
and FIRE WASTE
What The Preservation Of
Food Supplies Means
to The U. S.

Any one with average powers of OBJ
SerVatiun who travels at the present
time over any portion of the Pacific
Coast, will note young men clad in the
| now familiar khaki uniform, with
| rifles over their shoulders, watching the
approaches to every bridge and tunnel
of any importance or strategical value
These troops are on duty day and night
| for the purpose of safeguarding the
Nation s railway communications, sc
important in the present crisis. The
same precaution will also be seen al
all prominent shipbuilding and manu-
featuring plants which are working in
the interests of the United States. All
of these steps are taken to prevent
any interruption in the campaign OF
preparedness in which the country is
engaged in the meeting the stern issues
of the war.
The guarding of these various prem
ises has bean brought about through
the National Board of Defense, which
has also under consideration the thor
ough extension of this system of pro
lection to all warehouses and other
depots where the food supplies of the
country are kept in storage Many
of these warehouses, however, particu
larly in the States of Washington, Ore
gon and Idaho, are situated at isolated
points, and as the National Board and
various State Councils of Defense can.
not perfect plans for the guarding OF
these premises, it becomes the patriotic
duty of every American citizen to lend
his aid and to "'do his Bit towards
rendering the food supplies in his
neighborhood immune from danger.
Fire Waste and Food Supplies.
One of the great problems presented
to the Boards of National Defense in
the care and preservation of the food
supplies of the United States is the
fact that the fire waste of this country
is greatly in excess of that of any
other nation. Statistics covering a 20.
year period conclusively show that the
per capita fire cost in the United
States is over seven times that of the
nation with which we are at present
engaged in war, and that to every man
woman ard child in this country there
is a tax of SOL each year as compared
with a per capita cost of only 35 cents
in Germany. The statement has been
made. and it remains incapable Of sue
cessful contradiction. that If the same
wastage by fire existed in Germany as
in this country. the consequent loss and
destruction of food supplies would have
been so great that Germany long since
would haze been compelled to sue fol
peace.
Will this fact hnfore US, it is easy
to realize that unless we change oul
methods and overcome our habits OF
carelessness this great Nation face
the serious Danger OF defeat through
fault which common sense and caution
Gu the part of each individual citizen
could easily prevent.
Pacific Coast Especially Favored.
Nature has been peculiarly kind t.
those who reside on this Coast. We
have few adverse weather conditions
to contend with, and all our people live
under such comparatively easy and fla
vorable surroundings as to heget habit-
of carelessuess and Indifference towards
the ordinary hazards of fire. Under
normal conditions these habits nigh.
be fraught with danger easily ignored
and with few results of vital signif
cance. but in the present crisis and
need for the preserv alton of all food
supplies. these same habits of careless
ness and Indifference can quickly as
sumo tic importance of a National
CATASTROPHE.
That Federal and State officials are
beginning to realizc the magnitude Of
tins d. niger is evidenced by the fat
that in many Of tue States special
course Of education is being given to
the school children by fire prevention
experts, who point out the dangers re
sulting from the careless handling of
the accumulation of litter and
rubbish in easements, woodhouses, at
tics and storerooms, lack of care in the
use of coal oil and gasoline, the hang
ing of electric cords over nails, and
the numerous other habits of careless
ness that almost universally prevail in
every household. Even one of the
school superintendents had the need Of
clea nliness forcibly brought to his at
tention by his young daughters who
had listened to lecture on fire pre-.
ventiou at the afternoon session of the
school and who took him down into
their basement and stood watch over
him while he cleaned up the rubbish
" hich he had carelessly allowed to ac-
cumulate, while perfect wave OF
chimney cleaning swept over one Of the
cities of the State caused by a state
ment to the school children that their
houses were in danger of catching
Ere if the 'ehimneys had not been
cleaned within a year.
The Farmers Responsibility.
Above practically all other oceupa- |
tions, the eyes of the Nation turn to |
wards the farmer, the great producer !,
Of food supplies, and to the farmer anf |
fruit grower the necessity is urgen- !
Of using every means to protect an
preserve their products. II is srrio, |
from the personal point
view. to see the fruits of years q |
abor swept awfy by FIRE, but who
10 this is coupled the greater and NOR
l,,,iuauf Toss tn The pauutry in f.