Rationing regulations for food and clothing were gazetted on 14 May 1942. Rationing was introduced to manage shortages and control civilian consumption. It aimed to curb inflation, reduce total consumer spending, and limit impending shortages of essential goods. The broad reasoning behind the introduction of rationing was to ensure the equitable distribution of food and clothing. It was also hoped that a cut on consumer spending would lead to an increase in savings, which in turn could be invested in war loans. Australians were never as short of food nor rationed as heavily as civilians in the United Kingdom. Rationing was enforced by the use of coupons and was limited to clothing, tea, sugar, butter, and meat. From time to time, eggs and milk were also rationed under a system of priority for vulnerable groups during periods of shortage. Rationing was administered by the Rationing Commission. The basis for policing food rationing was through the surrender of coupons before rationed goods could be supplied. This had to occur between traders as well as consumers. Coupons were passed back from consumers to retailers, from retailers to wholesalers, and in many cases from wholesalers to producers, who were requested to return them to the commission. Breaches of rationing regulations were punishable under the general provisions of National Security Regulations by fines of to £100 or up to six-months imprisonment. Responding to the complaint that these penalties were inadequate, the government passed the Black Marketing Act at the end of 1942. This Act was for more serious cases and could carry a minimum penalty of £1,000.
A window display in a city store showing the price tag and number of coupons required for the purchase of a child's overcoat and caps.
This table reflects initial quantities. Many items were adjusted and rations reduced at a later date.
This post was written by Lynn Weinstein, Business Reference Librarian in the Science, Technology, and Business Division. It hasn’t been since World War II began that many have faced such a challenging time of shortages. Given our current environment, in which we want to be as prepared as possible to protect and keep our families safe while not unintentionally harming those who may have disabilities or weakened immune systems by over shopping, it may be interesting to take a look back at rationing during WW II. Ration For Victory. A poster based on an equitable rationing plan for war-time emergency. Designed and produced by the Office of War Information (OWI). Everyday life for all Americans was altered after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, when the U.S. government entered into a war economy. Taxes were raised and war bonds were issued to fund the war effort. In May 1942, the rationing of consumer goods began with the Office of Price Administration setting price limits and rationing food and other commodities in order to ensure the proper distribution of resources, manage shortages, and discourage hoarding and needless consumption. Banks began distributing coupons for rationed goods, which eventually included sugar, coffee, meat, gasoline, fuel oil, tires, and shoes. Millions of Americans needed to be educated in the complexities of the new rationing system. Food rationing affected what people would eat and how they would prepare food, resulting in special cookbooks and marketing campaigns aimed at getting Americans to use new shortenings and foods that were not rationed. Meat rationing preview. Washington correspondents get preview of meat rationing. In left foreground is Mrs. Philip Crowlie, OPA’s “typical housewife,” explaining the system to a reporter, while Harold Rowe, food rationing chief, figures point values on the scale. After the war, the Library of Congress distributed the World War II Rationing Collection 1942-1946, consisting of unused certificates, coupons and stamps issued by the U.S. Office of Price Administration (OPA). It also issued information on the World War II rationing program to select libraries, archives, and historical repositories in order to document the rationing program that had been implemented to ensure adequate supplies were available to the military. To learn more about ration books, and the warnings which accompanied them, view these images which were part of a related exhibit at the Smithsonian. World War II changed all aspects of life from news to culture, and called for collective national sacrifice from everyone in everyday life, making the distribution of food and supplies a moral and social issue as well as a logistical one. Learn More: Do you want more stories like this? Subscribe to Inside Adams — it’s free! The events on December 7, 1941 catapulted the United States into World War II. The country’s entrance into the war meant many changes on the home front. Chief among these alterations was the introduction of food rationing in 1942. On January 30th of that year, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law the Emergency Price Control Act, which enabled the Office of Price Administration (OPA) to lay the ground work for food rationing, which was begun in the spring. Food RationingUnder the food rationing system, everyone, including men, women, and children, was issued their own ration books. Rationed foods were categorized as either needing red or blue points. Individuals wishing to purchase foods under the red points scheme, which included meat, fish and dairy, were issued with 64 points to use per month. For blue points goods, including canned and bottled foods, people were given 48 points per person for each month. The OPA determined the number of points needed for goods based on availability and demand. The points values could be raised or lowered accordingly. Sugar was one of the first and longest items rationed, starting in 1942 and ending in 1947. Other foods rationed included coffee, cheese, and dried and processed foods. The war placed additional demands on the agricultural sector to not only feed the home front, but also support US troops and fulfill America’s obligations to the United Kingdom and other allies through the Lend-Lease Program. The agricultural sector of the US economy expanded greatly from these added demands. Women’s Land ArmyWhile the acreage under cultivation and agricultural yields increased throughout the war, many young men left the farm to join the military or work in another war industry. