Bread as Manure.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 April 1915, Page 2

Bread as Manure.

HOW ARMY FOOD IS AVASTED

Evidence from various sources appears to point to an enormous waste ol lood among the troops of the Aldershot garrison (says "The Times") At practically every sitting tlfe local Magistrates are called upon to try charges of theft of food against soldiers and civilians usually dfrectTy or indirectly connected with" the military cook-houses. Although the offenders are seldom traced, it is known that robbery on a large scale also takes pkice lor butchers' men have received offers of -whole sides of beef at ridiculous prices. 10s being a favourite sum.

In the Court for juvenile offenders young children have been frequently charged with being in unlawful possession of regimental necessaries, and their almost invariable plea lias 'hoen that the food was given to them hy the soldiers in the cook-houses.

In a recent case the cooks themselves were brought to hook, and their cvirence is fairly typical ol the depositions in .similar eases. The charges concerned two large pieces of beef, weighing together .about 201b.

The master cook stated that tho moat was "waste." that he had not sufficient utensils to contain all the meat of the battalion and that therefore he could only throw the surplus into the swill tub or gfve it away. He also said that bones were never cooked with the meat, but were hacked out in the raw state and thrown into the reinse vats. He never used bones or surplus for soup making; in fact, that "tons of gnub are wasted," and the' - camp rubbish bins substantiate their statements. Bread, cheese, margarine, bacon, jam. tea, and condiments are frequently piled in a heap before the Aldershot Magistrates as evidence.

'Vet the soldiers are evidently not over-fed, for every evening the coffee bars and the restaurants of the soldiers' homes in town and camp are crowded.

The diet sheets of at least some of the units suggest the need for reform by their almost unvarying Formula Breakfast—bread.• butter, and - jam dinner—stew ; evening meal—bread butter and cheese. There seems to. he no reasort for either waste or monotony, except it be that sufficient supervision of the regimental cooks is not exercised. "To-day T saw a wicked sight (a correspondent writes from Farriborougli) a field manured with fresh bread. It is the wicked, scandalous waste from the Aldershot camp kitchens. Hundreds of loaves thrown away daily (for which taxpayers must pay)— sometimes whole untouched loaves. ft is a disgrace and I write to put hpfov your the need for a stern in!'> it. as well as the contrast between Bi Igium and AldersTiot.''