Omaha daily bee., 1918-06-23
CONSERVATION !.
OF GARBAGE IS
STRONGLY URGED
Food Administration Points
Out Great Wealth Of War
Material That is Now
- a.
Entirely Wasted.

A campaign tor the utilizatlon OF
garbage has been inaugurated by the
United States food administration.
which is advising all state adrninistra
tors to S. read garbage utilization
propaganda through their territor,
and urge upon housekeepers the ne
cessity for keeping garbage (kitchen
and table refuse) in a separate con-
tainer from other house refuse,
Figures and statistics issued b. the
food administration show that in one
ton of garbage there is sufficient gly-
cerine to make the explosive charge
for IA 75-mhlimeter shells, enough
fatty acid" to manufacture IS pounds
of soap, fertilizer elements to grow
eight bushels of wheat and a sdore OF
other VARIABLE materials essential IN
the manufacture of munitions.
Much W.ste.
1t is also pointed out that "a cities
of over 100000 are not utilizing gar
bage, an that the combined popula-
tion, ). hich is estimated to be over
100000, is wasting 100000 pounds
of nitro-glycerine and 100000 II
ounce cakes of soap. beside, 90 600
tons. of tankage which contains fer
tilizer elements sufficient to produce
a three-million-bushel wheat crop
The value of this loss of materials is
estimated at S., 100000. e.. *. e..
In % cities where there are garbage
utilization ,plsnts the figures show
that combined population of $4,000 .
600 people are utilizing these prod
ucts, to the value of over .11,0000O0
annually, and that large percentage
of this saving is being directly used
by the government in munition-
making. Plans are Under way in sew
eral cities for the manufacture OF al
cohol on large scale from garbage,
and from experiments it has been
shown that, the grade of alcohol pro-
duced equals high grade grain
product. ", Z r. "
But in these % cities, or most of
them, large, amounts of garbage are
destroyed by burning or made useless
by being mixed with other wastes.
This means that around 100000
pounds of grease is lost, or sufficient
to produce 100000 pounds Of MIRO
glycerine, which would furnish the
powder charge of, about 100000
shells Of the famous French seventy
fves." In addition there is loss of
fatty acids sufficient to manufacture
25,000,0W l2-omce, cakes Of soap.
Fertilizer Waste.
The fertilizer waste amounts to
1,25O,OO0 pounds of nitrogen, 3,50000O
pounds of.phosphate of lime and $780,.
900 pounds of potash. or enough Tor
the replacement of the elements re-
moved from the soil by a million
bushels oil, Wheat. In otfisrs words, a
waste of 500 tons of fertilizer.
If in these 20 cities the garbage
was kept clean" or free fire. m bot
ties, tin cans, crockery and other for
eign matter the, saving to the gov
ernment would be many million dol
lars more. The responsibility de-
wolves upon the shoulders of the
housewife, who is urged to see that
nothing but garbage goes into the
garbage pail. Other house refuse has
value, but its value is lost and the
value of the garbage is lost if refuse
and garbage are mixed.
The same is true about garbage
that is to be used as hog feed. The
food administration is also urging
that table and kitchen refus. be fed
to hogs and is driving home to the
housekeeper the fact that one ton of
garbage will produce 100 pounds of
good firm. frst-quality pork.
Figures from 800 cities of over TO-
600 population, which are disposing
Of their garbage as hog feed are daily
demonstrating this fact. The COM
bined> population of these cities is
more than 100000, and the estima-
ted yield of pork should be 100000
900 pounds. But because of poor
separation, inedible materials and
losses the amount of garbage-fed
pork that is actually marketed each
year is only 100000 pounds, which
has avalue of over $8,000,000.
Over $50 American cities of be-
tween 10000 and 100000 population
are not utilizing their garbage. Their
combined population would yield
100000 pounds.
1t can be plainly seen, therefore,
why the food administration is anx-
ious, to encourage and help in this
great saving measure. While the
money loss is serious one, the ma
terial loss is more serious. The
housewife can be of very great help
in pushing this movement. Her re-
sponsibility does not end with keep
ing her garbage clean" but it is her
duty to see that the kitchen and table
refuse from her home is used in the
most advantageous way which con-
ditions in her locality will permit.
Chicken Dinner Served