The Huttig news., 1918-03-30

help him draw the next days ratons. also told me to take my waterproof
 Every evening, from each platoon or machine-gun section, q lance corporal and private go to the quartermaster sergeant at the company stores and draw rations for the following day.
 The quarter" as the quartermaster sergeant is called, receives daily from the orderly room (eaptains ofiice) slip showing the number of men en- titled to rations, so there is no chance of putting anything over on him. Many arguments take place between the quarter" and the platoon noncom, but the former always wins out. Tommy says the "quaFter" got his job because he was a burglar in civil life.
 Then l spread the waterproof sheet on the ground, while the quartermas- ter's hatman dumped the rations on it. The corporal was smoking flag. | carried the rations back to the billet. The corporal was still smoking a flag. How I envied him. But when the issue commenced my envy died, and I real ized that the first requisite of non commissioned officer on active service is diplomacy. There were 19 men in our section, and they soon formed q Semicircle around us after the corporal had called out. "Rations up.''
 The quartermaster sergeant had given slip to the corporal on which was written list of the rations. Sit ting on the floor, using wooden box as table, the issue commenced On the left of the corporal the rations were piled. They consisted of the fol lowing:
 Six loaves of fresh bread, each loaf of q different size, perhaps one out of he six being as flat as q pancake, the result of an army service corps man placing a box of bully beef on it dur Ing transportation.
 Tnrea tins of jam, one apple and tie other two plum.
 Seventeen Bermuda onions, all diff fereht sizes. : A piece of cheese in the shape of wedge.
 Two one=pound tins of butter.
 A handful of raiSns.
 A tin of biscuits, or as Tommy calls them 'jaw breakers"
 A bottle of mustard pickles.
 The bully beef" spuds, condensed milk, fresh meat, bacon and "Macono- chic rations" Ca can filled with meat. vegetables and greasy water), had been turned over to the company cook to make stew for next days dinner. He also received the tea, sugar, salt, pep per and four.
 Scratching his head, the corporal studied the slip issued to him by the quarter. Then in a slow, mystified voice he read out, "No. section, 19 men. Bread, loayes, six He looked puzzled and soliloquized in a musing voice:
 s'Six loaves, nineteen men. Let's see, that's three in a loaf for fifteen men well, to make it even, four of you'll have to muck in on one loaf"
 The four that got stuck made howl. but to no avail. The bread was dished out. Pretty soon from q far corner of the billet, three indignant Tommies ac- costed the corporal with:
 "What do you call this, a loaf of bread? Looks more like sniping plate."
 The corporal answered.:
 ''Well, don't blame me, I didn't bake it; somebody's got to get it, so shut up until I dish out these blinkin' ra- tions."
 Then the corporal started on the jam.
 "Jam, three tins-apple one, plum two. Nineteen men, three tins. Six in tin makes twelve men for two tins. seven in the remaining tin."
 He passed around the jam, and there was another riot Some didn't like apple, while others who received plum were partial to apple. After a while differences were adjusted and the issue went on.
 ''Bermuda onions. seventeen"
 The corporal avoided a row by say ing that he did not want an onion. and l said they make your breath smell, so I guessed I would do without one too. The corporal looked his gratitude.
 Cheese, pounds, two"
 The corporal borrowed a jackknife (corporals are always borrowing), and sliced the cheese-each slicing bring ing forth a pert remark from the on lockers as to the corporal's eyesight.
 "Raisins, ounces, eight"
 By this time the eorperal's nerves had gone west and in despair he said that the raisins were to be turned over to the cook for "duff' (plum pudding). This decision elicited a little "grous- ing" but quiet was finally restored.
 "Biscuits, tins, one"
 With his borrowed jackknife, the corporal opened the tin of biscuits, and told everyone to help themselves-no- body responded to this invitation. Tommy is fled up" with biscuits.
 Butter, tins, two"
 "Nine in one, ten in the other"
 Another rumpuS.