Thrift Exhibition

From the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 22^nd May 1917.

FOR OUR LADY READERS.

EXHIBITION NOTES.

A DISPLAY OF RATION MEALS.

Interested crowds gather daily around the stands at the Thrift Exhibition which are devoted to the Sheffield Training College of Domestic Science to listen to explanations of the rations displayed.  Visitors should examine the cards showing the exact proportions allowed for each person per meal per day.  The menus are worked out for the week, and the actual rations for each day shown for a family of four at 20s. and 35s. a week for food only.  This means in the first instance only 5s. a head per week, and the meals at this rate consisted yesterday of a breakfast of barley-meal porridge, 2oz. of bread, and ¼ banana each. Dinner of cottage pie made from the remains of Sunday's joint with rice on the top and a maize pudding; and a supper of kippers with 3oz. of bread and cocoa.

At 8s. 6d. a week per head, or 35s. a week for four persons quite an attractive display of dishes was shown, beginning with a breakfast of barley kernel porridge, with 2oz. each of bread and 2oz. of bacon.  Mid-day dinner included barley broth from stock made of the bones of Sunday's joint and taken with 1oz. of bread each: Durham cutlets of haricot beans and cold meat; and castle puddings made from barley flour.  For tea nothing was allowed but some thin oatcakes.  Supper was of mince with a border of rice and fairy blancmange made of jelly and milk.

One of the most thrifty dishes ever encountered was to be found on one of the stands consisting of potato chips evolved from the potato parings, which not infrequently find their way to the dust-bin.  They had been most carefully scrubbed and beautifully fried, and we were allowed the privilege of sampling them, so can speak for their excellence.  An apple jelly made from apple parings looked equally delectable.  Various printed injunctions further emphasised the need for economy such as "Let Rations Rule your Appetite," and the announcement that "Dishes made from scraps of bread are not shown. as there should be no scraps left over" conveyed a hint as to the exactitude with which the bread ration should be weighed out and eaten.

Thrift Cottage.

A room in Thrift Cottage furnished with quite artistic-looking furniture evolved from packing-cases and so on, is very interesting, while the section set apart for laundry work illustrated how this vital branch of the housewife's art may be executed without the use of starch.

Not the least attractive part of the College exhibit is the willingness of those in charge to explain the various methods and articles set forth.  For instance, one of the charming white-capped young ladies was showing how a most serviceable pair of knickers had been evolved from a couple of pairs of stockings after the feet had worn out.  A straw hat covered with knitting in a good shade of green made a really astonishingly attractive piece of headwear seen on the same stand.  

We were glad to see as we passed out of the Hall that a good response is being made to the appeal in the Press by the Glove Waistcoat Society for old gloves to make up into wind-proof waist-coats for the troops.  The Army and Navy Aid Committee are always open to receive gloves for this purpose, but during the exhibition people are asked to take them direct to the stand of the Society.  There they will see much that will interest them, and hear tales of how greatly these warm waistcoats please those who buy them at very cheap rates of from about 2s. 6d. to 6s. 6d.  One soldier, for instance, who had lain out in the open for two days and two nights, expressed the belief that he owed his life to the possession of one of these waistcoats.  Will our lady readers kindly ask their menfolk to look through their gloves and see what they can spare for this beneficent scheme, which gives employment to poor women as well as comforts to the troops?

Uses for Old Kid Gloves

From the Sheffield Independent, 18^th May 1917.

OLD KID GLOVES.

Take Them to the National Welfare Exhibition.

Have you any old or discarded kid gloves?  Then take them with you to the Cutlers' Hall when you visit the National Welfare Exhibition.  There is a stall at that exhibition showing waistcoats for soldiers and sailors made out of such old gloves.  Size doesn't matter, nor the state of dirtiness in which the gloves may be.  The kid is cleaned before being made up, and even the smallest pieces—the finger parts—can all be utilised.  The Glove Waistcoat Society gives employment to women and pays them a living wage, while at the same time making use of material that would otherwise be wasted, and out of it creates windproof garments that are a great boon to our soldiers and sailors.  Bits of fur are also acceptable, for they are utilised in making the overall gloves so much appreciated by the men on the mine-sweepers scouring the high seas that we at home may not have to endure privation.

