Algoma and World War ll Rationing: Bay Leaves, Baby Formula, and Eggs, 2023

 

Failing to find bay leaves on grocery shelves is not the worst. The lack of baby formula is. In 2020, the U.S. saw huge toilet paper shortages and shortages of bleach, vinegar, sanitation products and more. Such purchases were limited to one of an item if a store had them. Shortages remain, but unless one is looking for bay leaves or needs baby formula, who’d know what should be on the empty shelves?

There were shortages at other times in U.S. history, but most were during wartime when citizens pulled together to make sure the troops had the best of what they needed. Among the best during the Civil War turned out to be moldy meats and flour with weevils. When World War l saw severe shortages in kerosene, the government admonished citizens to take care of lamps, lanterns, stoves and heaters to get the most from a gallon. The government stressed cleaning the equipment which was not to be used a minute more than necessary. Civil War households depended on themselves, but  as the country grew and changed, World War l housewives learned to make do with limited sugar and to make meatless and wheatless meals. There were coffee substitutes.

World War ll interfered with trade and when there were no silk stockings, creative women used eyebrow pencils to draw lines down the legs thus simulating stocking seams, but shortages of silk stockings was the least of the things folks dealt with.

Eighty years ago, World War ll was in full swing. As in World War l, just over a mere 20 years earlier, food, clothing, blankets, and more were needed for the troops. But, in the 1940s, there was rationing that was controlled. To be sure, though, there was a black market.

With the advent of World War ll, U.S. Office of Price Administration (OPA) began rationing certain foods and started with sugar in May 1942. By November, coffee, meat, canned fish, canned milk, cheese, and butter were added to the list. There was more. Shoes. Gasoline. Farm implements. Tires. The list grew.

When ration books were distributed, purchasing scarce items was supposed to be a little fairer since each person – even babies - received a book that listed the name and age, height, weight and physical description. The complicated system depended on ration stamps, coupons, certificates, and a point system that changed

Ration book stamps covered certain needs at specific times, however the items had to be available. At the beginning of the month, every person had 48 blue points and 64 red points, so, together, a family of four had 192 blue points for processed food and 256 red points for dairy products, fish, and meat. Stamps expired and each month brought new stamps. In September 1943, red stamps X and Y were valid for meat until October 2  while Z became valid on September 5 and remained valid through October 2. If a consumer wanted processed foods, blue stamps R, S, and T were to expire on September 20, 1943, while U, V and W were good and would not expire until October 20. Instructions were noted on each book.

How did consumers keep it straight? If folks bought newspapers, that helped as the following examples from September 1943 Algoma Record Heralds indicate.

The paper told readership about gasoline when it said that in “17 states of the eastern shortage area” A-6 coupons were valid, but outside that area A-7 coupons were valid through September 21. All coupons were endorsed and included the driver’s license number and the state of registration. Occupants of oil heated homes were urged to return their applications to the ration boards and place orders with dealers for summer fill-ups. Stamp No. 14 was good for 5 pounds of sugar through October, although numbers 15 and 16 were good for 5 pounds each for home canning. If housewives needed more, they needed to apply to the ration board using the form at the left found at Katch's, Ahrndt's, Farmers Co-op Co. and Horak's in Algoma. Stamp 18 allowed the purchase of one pair of shoes during October.

Certain kinds of rubber boots that had been used in farming were no longer manufactured thus released from rationing. How would anybody know? One only had to look. Released were all olive drab, clay or khaki colored rubber boots, and lightweight, ankle-fitting rubber boots that depended on stretching to fit. Quantities were small because merchants did not have complete stocks.

The paper went on to advise truck owners having tire certificates but not able to find the tires to apply at the nearest Motor Transport District Office of the Office of Defense Transportation, which appears to have been run by Wisconsin’s new State Patrol, which also saw to it that drivers conserved rubber by not exceeding 40 miles an hour.

The Defense Transportation Office was to forward the notice of inability to buy proper tires to the Office of the Rubber Director who was to attempt to properly redistribute tires so that the certificates would be honored. The issue was most significant when truck operators were unable to get critically needed tires necessary to keep up the supply chain of vital war freight.

One wishing to buy a stove found it was necessary to get a certificate at the local war price and rationing boards. When the U.S. had 37,000 air and liquid-cooled internal combustion 20-horsepower engines, they were controlled by the county farm rationing committees. Farmers or operators of farm machinery for hire could apply for a certificate based on the need for engines essential in crop and livestock production.

