The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1945-09-20
Steel Helmets, War Souvenirs
Now Hanging Baskets for
Flowers
Tank Sprayers Used on Potato
Bugs; Collection Termed
Impossible

How to go about collecting those
metal air raid wardens' helmets that
have become World War II souvenir:
in Bluffton homes and fire ex
tinguishers that have been pressed
into service as garden sprayers is g
new problem faced by Bluffton';
municipal administration.
With the end of the war, the De
partment of Commerce has instructed
the Ohio Defense Council to collect
and return all civilian defense equip.
ment, but Bluffton city officials have
been unable to think of any plar
that might assure success of such q
program locally.
Fire Chief Guy Corson, custodian
of civilian defense equipment, said
the town has issued so steel helmets
120 tank pumps and a quantity OF
OCD armbands, all of which are to
be returned to the federal govern
ment.
An index record of the items issue
was kept by the town, but it is felt
that collection would be an endless
task because wardens have changed
residence and anyway most of them
want to retain the equipment as
souvenirs or for use about the home.
No COLLECTION PROCEDURE
No funds are allotted for financing
collection of TIE equipment, which
would be a major program, and if
the items cannot be obtained, who is
gazing to pay the government for
them, Chief Corson queried.
Also to be returned are a number
of frst-aid pouches containing med
ical supplies and flash lights, which
fortunately never were issued and
consequently can be turned over to
the defense council.
Chief Corson said he will ask the
Bluffton hospital if it is interested
in purchasing the first-aid equipment
at the governments price list, and if
not, he will return it as requested.
Price lists have been set on all
items by the government, but Chief
Corson feels the biggest "joker" is
the S400 appraisal set on the fire.
fighting pumper sent here as a part
of civilian defense equipment.
FIRE PUMPER UNUSED
1t is housed in the fire department
room and has never been used be-
cause of the fact that the only way
to get it to fire is to hitch it to
some motor vehicle.
The fire fighting equipment con-
sists of a powerful motor driven
pump mounted on four steel tire
wheels. Chief Corson said it was
built hastily for the emergency and
its construction is unsuited for fire
fighting. Fittings all are of cast
iron instead of brass, which is stand
ard for fire equipment, and at best
it could be used only temporarily.
Motor of the equipment is well
built, however, and altho the unit is
not adaptable for fire fighting, it
would make a satisfactory pumping
outfit for use on farms, the fire chief
said.
The federal government has re-
called the civilian defense equipment
so that it might be offered for sale
thru the Office of Surplus Property.
All told it is estimated that approxi-
mately $2,000,000 worth of equip
ment was distributedin Ohio.
Bluffton equipment was used only
once in a practice blackout during
the early days of the war, and now
that the return of the property is
puzzling city officials the average
warden isn't worrying at all as he
uses his pump tank extinguished to
spray insecticide in his Victory gard
en-, and his wife probably is using
the helmet as a hanging basket for
petunias.