Eat Less Bread

From the Todmorden & District News, 17th May 1917

EAT LESS BREAD.

We must eat less bread—and no bread must be wasted.  The real national danger is not a shortage of potatoes or sugar, but the shortage of wheat, and without the greatest economy we cannot get through till the next harvest.  Lord Rochdale writes:—At the request of the Director of Food Economy, I am writing to urge the absolute necessity for everyone to eat less food, and especially bread.  It would not be necessary to do this if our danger was realised.  We know that already there is a shortage of sugar and potatoes; we shall soon be short of bread and other cereals.  It is common knowledge that many of us could do with less bread than we are now eating.  One slice of bread less a day for every person in Rochdale would mean a daily saving of about 10,000 loaves.  If we realised that each mouthful of food that we eat more than we absolutely need to keep us in good health, is a definite help to the Germans and prolongs the war, we should be more careful.  By eating too much we prolong the war, and each extra day means the sacrifice of more lives.  The seriousness of our danger must be my excuse for thus appealing to my fellow men.  We know waste of food still exists. I have heard this week of 12 oz. of bread being eaten at breakfast by one man!  Let us from this day show that we can do our part in beating the Germans by making our food last as long as possible, and thus back up the sacrifices of our gallant soldiers in the trenches.

We Must Eat Less Bread

From Woman’s Weekly, May 1917.

WE MUST EAT LESS BREAD. 

Unless we ration ourselves carefully at once, there will come days when there may be no bread at the bakers’.

The Food Controller appeals to every housewife to do her utmost to save on the bread allowance. This can be done if the best substitutes are used, and with little loss in food value. The following recipes are to be highly recommended, and it will be found that the food made with meal, etc., is both palatable and good.

MAIZE MEAL CAKES. 

These are quite fitted to take the place of potatoes and bread at dinner, while for breakfast and tea they are nourishing and appetising in place of bread.
One cupful of maize meal, boiling milk, a pinch of salt, a little cooking butter, one small egg, a little standard flour. 
Put two cupfuls of milk on to heat; when boiling pour it over the meal and stir well with a wooden spoon till it thickens. Add a pinch of salt and about half an ounce of cooking butter, still stirring the mixture over a good heat. When the butter is well mixed in take the pan from the fire, let the meal cool a little, then mix in the well-beaten egg, and enough wheaten flour to stiffen the mixture to a paste. Turn it on to a floured board, roll it evenly to not more than half an inch in thickness. Mark out the paste with round cutters or a tumbler, put them on a well-floured tin and bake in a fairly hot oven until nicely firm.

Here is another much simpler recipe.

 FLAKED MAIZE SHAPES. 

These should be served as the vegetable with meat, vegetarian, and fish dishes, and will be found quite as nourishing. Bread, of course, will not be needed either.
Half a pound of flaked maize, about a pint and a half of water, salt, dripping for frying.
Put the water on to boil, with half a level teaspoonful of salt. When quite boiling sprinkle in the maize and stir with a wooden spoon all the time. Cook steadily till the mixture is thick and solid enough to turn on to a plate. Allow it to cool; it can then be cut in small rounds for frying in the dripping.
The maize can be cooked and cooled in fairly large quantities, sufficient to make cakes for several days.
Many have already given up using maize, as they cannot get used to the flavour, others have persevered and now have taken a real liking to it, and are learning the most practical methods of using it as a substitute.

BARLEY FLOUR BREAD. 

