ARMY SALVAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 July 1942, Page 3

ARMY SALVAGE

GREAT SAVING EFFECTED IN AUSTRALIA UTILISATION OF SCRAP MATERIALS. WASTE IN CAMP KITCHENS ELIMINATED. (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) (Special P.A. Correspondent.) SYDNEY, This Day. Italian prisoners of war have made an important contribution to Australia’s industrial war effort. Twentythree thousand aluminium water bottles, handed in as they landed in the Commonwealth, have been converted into ingots for use in building Beauforts. Each of these bottles contained l.j pounds of 98 per cent pure aluminium. This instance of the value of salvage to the nation at war was given by an Army spokesman. Each month, he said, goods worth £17,000, most of which would formerly have been a dead loss, are being reclaimed by the Australian Army salvage organisation. Disused service clothing is sent to orphanages and charitable institutions, while emergency stocks are also built up in areas likely to suffer from enemy attack.

The Army salvage organisation’s first task was the elimination of waste m Army kitchens. At first this waste was colossal, but it has now been reduced to a mere fraction. The salvage organisation had helped the services out of many difficulties. For instance, since wipers in tremendous quantities are needed by the Navy for the enginerooms of ships, suitable rags had been bought for £2OO a ton. When the salvage organisation took over the job, the cost of supply was reduced to £4O a ton. The Australian Army salvage organisation began two years ago, with six officers and 120 other ranks. It now engages a strength of 2400.