Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-29
TRASH
By Frederic j. Haskin

Rob the trash barrel of its prey. Like
wise raid the attic and the cellar. Pull
out the old stove that did duty in 'S3
and ton of back numbers OF the mnga-
zines, and fourteen broken chairs and the
perambulator that little Tommy has out
grown. Add to this collection all the
tin cans and old buckets and broken
tools that yoI can find around the place.
What to do with 'cm? Sell 'em-thereby
enriching 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 organi-
cation with the long name, has set out
to reclaim and convert to useful purposes
all the waste material popularity known
as Junk. trash and rubbish 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 cluttered up with things, that have
served their purposes and been thrown
aside, YOU realize that the aforesaid
polysvllabic commission has tapped n
large source Of supply.
Its plan is that the "misdemesnant
prisoners (meaning the drunks and
disorderlesl in the county jails, shall be
used for the work of sorting thus 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 upkcep Of the jail. and
the citizens are to get nd of n 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 he put
back into circulation, and rcmade into
needed articles.
KEEP GOODS MOVING.
Keeping materials III circulation Is
inst as important rs keeping money In
circulation. Furthermore all OF the
methods of reducing junk to the state OF
risable material have been perfected /
chiefly bv the Germans And thanks to
the war we have now obtained possession
and use Of all these German TSTtVTT'S
Hence there is no reason why every Ameri-
| can city should not forthwith organize 9
| Junk Reclamation Service rs part OF
it's municipal machinery.
Of course II is Of little import. whether
| the co,Intrys waste returns TO th'
| factories bv wav Of the municipal sortrnf
station. rs n donation to the Red Cross
and the Salvation Army, or by sale tc
| the Junk dealer The essential thing II
| that il be reclaimed But in dealing with
| the problem. the municipalities viii bt
encouraged to maintain efficiency, anc
proper standards ot labor and sanitation
The need for conservation Of materials
| both new and old. has been growing with
| the progress Of the war. Long before the
war Germany utilized every scrap oil
| convertible waste The tin cans and sheets
| Of paper circulating IN Germany were
| generally speaking, numbered and &C
| counted for In England and Canada q
| form Of waste reclamation sprung up with
| the war CONSCIENTIOUS saving Of waste
| especially waste paper. has been part
| of tho BrItisher's war experience. In
stead Of lighting the hrr with the evenme
| paper. he saves it for the school childrr
| who are SalvaCing tons Of paper day
| ~ bringing in findings Of this sort Ever
| the dishwater in the households has
| been treated to reclaim grease
! In this country, waste conservation
| hogan in the army. where valuable
| materials were being constantly cast
aside IN the interests Of apparent efficiency
| Results OF salvage on the battlefield arr
! now wcll-known They have been 81
| important that the conservation plan:
! worked out in the army are 'hcing cx
| tcndcdto the civilian population In thc
army orders are gwen and the army
machinery adjusts itself to the new regime
| But il Is neither desirable nor practicable
that the civilian should he ordered te
| dispose OF ms waste materials in the name
/ of national economy,
TAKE TT TO THE JUNK MAN.
The getting of junk into use again