Equal parts of barley and wheat flour give an excellent loaf. The meal can be bought at several of the large stores, but at present it is not plentiful. When you can get it, use it as follows:
Half a pound of barley flour, half a pound of wheat flour, half to one ounce of yeast, a teaspoonful of salt, a teaspoonful of sugar, warm water to mix. 
Rub the yeast and sugar together; add a tablespoonful of tepid water, cover it and set to rise in a warm place. Mix the flour; when the yeast has frothed pour it into a well in the centre of the flour, sprinkle a little flour over it, and the salt round the edges. Put in a warm place. When the yeast has cracked through the flour, mix in enough tepid water to make a dough. Knead this well till it is smooth and elastic, then place the basin in a warm place, cover it, and leave till the dough is double the size. Knead again, make into loaves, let these stand again in the warm for about twenty minutes. Bake in a very quick oven at first, then finish in a cooler part. The loaves are done when they sound hollow on being tapped.

SIMPLE OAT ROUNDS.

The egg here gives additional nourishment; it can be left out for a plainer make that can appear at each meal to save the bread.
Three and a half ounces of medium oatmeal, two ounces of lard or cooking butter, a quarter of a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda, two and a half ounces of wheat flour, one small egg, half an ounce of sugar, if liked.
Put the flour, meal, and sugar into a basin. Mix them well. Melt the butter or lard, and stir it into the flour, etc., with the slightly beaten egg, and just a little water to bring the mixture to a stiff paste. Turn it on to a floured board, roll it out thinly, cut into rounds, and bake on a greased tin for ten minutes in a hot oven.

PLAIN OATEN BUNS. 

Four ounces of fine oatmeal, two ounces of cooking butter, lard or dripping, four ounces of wheat flour, one ounce of sugar, one small egg, one teaspoonful of baking powder, milk to mix. 
Rub the fat into the meal and flour, mixing these two together thoroughly. Beat up the egg, stir in the sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the egg and enough milk to form a stiff dough. Turn this on to the board, sifted with meal. Roll it out and cut in eight pieces. Form these into balls and bake on a greased tin for ten minutes. A quick oven will be needed.

IT IS A CRIME TO WASTE A SLICE OF BREAD. Save it in every possible way. Do not have it brought to your table in slices; the slice that is left often goes to the dustbin. Have the loaf on the table, then each can cut as much as he or she needs and no more. If the well-to-do and the sedentary worker will REDUCE THEIR CONSUMPTION OF WHEAT-BREAD BY 1 LB. PER HEAD PER WEEK, the food problem is well on the way to solution.

War-Time Work For Women.

From Woman’s Weekly, April 17^th, 1917.

WAR-TIME WORK FOR WOMEN.

If you are Unable to do National Service Work on the Land, there is Plenty of other Urgent Work waiting to be Done.

WOMEN are urgently wanted to-day. There must be no "slackers."  Every healthy, capable woman must come forward to help the country at this time, either by making munitions, working on the land, or helping to keep up our industries.

Needless to say, the girl who has had a certain amount of experience or training stands the best chance of obtaining employment. That is why I would advise every girl who is thinking of working for the first time, or of obtaining a better position to ask herself whether there is any training open to her that would help her in the work she wishes to take up. Fortunately, at the technical institutes and evening classes it is possible to obtain, if not entirely free, training, at any rate, at a very low cost.

Thus the girl who wants to take up work where she is likely to have the handling of money or dealing with figures will undoubtedly find it an advantage when applying for a situation to be able to claim having taken an elementary course in bookkeeping or commercial arithmetic.

Below I am giving a list of some of the occupations in which there is the greatest demand for workers at the present time. Applications for work should in all cases be made at the local Labour Exchange. There are, however, other agencies through which employment can also be obtained, and where this is the case these addresses are given in addition.

 WHERE WOMEN ARE WANTED.

Army Cooks. --Applicants must he between the ages of 18 and 45. All candidates who are accepted are sent to a training centre at Dartford for a month. The pay is £20 a year in addition to board and lodging. Head cooks receive £40. Army Waitresses.—These are needed to wait upon the cadets and officers. Conditions similar to those for Army cooks. Apply to Mrs. Long, Women's Legion, Centre Block, Room 4, Duke of York's Headquarters, Chelsea, S.W.3.

