The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1918-03-28
Army Garbage Cans
No Longer Full

would starve If he depended on the
bones thrown from the army kitchen.
The plain fact is that bones don't get
into the garbage can, they are sold.
According to reports gathered from
army posts and stations in the South
ern Department by Colonel Daniel F.
Mccarthy, department quartermaster,
one can holds the garbage which for
merly filled three. Six gallons is the
waste from the average army kitchen
and goodly portion of this is potato
peelings, with mighty little of the po-
tato on the peeling.
Mess sergeants at all cantonments
have been cautioned about the waste
of food and their diligence has, to a
great extent, brought about the elimi-
nation of much of this waste. The
mess sergeants at one Texas camp
adopted new set of "Ten Command
ments," all dealing with food conser-
walton. These were printed in red
ink on heavy cards and posted in every
mess shack. They read:
Don't allow a man to throw
away or waste any edible food
Don't make the first helping
heavy.
3-Warn kitchen police to serve
food sparingly.
4-Don't help man to any food he
does not ask for.
5-Don't give man more than two
slices of bread at helping.
6-Make each man eat all that he
puts on his plate.
7-Watch your men while eating
and see that no food is left on the
table.
Swatch each man as he empties
his mess kit at a garbage can.
9-Allow no man to take any food
out of a mess hall.
10-Impress upon the men the i'm
portance of food conservation.
1t is estimated that it costs an ave-
rage of 80 to Al cents a day to feed
each soldier in the department. The
quartermaster department puts the
figures at $12 month for each man.
This is for the food unprepared. 1t
is estimated that one-twelfth of a
cord of wood is required for each
kitchen range each day, otherwise
there is no Overhead" expense.
On 40 cents day, officers say, eff
the soldiers belt line doesn't swell it
is the fault of the mess man."
Colonel Mccarthy in discussing the
soldiers food said: "It's remarkable to
observe the change in the recruit, the
transformation of the undeveloped
boy into the round soldier. The coun-
try boy changes expression quickly
when he gets on any diet, and the city
boy fattens, too. Then after they
have let their belts out several notch
es, they get sassy and complain about
the army Chow"
The average soldiers breathing ap-
paratus is almost perfect, according
to Colonel Mccarthy, and balanced
diet and well prepared food "makes
men out Of them" He attributes two
causes to the effectiveness of army
food: First, the soldier has more time
for eating, and takes his meal more
leisurely than does the civilian; sec
ond, the food is cooked on more
scientific standard, and the ration is
more evenly balanced, while the ci-
william seldom has trained cook.
When the officers reserve training
school was opened at Camp Stanley,
near here, the government allowed rs
cents a day for each mans food. This
was later reduced to 60 cents a day
This sixty cents not only feeds the
student officers but provides them with
walters. 1t is estimated that 40 cents
goes for food and 20 cents for help,
the prospective officers preferring to
use some of the appropriation for
walters rather than "pass the mess
around" Their bill of fare is said to
be equal to that of first class hotels,
with plenty of extras on Sundays.
Food surveys have been made at
practically all Of the Southern camps
and special attention given to the
ba'ancin" of diet and cleanliness.
Mess officers and non-coms have been
instructed as to the food values, nu-
tritional percentages and the caloric
units of different foods, the proper
kind of food to give men doing certain
kinds of work, the right kind of food
to serve in hot weather. and the prop
er way of preparing it so as to make
for variety and reduce waste.