The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-03-29
OFFICER SAYS ARMY KITCHENS WASTE NO FOOD Even Bones Do Not Go Into Garbage Cans But Are
 Sold. SOLDIERS HELP
 WITH ECONOMY Average Cost of Food For Each Man Per Day Is
 39 to Al Cents.

San Antonio. Tex, March 2s-The army garbage can formerly had a big maw but now a dog would starve if he depended on the bones thrown from the army kitchen. The plain fact is that bones don't get into the gar- bage can, they are sold. According to reports gathered from army posts and stations in the Southern Depart ment by Colonel Daniel p. Mccarthy, department quartermaster, one can holds the garbage which formerly fill ed three. Six gallons is the waste from the average army kitchen and goodly portion of this is potato peel ing, with mighty little of the potato 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 elim- tnation of much of this waste. The mess sergeants at one Texas camp adopted a new set of "Ten Command ments," all dealing with food con- servation. These were printed in red ink on heavy cards and posted in every shack. They read:
 l. Don't allow a man to throw
 away or waste ANY edible
 food.
 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 a man more than two
 slices of bread at a helping. 6. Make each man eat all that he
 puts on his plate.
 2. Watch your men while eating
 and see that no food is left on
 the table.
 s. Watch each man as he empties
 his mess kit at garbage
 can.
 g. Allow no man to take any food
 out of a mess hall.
 10, Impress upon the men the i'm
 portance of food conserva-
 ton.
 It is estimated that it costs an aver age of 3a to Al cents a day to feed each soldier in the department. The quartermaster department puts the figure at SIP a month for ea0h man. This is for the food unprepared. It 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 a day, officers say, '9f the soldiers belt line doesn't swell it is the fault of the mess man."
 COlonel Mccarthy in discussing the soldiers food said: 'Tt's remarkable to observe the change in the recruit, Ire transformation of the undevelop- ed boy into the round soldier. The country boy changes expression quick ly when he gets on army diet, and the city boy fattens, too. Then af- ter they have let their belts out sev- eral notches, they get sassy and com plain 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; second, the food is cooked on a more scientific standard, and the ration is more evenly balanced while the civilian seldom has a train ed cook.
 When the officers reserve training school was opened at Camp Stanley near here, the government allowed 75 cents a day for each mans food This was later reduced to so cents g day. This sixty cents not only feeds the student officers but provides them with walters. It is estimated that 40 cents goes for food and 2{ cents for help, the prospective of ficers preferring to use some of the appropriation for walters rather thar 'pass the mess around" Their bil of fare is said to be equal to that o. first class hotels, with plenty of ex tras on Sundays.
 Food surveys have been made a practically all of the Southern camp and special attention given to tn balancing of diet and cleanliness Mess officers and non-coms have beer instructed as to the food values, nu tritional percentages and the calori units of different foods, the prope kind of food to give men doing cer tain kinds of work, the right kind o food to serve in hot weather, and tn proper way of preparing it so as t make for variety and reduce waste.