Bakers.—These are wanted in increasing numbers both for day and night work. Applicants should be from about 18 to 25. The work, though rather heavy, is interesting. Advertisements frequently appear in the daily newspapers for such workers. There are two methods of training. One is to go to a baker's for a low wage, and "pick up" the work. The other, and more satisfactory method, is to obtain training at a polytechnic. Londoners can apply at The Borough Polytechnic Institute, Borough Road, S.E. Others can obtain the address of the nearest technical school from a post office.  

Creche and Day Nursery Work.—Girls between the ages of 16 and 24 are needed to train for this work. Training is, in some cases, given free; in others a small fee has to be paid. The work is strenuous and not highly paid; but the girl with a real love of babies will find her vocation here.  At the end of her training, a girl can either continue her work in the creche as a paid assistant, or obtain a position as lady nurse in a gentleman's family. Applications should be made to the Secretary, National Society of Day Nurseries, 4, Sydney Terrace, Chelsea, S.W.

Grocers’ Assistants. —There are plenty of openings here for quick, capable girls in all parts of the country. Applications can be made to the head offices of any of the large provision merchants. You will find their names and addresses in a commercial directory, which you can consult at any post office.

PLENTY OF CHOICE.

Optical Munitions. —This is skilled work, requiring training. Accepted candidates are, however, paid whilst they are learning. Applicants, who must be over 16, should apply to the Training Centre at the Northampton Polytechnic Institute, St. John's Street, E.C.  

Motor and Taxi Driving. -- Training, the fee for which is usually a few guineas, can be had at any of the motor schools. Taxi drivers must, in addition, undergo a final training in order to pass the special tests imposed by Scotland Yard. The preliminary licences for this final training have to be obtained from Scotland Yard.  

Mail-Cart Drivers and Grooms.—This work should specially appeal to country  women, as only those who are used to horses and know how to drive are wanted. Their work will be to drive the Royal Mail vans or to groom the horses. The pay is 30s. a week. Applications may be made to Miss Mckenzie, care of Messrs. McNamara and Co., 12, Castle Street, London, E.C.

Dental Mechanics. —Dentists are employing women in increasing numbers for the making of artificial teeth. The training is rather long, but workers are usually paid during this time. Advertisements for girls to train for this work can usually be seen in the dental papers. Applications can also be made by letter to any large manufacturing dentist. You will find a list of them in the Trades portion of a commercial directory, under the heading "Dentists' Material Makers."

Omnibus and Tramcar Conductors. —Applicants must be very strong and fairly tall. The work is strenuous, but the pay good, very often as much as two pounds a week. Applications can be made to the head offices of any of the omnibus and tramcar companies or councils.

Postwomen. —This work is heavy and entails early rising, but the workers have a good deal of free time in the middle of the day. Applications for local work to be made at the local Exchange, but for work under the G.P.O., at the City Labour Exchange, 9, New Bridge Street, London, E.C.

NO ROOM FOR "SLACKERS."

Railway Booking Clerks and Ticket Collectors. —Clerks must be ready reckoners, and all applicants must be of quick intelligence. Applications should be made to the head offices at the London termini stations of any of the large railway companies. Or those applicants living on the S.E. and Chatham Line can apply to Miss Strevitt, S.E. & C. Railway Training School, East Croydon.

Typewriter Mechanics.—Women can now train for the work of cleaning and repairing typewriters. The complete training takes three years, but within a few months girls can do quite useful work that up till quite recently has always been done by men. The workers are paid whilst they are learning, while the fully trained mechanic may expect anything from £2 to £5 a week. Applications can be made to the Remington Typewriter Co., 100, Gracechurch Street, London, E.C.

Warehouse Packers. —These are required by certain big firms for packing goods, such as jams and marmalade, etc., for the Army. Applications can be made to the big jam-makers and other large stores. 

Sweaters In Summer

From The Times, April 5th 1917

SWEATERS IN SUMMER. 

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. 

Sir, — Not less than 1,000 letters lave reached me lately asking what comforts the writers shall knit for the men during the summer.  Will you give me room to answer?

