The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-09-30
ARMY RECLAMATIONS.
Great Economies Effected Through Re-
making of Soldiers Outfits.


The conservation and reclamation di-
vision of the quartermaster corps be- |
lieves firmly in practicing what it |
breaches. Figures for June show that
minimizing waste in the clothing and
equipment of soldiers in camps and can
tonments in the United States is result
ing in tremendous saving. Hugh Frayne,
a member of the war industries board,
is authority for the statement that dur
ing June and July 1900 soldiers were
completely QUILTED with shoes, hats, and
clothing from material which other sol
diers had discarded, although to the
casual observer the equipment would
easily be mistaken for new.
| Garments no longer in wearable condi-
| ton are not thrown into the discard, but
after cleaning are made to do service.
in whole or part. First the articles are
thoroughly disinfected and cleaned.
Those that can be repaired are given
needed attention; if this is not practica-
BILE, portions of the articles are used for
repairing other garments. What cannot
be used in patching become rags; the
rags are graded and sold. Shirts, sweat
ers, leggings, breeches, hats, overcoats,
blankets, cots and tents, all come in for
salvage treatment. During June 55,246
flannel shirts were repaired and, through
repairs, were rendered almost as service
able as new garments; despite this work,
on July | 1875 ,004 more shirts were ON
hand awaiting similar attention. In I'M
dergarments the number was even great
err. Many of the socks may be darned,
and at the end of June there were 2lS, 494
pairs awaiting the needle
Hats and hat cords are most success
fully renovated; at an average expense
of but thirty or thirtyfive cents hat
costing practically 81. is put into con
dition for months of wear. In June 2S4.-
III pairs of shoes were repaired, and
at the close of the month 409072 pairs
were still on hand to be cared for.
The articles reclaimed are returned, as
. far as possible, to the original wearers
otherwise they go to the men in train
ing, for it is the plan of the quartermas
,s ter department to outfit the soldiers go
ing into foreign service with new articles
r The salvaging of garments is carried OF
overseas at stations near the front.
. But the work of saving does not enc
with articles of clothing. Everythin!
4 possible is looked after to prevent loss
A In June, what is technically known a
= waste to the amount of 1887 ,467 pound
ar was collected in camps and environments
E This included old metal, rubber, cottol
" and wooden rags, rope, paper bags, leath
n er, burlap, glass, lumber, horse and mul
n hair, bones. barrels, boxes, bottles, an
= many other miscellaneous items. A
this is carefully sorted and what is no
of immediate service in the camps G
Is for camp purposes is sold.
n There is probably no branch of wor
w of the British army in France more G
,r ficently managed than that of salvag
Motor wagons, or lorries, bearing Il
legend Waste Not, Want Not" Cath
Up the Nails" or something equally SUI
gestive. are everywhere to be seen, ca
rying their message of economy to a
Sc Throughout the war zone are enormol
dumps where all sorts of things salvage
from the battlefield are sorted and stor
. for future use.
he This lesson of the war zone is reac
Is ing home. Not long since there w
rs formed in London the National Was
eo Products of Great Britain, a compal
s. organized not for profit but to encoura
an thrift and prevent waste of all kim
~ In this country the National Saliva
y committee of the American Civic FEEDER
~ tion is undertaking work along simil
ny lines-Newark News.