Evening star., 1929-06-30
i. S. ,DEWSES Use
FOR WASTE BOXES
Plans to Have Boys Of Coun-
try Make Book Racks, Tables
and Other Articles.

Uncle Sam has launched a Nation
wide campaign to rob the soap-box
orator of bis rostrum and convert 1t
into something more useful to the
great American public.
With the aid Of tool-handy boys of
the Country the Government hopes to
reclaim most of the millions of dis
carded boxes and crates that are wasted
annually and make them over into
book racks, tables. toys and other utili-
tartan objects.
model laboratory where the al
chen1y of young woodcraftsmen al
ready is accomplishing wonders with
waste lumber, boxes and barrels of the
National Capital has been set up in the
boys department. of the Washington
Y. M. @. A., at 1895 G street.
So successful has this laboratory
become since its establishment recently
that Department of Commerce officials
have called attention to the shop in
an official bulletin and have used a
picture OF one of the boy craftsmen,
with his product, on the cover of a
special booklet, You Can Make IT,
Just released.
Tom Robertson Honored.
The Washington boy so honored is
Tom Robertson, of 636 Quebec place,
a menber Of the boys department of
the Y. NJ. G. A. and his handiwork
is camp kitchenette.' for tin-can
tourists, constructed from couple of
old boxes frcn1 the corner grocery.
The Commerce Department. In state
nrent issued by its national committee
on wood utilization. quotes James C.. In
gram, boys secretary of the local Y. M.
G. A.. as pointing out that the sug-
gestions of the national committee for
using cast-0n boxes and lumber shows
the way ont of a dilemma for us"
The woodworking shop, set up with
the cooperation of Government au-
tfaoritieS, was made possible by group
of local business and professional men
composing the VS. Mems Club. who
staged a benefit circus" at the Y. Nj.
c. A. and raised SUFFICIENT money to
equip the shop and operate ii. Marinus
DeCiasb is in charge.
Hammers Tell Story.
The new activity had an instant ap-
peal and the banging of hammers and
rasping of saws tell story Of conven-
tional boxes being rescued from the
scrap heap in the interest OF conserva-
ton and industry.
Following directions and illustrations
contained IN Secretary Lamonts new
booklet. the "Y' boys are building
everything from benches to brooder
coops and from See-saws to serving
trays. In addition. the shop has sup
piled newly organized archery club
with bows and arrows with which to
practice the ancient sport. and the
young workers declare they are ready
to tackle nearly anything else, however
intricate
Already merchants Of Washington
have begun to react favorably to Uncle
Sans new drive, for they are finding
that the age-old problem Of what to
do with old boxes and crates Is being
solved for them. 1t was TO solve this
national problem that the Department
OF Commerce launched its educational
program.
The profitable and economical util-
iSation OF secondhand wooden boxes
and crates presents q problem the
extent Of which Is not generally real
ized," it is stated by Axel H. Oxholm,
director of the program. Some idea
Of the scope Of the problem involved
may be gained If one stops to consider
the vast amount Of lumber annually
consumed IN the manufacture Of
wooden containers.
"If this supply of lumber were Of q
grade suitable for application to con-
struction purposes IL would be suffcient
to build 100000 average-size frame
houses-enough to provide homes for
a population four times that of the
Nations Capital"