The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-08

| New York, June 8.-Announce-
ments have been made repeatedly
on how to handle second-han tin
greater New York. Top and bot
tom are cut out, each can rinSed
cans for salvage in the city and
thoroughly, all paper labels removed
and the containers fiattened out by
stepping on each one.
This has been done by q great
many people. The savings accumu-
lated to a point where they were
getting to be bit embarrassing
This was not noticeable in apart
ment houses where every inch Of
floor space is designed to be USE
full.
Drives by organizations intent on
picking up salvage materials have
been continuous and persistent
be separated from magazines be-
cause the latter have a higher Gales
Each one has asked that newspapers
value They encouraged donations
of old rags, metals and tinfo!l. Re
deemable beverage bottles were eag-
erly received. Tin cans, however,
were not wanted by anyone of the
so-called patriotic collection drive
sponsors. Each organization waved
them aside as unimportant. News
was spread around that the re-
clamation process had been aban-
doned. Reason assigned that col
lection costs made the plan expen-
s!ve beyond good judgment.
Great numbers of families with
surplus tin in excellent shape for
reclamation have tossed their pa
triotic contribution into the ash
cans in evaporation. They have a
right to feel slightly incensed that
they were SO gullible as to listen
and follow the urgings of crack-pots
to save something that had no
value. The so-called "crack-pots"
were right. Tin that cannot be re-
placed has a higher than posted
price value. 1t is regrettable that
organizations have looked only at
the mercenary side of salvage. Tin
Is tin. There is a very real effort
on the part of New York salvaging
to reclaim as much as possible from
the savings Of its citizens. The
work has gone beyond the imagin-
airy stage.
A large proportion of tin has been
melted down to its original formula
and cast into molds and now ready
to be used again. Another salvage
from the operation has resulted in
reclaimed steel used in the making
of cans.
Very little waste has been appar-
emit in the commendable work done
TO Date by those involved IN the sal
vaging process. Some few people
who did not clean the cans or strip
them of labels have slowed up the
process. These were In the minority
and operations have been devised to
cope with that type Of can as 1t is
chewed up in huge hopper that
reduces the metal to a shredded
pulp.
New York continues to have tin
collection by city wagons. Unfor-
tunately enough publicity has not
been given to 1t to offset those dero-
gatory remarks by people seeking
valuable salvage materials who
somehow do not want to be bothered
with the more cumbersome tin.
Charitable contributions to these
organizations are such that their
personnel might affor dto handle tin
collections at a small financial loss
If this service would help to replace
valuable metal which can no longer
be imported. Facts prove 1t can. 1t
Is something important to do at
time when tin is sorely needed for
supplies to be shipped long distances
to soldiers and sailors In far away
places. Glass rs q good substitute
for domestic use, but not in overseas
shipping as weight and breakage are
big factors.
Tin salvage, Is possible though 1t
may be necessary to substitute the
collection problem temporarily. 1t
would seem however, that we ought
to be able to devise a plan to handle
reclamation material in the u. 8. A,
at a cost not TO exceed the total OF
mining and shipping from thousands
Of miles away.
Folks are beginning to get q little
short on charitable thoughts when
they haul out a great amount Of
salvage materials to find collectors
picky and choosy On what they want