El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-07-27

per cent, is part Of the work accom-
pushed fin five months time by the
reclamation branch Of the depot
Cuartemaster at Fl Paso. That this
remarkable record viii be trebIed
within the next month is the predic-
ton made by Capt. Frederick Felix.
who is in charge Of the reclamation
work.
Five months ago Capt Felix's de-
partmeDt started with a force Of so
persons engaged I'm repair work. in
quarters two thirds as spacious as
now used. Today $50 civilians are on
the reclamation bureaus payroll
which is $4,000 a month for civilians
alone. The various shops are located
In seven different bull -ln-s scattered
an over Fort Bliss and East El Paso-
And with these accommodations the
work is so cramped for space that
within a month the entire department
probably VIII be moved into new
buildings, three times as spacious as
those now occupied.
Reelafms The servIceabIe.
me work OF the department as
described by Capt Felix. is the recls-
nation Of such articles as are no
longer serviceabIe to the army. THIS
means the repair OF the majority OF
articles Of equipment and clothing
mat formerly were condemned and
destroyed Such articles as are be-
yond repair. stil are not wasted. bit
are sold as junk at the best possible
price
Old Hats Utilized.
For instance. campaign hats are
turned into the salvage department
by tens Of thousands such hats as
can be repaired are put IN good shape,
and returned 20 stock for reissue
Others. too badly slasned and worn
for repair. are utilized in other ways
such as filler s0les for shoes.
Old clothing brought I'm is inspected
20 see If 70 can possibly be repaired
intact buttons eyelets. and hooks are
removed, such portions OF the fabric
as are stiu .wearable are cut out and
saved. The residue worn otu wooden
scraps are relocated TO the Junk pile
and sold by the noun Those gar
men-s that are stlll reclaimabIe. are
titred with hooks and eyes from the
hopeless ones. patched witt good ma
rerial taken from those discarded 10
the junk Pile. and are returned 10 the
quartermaster's stock
Nothing Wasted. says Captain
Absolutely nothing in the army IS
now wasted said Capt Felix @Old
newspapers. raEs, scrap paper. tin
cans, bottles. old leather. pieces or
metal, horse shoes. and every imaEin-
able material IS carefully saved and
disposed OF at the highest market
price"
At Fort Bliss is located a trash
dump, where all refuse picked up BY
the police wagons around the post and
camps is brought At the dump IL is
carefully sorted bottles put in a sep
arate dump, rags in another. tin cans
in another, and so on All these ma
terials are cleaned by the reclaua-
ti0n department AMI sold such IN
avoidable waste as occurs being
burned
Bale Tin Cans And Paper.
Tin cans. which until recently were
not saved here, are boiled. the labels
removed and the cans pressed into
bales and sold Waste wire netting IS
used for covering the bales. while
waste halL1E wire reclaimed at the
stables. is used for fastening these
and all other bales Of reclaimed ma
terial turned out
Waste paper is baled in a press
made at the reclamationist' shops
covered with waste hurlap sacks from
stables. and sold Tt is classified be-
fore halinE into clean waste, maya
zines and cardboard. each class be-
ing baled separately.
saved. Except 10 Percent.
All company property inspected ana
condemned IS passed on 20 the salvage
department for reinspection, and such
salvage as may be possible The con-
oelnnea properly - classl1leu into
reclaimahle and hopeless classes. and
disposition made Of them accordingly {
-By this means" said Capt. Felix +
we have reduced the waste OF army
clothing and equipment by so percent I
That IS, only 10 percent OF the value
or the property turned in TO us FOR re- Z
clamatiOn, is actual waste"
Repairs shoes, shoveIs. Cots
Besides the reclamation OF the gen
eral casroff articles OF the army, F.
Capt Felix's department repairs 4
articles and clothing needed by iudi- T
VlduaL units For instance, il com /
panv commander has a dozen pairs Of
shoes that need repairing he sends /
them 20 the shoe repair shop. which Z
likes them and returns them 20 the /
company. Shovels with broken 3
handles are rehandled. broken cots
are fixed with new parts torn tents
are sewed and clothing repaired
Cuts Garbage Waste Half.
on July a campa ign for the elm
nation OF kitchen waste was insti-
tuted by Capt Felix ard his assist
ants. All mess sarEe1nts and cooks T.
we've visited and lectured on the ne
cessity FOR conservation Of food
OF doing this were taught
with the result that there u-ehe 10000 D.
pounds OF garbage solu daily 70 hog
raisers- only 5000 pounds are now dis
Keeps Check On sacks.
q careful record IS kept at Capt
Felix's headquarters Of all material
received for repair and the disposition q
1t IT, report is made to Capt
Felix daily Of the number Of sacks
and bags containing food or forage is
sued 10 each organization along the
border Thus he knows just how many
SACKS eacn organization must account
Tor. and demands q strict accounting /,
All sacks are turned into his depart
anL market value. which is 90 cents.
aach, or returned to places where they Z
ere needed for rcsacEiuE material
On the floor Of the warehouse at 1881
Texas street there is a pile Of sacks
is large as small house. and that is
not an Of them
Increasing Repair Forces.
At present the reclamation branch
Employs ten men in the shoe repair
ng shop, who repair 200 pairs Of shoes ,
B day This force viii be trehe1ed
within the next month and the ma
'hinery doubled Thirty five women
ire employed In the clothing repair
HOP, and renovate $50 garments a
lay With the increased facilities and
orce which viii be added within the
text few weeks. this output win be
increased 10 1000 garments. So with :
very other branch OF the reclamation 2
apartment great increases OF per
onnel and production VIII occur 9
within a month. according to the pres
mt plans or the military authorities
Piles or Clothing For Work.
Going through the rapair shops az
A5l Texas street. the spectator
wonders through vast piles Of hats.
.reecheS- blouses. legElus. teutage.