Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-01-30
LITTLE Waste AT
CAMP HANCOCK
TESTIMONY OF OUTSIDER

Atlanta, Ga.-After an investigation
of the food consumption at Camp Han
Major w. i. Glessner, formerly with the
Georgia and Florida railroad in Augusta,
has prepared the following resume of his
Investigations, showing the use and con-
servation of food at those camps, for
the Southern Ruraist, to be published in
its edition of February I
What's the use of having food in the
family to be wasted in the camps? That
is the remark [ have heard a number Of
times, and the remark was supported by
tales of whole hams, boxes of sausage,
large pieces of beef and bushels Of biscuits
being consigned to the garbage cans at
the camps
Having the opportunity of investigat-
ing conditions at Camp Hancock, at Au-
gusta, Ga, where thirty thousand SOL
diers are being trained. | determined to
learn how much truth there was in these
reports Of waste
Il first interviewed farmer living
near the camp whom | had been told had
been handling garbage from the camp to
feed his hogs. I told him of the reports
IL had heard and asked him as to the
character of the garbage he had handled
There is a great waste of food said
he, and until / learned the cause |
thought it was criminal. AS to the meats
being thrown away; all food, and especial
y meats, is closely inspected and that
which is found unfit is condemned and
thrown into the garbage can. When the
experience with 'emblamed beef during
the iopdiiSn-Afnef1Can war is remember
ed it will be seen how necessary this in
Spection is AS to the loss it falls on
the packers and not on Uncle Sam. When
you take into consideration that much
of the cooking is done by men who have
had no experience and are naturally in
apt, 1t is little wonder that much finds
its way into the garbage can. and it
probably is a good thing for the health of
the soldiers that it does. Looking at the
amount of garbage from camp of thirty
thousand soldiers it looks like an enorm-
Gus waste but 1t should be remembered
that the garbage from six thousand fami-
lies would also seem enormous"
This was the testimony Of an outsider,
and as l wanted to get both sides / went
to the camp, inspected some Of the kitch-
ems and mess halls, and interviewed the
Kitchen sergeant" who has charge of the
food and it's cooking, and here is what he
had to say:
Yes, there has been great waste,
most Of which was unavoidable, but we
have eliminated a great deal and we
are gradually eliminating more. For in
stance. raw hand in peeling potatoes
would lose about half the potato-now we
boil the potatoes with their jackets on
possess the same tastes, and as under the
old system of rations an equal amount Of
all kinds Of food was cooked for each
man, much Of it was rejected and went to
fill up the garbage cam now we cook a
greater variety and less quantity and have
less waste We are learning to econo-
mize in many ways The unusued slices
of bread which were served at q meal
were formerly thrown away; now they arc
saved and utilized. Uncle Sam allows us
only IA cents per meal for each man, or
AZ cents per day, which is not an extraya-
CANT amount in these days Of the high
cost of living, and we have to do some
figuring ourselves"
when / entered the kitchen I saw
man cutting up quarter of a beef, and
on the table was a heap Of talow. /
asked him what he was going to do with