The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-29
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATION
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HASKIN, Director,
Washington. D. c.
TRASH?-r,HERE NO SUCH
THING
Washington. D. G

THING.
Washington, d. c., Nov. 26.-Rob
the trash barrel of it's prey!
Likewise raid the attic and the cell
lar. Pull out the old stove that did
duty in 'S3 and a ton of back numbers
OF the magazines, and fourteen broken
chairs and the perambulator that little
Tommy has outgrown. Add to this
collection all the tin cans and old
buckets and broken tools that you can
find around the place. What to do
with EN-? Sell 'em-thereby enrich
ing yourself and the nation.
This behest issues from no less an
authority than the war prison labor
and national reclamation section of the
labor division of the war industries
board.
The meaning of it is that this or
sanization with the long name has set
out to reclaim and convert to useful
purposes all the waste material popu-
larry known as junk, trash and rub
! Dish, in the homes of the United States
! When you think how many of these
homes there are, and reflect that
| every one of them is more or less clut-
tered up with things that have served
their purposes and been thrown aside
you realize that the aforesaid poly
| syllable commission has tapped a large
! source of supply.
Its plan is that the "misdemeanant
prisoners (meaning the drunks and
|
be used for the work of sorting this
junk. In this way the Jail occupants
are to be provided with pleasant and
varied occupation; they are to pay for
their own keep and for the upkeep of
| the Jail; and the citizens are to get
rid of a lot of stuff they don't need
for few dollars which they do need.
| In this way immense quantities of
metal. leather, wood, paper, wool, and
other materials are to be put back into
circulation, and remade into needed
articles.
Keeping materials in circulation is
Just as important as keeping money
in circulation. Furthermore, all of the
methods OF reducing junk to the state
OF disable material have been per-
fected-chiefly by the Germans. And
tnanks to the war, we have now OBJ
tanned possession and use of all these
German patents. Hence there is no
reason why every American city should
not forthwith organize a junk reclama-
tlon service as a part of it's municipal
machinery
OF course 1t is of little import
whether the country's waste returns
TO the factories by way of the mu-
nlcipaI sorting station as a donation
TO the Red Cross and the Salvation
army, or by sale to the junk dealer.
me essential thing is that it be re-
Claimed. But in dealing with the
problem the municipalities will be en-
couraged to maintain efficiency, and
proper standards of labor and santa
ton.
The need for conservation Of ma
terials both new and old has been
growing with the progress of the war.
Long before the war Germany utilized
every scrap of convertible waste The
TN cans and sheets of paper circulat-
ing in Germany were, generally speak
ing, numbered and accounted for. In |
ENGLAND and Canada a form of waste |
reclamation sprung Cp with the war.
Conscientious saving of waste, espe-
clally waste paper. has been a part |
OF the Britisher's war experience. In
stead of lighting the fire with the |
evening paper, he saves it for the |
school children who are salvaging tons |
or paper a day by bringing in findings |
OF this sort. Even the dishwater in |
the households has been treated to |
reclaim grease.
In this country waste conservation |
began in the army where valuable ma,
terlals were being constantly caste |
aside IN the interests of apparent eff
cheney. Results of salvage on the bat
tlefield are now well known. They
have been so important that the con-
servation plans worked out in the |
army are being extended to the civil
ian population. In the army orders |
are given and the army machinery
adjusts itself to the new regime. But |
1T is neither desirable nor pra cticable |
that the civilian should be ordered to |
dispose of his waste materials in the |
name of national economy.
The getting of junk into use again
now rests with the councils in charge
of each city's waste saving program
There are several esta blished ways of |
dlsposing of such things. In the first
place there is the junk dealer. The
low prices paid by junk dealers for
goods bought are well known. But
the war industries board believes that
that unbending individual will find
that the greater circulation of junk
VIII raise price standards so that in
the near future rates will be high
enough to warrant profitable dealing
with the junk man.
Already waste paper has reached
the price of sec ton in Chicago, and
s22 to s25 in New York. Where
junk dealers refuse fair price for
paper and rags, it is suggested that
the individual or organization sell di-
rectly to the mills. The demand for
rags. pulp. and old paper is so great
in the mills that smaller deals than
usual will be considered in order to
prevent the materials being sold to a
and held indefinitely for a
higher price.
Just how large a part used mater
1als can be made to play in the re-
making processes is seen in the fol-
lowing figures compiled by the war
industries board: 100 pounds of new
rags make so pounds of paper pulp:
100 pounds of old rags make 65 to IS
pounds oDpaper pulp; 100 pounds of
scrap lead max? SO pounds of new
lead; 100 pounds of wool reclaimed
means saving of Is suits of clothes.