Well, I have been asked by authority to give your readers a clear lead as to what is wanted, and I know I ask a hard-thing in doing it.  It seems that last year, we over-estimated the interval between the last cold night of spring and the first chills of autumn, and under-estimated the time required to get the things across the world in these days.  What is wanted is a vast store of warm comforts by—don't be startled—the end of July.  I am told that heavy knitting throughout the summer is contrary to custom and comfort.  Well, if so, we must dispense with both.  We can't compete with the men in those things whose daily story is our grief and pride abroad, but we can do what we don't want to do, and stick out a long, dull, un-timely job at home.

I think so gravely of what I have written above that I had almost forgotten to say how grateful I am for the continued kindness shown this venture during the past winter.  I was obliged to ask your readers for 10,000 sweaters in a month, and they came; and 10,000 mufflers to accompany them, and there they were.  The total number of sweaters received here to date is 38,106, and of supplementary comforts 34,223.  I feel especially grateful to the men in hospital who have been mindful of their brothers in the field, to the kind maids in many households who have given lavishly of their perhaps not too lavish spare time, and to two venerable ladies, pioneers of all good effort for soldier and sailor, who have found time and inclination to help this venture of to-day on behalf of the men they have served for half a century.

Part of your kindness is to keep the sudatorium smiling.  The palm for ingenuity is surely borne by the lady who left the germ of a muffler and a ball of wool in a railway waiting room with a message appended asking the next stranded lady to add a few inches to the work—whence a capital muffler arrived here in due season.  But all my sympathy goes out to the self-sacrifice of those male relatives commandeered for the hateful process of trying on.  Listen to this: "My father's head, which is very small and quite bald, seldom comes through the neck."  Oh, Sir, for these too infrequent triumphs my good wishes, and for the dreadful protracted occultations my sincere sympathy and the assurance that we now "pick up 76 round the neck."  But all round there has been a marked improvement in knitting.  My remarks on snakes' nightgowns did produce, per contra, a small crop of elephants' cummerbunds, but the real thing is now normal.

To recur to the one thing of importance.  With a restricted Press, it will. greatly help if ladies will make a point of passing the word along that sweaters, mufflers, helmets, mittens, and socks will be wanted in very large quantities by August 1, and that they should be sent, when the time draws near, either to the Voluntary Organizations Depôts throughout the country, or to the D.G.V.O.’s Depôt at 45, Horseferry-road, S.W., or to me as below.  I have plenty of patterns here if ladies would write for them, but I am afraid all the wool I have left will be wanted for men knitting in hospital.

Yours faithfully,

JOHN PENOYRE. 

8. King’s Bench Walk, Inner Temple, E.C.4.

April 4.

Haverfordwest Foot-Sling Depot

From The Haverfordwest and Milford Haven Telegraph, 21st March 1917

Haverfordwest Foot-Sling Depot.

A branch depot of the Surgical Requisites Association, itself a branch of Queen Mary's Needlework Guild, has lately been started in Haverfordwest.  A small local Committee having been formed, it was decided, in accordance with the express wish of the Association that the depot instead of making, as is usual, such articles as swabs, dressings, pads, bandages, etc., should specialise in one urgently needed Hospital requisite, viz., foot-slings.

Each Foot-Sling, which needs very exact and careful making, consists of a hammock-like foot-piece suspended by long straps from the shoulders.

The Slings are cut out at the depot (17 Market Street), and then distributed to members who do the necessary machine work in their own homes, returning the Slings for “finishing” to the depot.  Each Sling costs in material about 2s 6d, and as the Committee hope to send up at least 100 a month, the estimated monthly expenditure is £12 10s 0d.  The appeal for funds has been most generously responded to and much sympathy has been expressed with the work.  £95 has already been contributed, and it is hoped that a sufficient sum may be collected to enable the work to be carried on until such time as the necessity of providing foot-slings for our wounded ceases to be.  Every penny contributed goes directly towards buying materials, as there are no running expenses connected with the depot.