Middletown transcript., 1918-09-21

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fmatel 200 eoal11unify la6oT boards
q tie unlted Btates empleyment scrv-
ies hnke ben organized or are in final
prpceessof orsanization. Between 100
and 500 Of them are ready to junction
and some already have begunwork.
Full and partial returns IRON 80
states and the District Of Columbia
give q total Of 019 boards completed
or in formation while four pther states,
two of them large Industrial common
wealths, report the. organisation Of
boards but not the number. The five
remaining states failed to report.
Each community labor board is CON-
posed of three membersy one represent
ing the community's employers, the Sec
ond it employees and the third. who is
chairman, the United States employ
ment service. The emraayers' and en-
ployees' members are chosen by their
respective local organisations, their ap-
pointment being approved by the d.
rector general Of the employment serv-
ice. 1t Is the work Of the community
boards to generally supervise. the re-
cruitment and distribution Of workers
for war production. the actual recruit
ing and distributing being done by the
local Offices and agentA Of the employ
ment service. Including the agents Of
the public service reserve.
The federal directors Of employment
for the states have been notified by
the director general TO rush the organ
ization Of the boards for their states
and their functioning as quickly as
possible in order to provide relief for
short-handed war industries.
Some facts about guns and munitions
told by the secretary Of war;:
We are constructing big gun plant
at Neville Island. We signed con-
tract with United States Steel ,corpor-
alton to build and operate without
profit this plant for guns Of the larger
calibers. This is the biggest plant Of
this kind ever conceived and will build
guns of not less than IA inch. The
site is just below Pittsburgh and COW
ers about 1000 acres. The housing
will be on the hills south of the island.
The amount of money involved is
$15O.OOO,OOO which is being supplied by
the United States government. This
plant will handle tremendous amount
Of material, and will be retained by
the government after the war.
We have shipped two hundred and
fifty 155-mm. howitzers to France.
We are producing between 25,OOO
and 10000 machine guns per month.
OF Browning heavy 5000 to 1000;
Browning light automatic rifle from
5000 to 1900 per month.
We are making about 1900 motor
tractors per month.
We are turning out all the sm0keless
power we need now.
The production Of rifles has been
about 100000 per month.
We produce more than $4,000 pistols
and revolvers per month.
Orders have been given for the sup
ply Of one million emergency ratiOns
by the subsistence division of the
quartermaster corps. The emergency
ration corresponds to the iron ration of
the British troops. 1t is carried in an
alright, gas-proof c0ntainer and is suf-
ficient to maintain man for one day,
sustaining his full strength and vigor.
It is strapped In the pack of the SOL
der going over the top and may be
used only according to the instructions
given when the emergency ration Is
issued.
The emergency ration Is composed
Of ground meat and wheat compressed
into a cake. There is also a block
of sweet chocolate. The bread and
wheat component may be eaten dry
or, If possible, stirred into cold water.
The cake, when boiled for five minutes
in three pints of water, results in
very palatable soup, or when boiled in
one pint of water for five minutes 1t
makes porridge which may be eaten
hot or cold. When cold, 1t may be
diced and fried. if bacon or other fat |
is available. The chocolate component |
Of the emergency ration may be eaten |
dry or made into hot chocolate.
The quartermaster corps has just |
completed purchases of large quantities |
Of foOdstuffs for distribution by the |
American Red Cross. The food will
be shipped to France, Switzerland and
Denmark and used for civilian relief |
and at prison camps.
The order includes more than $780, |
600 pounds of hard bread; 100000 |
pounds of oatmeal; 333, 1888 pounds Of
fresh beef and more than 100000 cans |
of baked beans. Purchases also have |
been made for the Red Cross of 2O5.OOO |
cans of fish flakes. These fakes are |
IL combination of haddOck and shad. |
About $50 pounds of fresh fish are re-
quired to make 100 pounds Of fish |
flakes.
Purchases also are being made by the |
subsistence division Of the quartermas-
ter corps of foodstuffs for use at |
American rest camps in England and
France. Purchase for rest camps in
clude more luxuries than are issued
in the regular ration. Owing to the |
shortage Of tonnage, canned corn and