The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-30
Save CLOTHING
Camp Repair Department Saves
Many Uniforms.
Twenty-Five Soldiers Are EN-
plOyed in This Work.


into the scrap heap?
The same rule apples to your cloth
ing. The garments which are issued
able in the way of "up-keep" to the
government as the machine is to the
individual. Clothing worn by soldiers
will have an added life if given the
proper care and attention. That which
is worn should be worn we'll. but not
beyond the point that will not permit
repairing and necessitates the discard
ing of the garment.
Keep Clothes Repaired.
The man who wears the uniform of a
soldier should, by this time. know
when his clothes need patching. There
was a time when our mothers stood
beside us and watched our clothes to
see that the hole in our stockings or
the seat of our pants" was mended or
patched before it was too late. She
directed and told us about the wearing
of our clothes, and We naturally felt
that she was responsible. But now
it is different. 1t is left entirely with
the individual to see that rips or tears
are properly looked after and sent to
the clothing repair shop before 1t is
too late.
The camp has clothing repair shop
that is able to handle all the work
turned over to it from the various
organizations. There was time when
the shopl was cramped which held
back the work, limited the freedom of
the operations of the workmen. and
very little space left for supplies and
clothing to be repaired. But that was
another day.
Have Own Building.
Thru the growth of the camp which
increased the amount of work to be
Il 1~kl .,1o
given due consideration, which result
ed in the erection of a building espec-
tally for this particular work. The
building which was constructed gives
a floor space of 1872 feet in length and
% feet in width. This provides am
pie room for all the workmen, beds"
or racks to retain the garments await
ing repairs and delivery. an enclosed
office for the officer-in-charge and a
real shop-lfke counter which prohibits
the individual from going back where
the men are working. The work is
conducted along big business meth
DDS. Every man is specially man"
or one who is experienced in one par
ticular line of repair work. The per-
sonnet consists of one sergeant In
charge, one clerk. thirteen operators.
one presser. three rippers. three hand
sewers and three cutters. When a gar
ment is received it is started from the
beds" then goes thru the various
hands Of the specially men until 1t
reaches the presser. who then turns it
over to the checker for delivery.
Defect Cannot Be Detected.
One phase of repairing that has been
developed to great state of perfec-
ton is the manner in which patches
are cut. matching of materials. plac-
ing and sewing in of the patch and
pressing. 1t is a case of rendering a
good repair job, under camouflaged
method SO that the defect can not be
detected. The part where the material
has become thinly worn, or has been
torn or ripped, is cut out. The cutter
then matches the material, both in
texture and color and prepares a
patch After the patch has been sewed
in place it is pressed and the result is
such that the repair is hardly dis
cernible unless carefully scrutinized.
In cutting the patches, one naturally
thinks that a great waste of material
is evolved, but not SO after a study
in conservation is made. An idea may
be had of what a saving and the slight
waste was recorded for the month of
October. There were 5000 pieces of
clothing repaired during the month
and returned to the various organiza-
tons with an increased life added to
each garment. The scraps turned over
to the salvage division for the month
amounted to 240 pounds or a salvage
of about one thirty-seventh pound per
piece. The material used in this work
is not new goods. 1t is all taken from
clothing that has been turned in be-
yond durable wear, and probably
would have been discarded to the IRA
bag" by the ordinary individual. In
this manner the government gives
double service to clothing, saves a
great many dollars on new garments
and what would otherwise be classed
IL n16 y N To-
that "a stitch in time saves nine is
true, but to modernize the phrase 1t
would read:
"Starve the 'rag-bag.' make It thin!
Patch today. and save your skin!'
The company commander OF the
various organizations make weekly IN
spections of all the clothing for the
purpose of determining the necessity
of repairing to be done. The men are
then instructed to turn the clothing
over to the supply sergeant. where II
is properly tagged. giving the name
rank. and organization OF the man. II
is then sent to the repair shop. mend
ed and returned within three days
time A sanitary rule which has been
very effective, is that all clothing to
! be sent in for repairs must be thoroly
cleaned or laundered before the cloth
ing is accepted. Minor repairs. such
as sewing on buttons, must be done by
the soldier himself. This has brought
the "fine points" of the needle into
very close contact Nth the amateur.
Stimulates His Pride.
The effect of caring for the cloth
| ing has struck a very sensitive chord
| of the enlisted man. 1t has stimulated
his pride. This does not mean that
/ the mans self-respect has laid dor
mant up to the present time Far
from it. News from over there pro-
claim 1.-The appearance of the Ameri-
can soldiers TO be the 'snappiest' in
the world" The reason for this lies
| in the fact that the American soldiers
/ naturally have that instinct to "out-
shine" the other fellow. in keeping
his shoes shined. his uniform pressed
and spotless. In some instances an
overcoat is seen spotted with grease
and it is in these cases that the wearer
gets rode" His pride is touched by
| the other fellow and he feels ashamed