A MILLION FROM WASTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3330, 9 January 1918, Page 55

A MILLION FROM WASTE.

"A big enterprise has been built up at Dewsbury by the War Office, by which discarded uniforms and other articles of clothing collected on the battlefields and in home camps are dealt with in such a way as to save the nation hundreds of thousands of pounds," . says the Daily Chronicle. • " Since the work has been- in progress about 45,000,000 separate articles have been dealt with, including—--4,100,000 jackets. 4,500,000 pairs of trousers. 620,000 great coats. 903,000 pairs of riding breeches. 2,700,000 puttees. 3,500,000 shirts. 856,000 caps. 1,800,000 cardigan jackets. 18,000,000 socks. - 2,700,000 pairs of drawers. 6,000,000 other articles. "This part-worn clothing comes to Dewsbury in bags, and is run in trucks, straight into the huge sheds at the three railway stations. Here the bags are ripped open and the contents spread out amongst the ' pickers,' whose nimble fingers and trained eyes quickly discover which garments should be set aside for renovation and which are only fit for disposal to rag merchants and others, who put them through their special machinery preparatory to their being made up again into army cloth in the loc~* factories. As many as 90 truckloads have been received in a day. " There are about 300 women sorters, who do their work so thoroughly that nothing is' wasted. Garments which are beyond repair are carefully scrutinised, and sorted into woollens, linseys, angolas, etc. Articles capable of being restored are sent to a local firm of dyers and cleaners, by whom they are cleaned. Then they are repaired and' re-issued to the troops or for the use of German prisoners of war.

"In 10 months the value of produce received and disposed of at Dewsbury has been £658,650, while the two-thirds value of garments recovered for re-issue at all depots has been £340,502, making a total of £999,152. Against this, expenditure, including enlisted men's' pay, civilian wages, cleaning and repair, etc., has amounted to £67,308, showing a net credit balance of £931,844.

" Articles which are marked for rags are reconverted into their orginal raw state by special .machinery in the district and used again in the manufacture of new clothing for the army. Up to the present sales of rags to merchants and manufacturers in the heavy woollen district have amounted to over £1,000,000. "As showing the completeness of the arrangements to save, it may be explained that cotttvn rags are sent to Woolwich Arensal to be used as wipers and cleaning rags.

" Amongst valuable things recovered may be mentioned leather patches from riding breeches, £SOO worth of gold lace, and thousands of shirts for use by German prisoners of war; and web equipment—belts, pouches, etc.—is sent back to ordnance depots for use. and thousands of towels are washed and issued again."

SCIENCE AND INVENTIONS. (0. J. Lynde, Macdonald College, Quebec, Canada.) INCREASES THE DRIVER'S PULL ON THE REINS. Each rein here passes over two pulleys in such a way that the driver's pull is multiplied by three. This pull draws the

'horse's head down against his breast, and prevents him from kicking or running awa y. —James F. Britt, Prescott, Arkansas. (U.S. Patent 1,240,304.) SIMPLE CORN-DRIER. This seed corn-drier consists of two boards of equal length, hinged _ together. The spikes are ordinary wire nails, driven

«**s&» Com Drier through holes of slightly smaller diameter. You could make up a dozen in a very short time.—Robert F. Plumb, Tennant, lowa. (U.S. Patent, 1,240,365.) TAKES POWER FROM AN" AUTOMOBILE. On this device each rear wheel of the automobile runs on a belt between two pulleys, and it is kept on the belt by a side roller, which tears against the tyre.

Auto Tower The car is prevented from moving by straps attached to the rear axle.—Ohmer E. Anderson, Fort Wayne, Indiana. (U.S. Patent, 1,235,952.) CABBAGE HARVESTER. With this implement the harvester detaches the cabbage and lifts it into the waggon-box in one motion. The blades

are dull at the point, but sharp at the notch, and can be removed for sharpening. —Abram E. Crane, Fairport, N.Y. (U.S. Patent, 1,241,198.) MAKE'S TURNING EASY. The new feature of this tractor hitch is that the gang plough hitching strap (shown at the top of the figure) is attached to a pair of rollers,. Avhich roll on tracks between the upper and lower trian-

gular plates of the hitch. This shifts the point of draft of the plough, and decreases the side draft in turning a sharp corner. Welford H. Diggs, Emporia, Kansas. (U.S. Patent, 1,232,245.) COOKING MITTS. It will be noticed here that there are two right-handed mitts connected by a tape, and two for the left hand connected in. the same way. Each tape slides through a ring attached to the belt, and is of "such length that when one mitt is

Mitts used the other is drawn up to the belt, where it is convenient for use the next

time. Make the mitts and try the scheme —Mamie S. Jordan, South Haven, Minne sota. (U.S. Patent, 1,240,728.)

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