Planning and keeping dates in mind were nearly fulltime activities.

The September 3, 1943 Record Herald cautioned those planning to travel by train over Labor Day to know they would probably have to stand in the aisles because trains were so heavily loaded. The same paper told farmers they had to estimate their incomes by September 15 and pay-as-you-go. Single persons earning over $2,700 and married persons earning more than $3,500 would also need to file declarations as did anybody making at least $100 in sources other than wages.

At the same time, the paper said hog cholera serum was being made in record-breaking quantities. The U.S. was raising “vast” numbers of hogs. To encourage farmers to cure and store the bumper crop of sweet potatoes, there was a price support of $1.50 per bushel for No. 1 cured potatoes, properly packed in crates, bushels and baskets.

On September 10, the Record Herald told its readers that Ration Book 3 would become valid on the 12^th. Stamp A was good for 16 points through October 2. Brown stamps were valid on successive Sundays and expired on the Saturday closest to the end of the month. They were used for meats, fats, oils, and all commodities rationed with red stamps in Ration Book 2. Small stamps with pictures of guns, tanks and ships were not in use. Folks were told that if they had not received Book 3, they should apply to the local ration board.

Hay loaders, side delivery rakes and manure spreaders were put under OPA price controls, even if such machinery was sold by farmers or auctioneers. Maximum prices were based on 85% of cost when the item was new, if the item was less than a year old, or 70% of the item’s price if the equipment was over a year old.

Rationing made planning Christmas gifts difficult, however the Army Postal Service felt at least ten million packages would be sent overseas and wanted the packages sent between September 15 and October 15. The public was asked to securely wrap the packages, but to wrap in such a way that they were easily inspected before mailing. Edgar Nell of the ration distribution office in Algoma announced to parents of service men and women that in the event their sons and daughters got leaves, they were to ask for necessary ration papers at their camp. The form required signing by the applicant and the camp officer. Those failing to get the forms at camp had to jump through a few more hoops having to travel to the Green Bay Naval Recruiting Office and then take the signed documents to the ration board office.

Just when folks had Book 3 figured out, the government introduced Ration Book 4. The new book was said to contain more definite information and would last 96 weeks, or approximately 2 years. The book was worth more than gold! It combined point and unit stamps containing 384 stamps printed on safety paper in blue, red, green, and black inks. The green stamps were to be used on an interim basis in place of the processed food blue stamps in the way that brown stamps in Ration Book 3 wee being used for meat fats.

Something new were the 96-unit stamps printed in black. Seventy-two of the stamps were printed with “spare” in case additional ration currency was needed. Twelve of the stamps said “sugar” and another twelve were designated for coffee, which was no longer rationed. That being the case, the OPA said the coffee stamps could be used as additional spare stamps.

Rules governed stamp usage and woe be to the person who did not carefully care for the family ration books. When purchases were made, the stamp needed to be detached from the book in the presence of the merchant, his employee, or the person making deliveries for the storekeeper. If a stamp was torn out before being verified by watchful eyes, it was void. If it were partly torn or mutilated, it would be valid if at least half remained attached in the book.

Even those hospitalized adhered to the rules. If anyone entering a hospital, or any other institution, expected to stay beyond 10 days, the ration book was to be turned over to the one in charge. The book would be returned by request upon leaving the facility.

Not everything was rationed because of supply. Eggs were a victim of circumstances. It was obvious that if there was not enough grain for people, there would not be enough to feed animals. Because of the shortage of grain to feed chicken, millions of hens were killed and sold as food. Eggs were rationed by design, which allowed one egg per person per week, however pregnant women and vegetarians were allowed two eggs.

Most rationing ended at the close of World War ll, however sugar was rationed until June 1947 while meat was the last rationed item in 1954. Those who are old enough remember eating Spam in the 1940s and 1950s. Spam was the only meat never rationed. Maybe that’s why Spam got a bad rap, but it is back.

CNN Business said World War ll was “decisive” in Spam’s growth. Being canned, it did not need refrigeration and could be eaten “on the run.” Sometimes it was the only protein source available. Spam was associated with the war and rationing, prompting many to say they’d never eat it again, however the product has made a comeback and is even found in upscale restaurants. It is back for some of the same reasons it flourished 80 years ago: it is available, versatile and affordable.  Baby formular is not.

Surces: Algoma Record Herald, CNN Business accessed online., Wikipedia. Rations books are from the Blogger's collection.