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) needed to identify new ways to fill labor shortages. On a tour of England in 1942, Eleanor Roosevelt spoke with members of the Women’s Land Army about their work in agriculture. She was encouraged by the positive results these women had on the agricultural outlook of Britain. Upon her return to the United States, she began lobbying for a similar system to be put in place. The USDA was reluctant at first to enact such a program. However, in 1943, Congress passed the Emergency Farm Labor Program, creating the Women’s Land Army of America (WLAA), or as it became known, the Women’s Land Army (WLA). It is estimated that 2.5 million women worked in the WLA during WWII. Victory GardensThe USDA encouraged people throughout WWII to grow their produce in family and community gardens, known as victory gardens. People were urged to plant gardens in rural and urban settings to offset the food rations, add vitamins to their diet, and support the war effort. Use of food through effective production, consumption, and preservation, was presented by the government as patriotic acts to help the troops and the nation. Historians estimate that by 1943 up to 20 million victory gardens were cultivated, helping sustain the needs of the country. Although wartime propaganda tended to portray gardening as a masculine activity, a wide variety of the population helped to grow produce, including women and children. USDA Extension ServicesThe Extension Services of the USDA played a vital role in feeding families, troops, and allies in wartime. Created in 1914 by the Smith-Lever Act, the Extension Services was set up as a nation-wide organization of the USDA in conjunction with state land granted universities to support and educate rural communities about agricultural and domestic efficiencies. One of the key components of the organization’s work was to send home demonstrators such as Florence L. Hall (director of WLA in WWII) and Grace E. Frysinger to agricultural areas. Demonstrators educated rural families about home economics, particularly in relation to the wise use and preservation of food. Such work became particularly important in the wake of the Great Depression. Financial hardships in rural areas made food use and conservation extremely important. The USDA set up community canning centers as part of their efforts to help families suffering the economic effects of the period. CanningThe Extension Services’ home demonstrators and canning centers once again became vital to those living on the American home front during World War II. Canning in wartime became a major focus of the US government. Women were encouraged to support their families and the nation by canning produce grown in their garden. Canning, like gardening, was presented in official propaganda as a patriotic and unifying act, linking soldiers’ activities to women’s roles in the kitchen. Government officials asked individuals to organize their garden activities in conjunction with the canning outcomes that they envisioned, urging them to “plan your canning budget when you order your garden seeds.” The interconnectivity of the two activities ensured that just as victory garden yields reached their peak in 1943, so too did canning levels. The USDA estimates that approximately 4 billion cans and jars of food, both sweet and savory, were produced that year. Community canning centers aided in the process of reaching record levels of preserved food in the United States during the war. In 1945, the USDA stated that 6,000 canning centers were in operation throughout the United States. These centers were locally sponsored and financially supported, but with instructional and educational oversight provided by the USDA. The government issued handy bulletins outlining the process of canning, including the use of water baths and pressure cookers for low acid food. It also provided guidelines as to cooking times and temperatures for the preservation of different foods. Within the centers, a home demonstrator from the Extension Services or a locally qualified individual was on hand to supervise and instruct users in canning techniques. Individuals brought their raw produce to the center and paid a small fee or donated a small quantity of their preserved food in return for the use of materials. With the rationing of vital metal goods for the war effort pressure cookers were not produced for much of WWII. The centers offered women the opportunity to use this equipment if they did not have their own device or were unable to borrow from family or friends. SugarSugar was a major concern for canners throughout the war, whether they preserved food at home or in the community canning centers. A canner could submit an application to obtain up to 20 pounds of extra sugar for their preservation needs. However, this was not guaranteed and based on supplies sometimes women could not obtain this additional amount. Today, the Extension Services continue to support people’s interest in food production and preservation. Branches of the organization offer courses on canning throughout the country and both women and men have shown renewed interested in conserving food. |
Why did the u.s. government use rationing for some foods and consumer goods during world war ii?
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