How did the US government educate the people on rationing?

Answer 1

I was 8 years old in 1941, so I do remember some things about rationing.

First, people listened to radio alot. And all the information was aired many times a day. There were posters in every public building in town. It was in the news paper, and letters mailed to everyone. There were short educational films at the movies too. One did have to fill out papers and register, and I believe that was with the post office or mail in.

You has to have ration stamps for things like gas, shoes, sugar, butter,coffee, and tires. I remember my mom taking ration stamps from a book to buy my shoes. There were probably other things on the ration list, but these are the ones I remember.

Butter rationing was what developed oleo margarine. At first the Dairy Association would not let the Oleo people color their product. The Oleo came in a big hunk and there was a dry color packet included, and the buyer had to color the oleo themselves. It could not even be put in the dairy case with the butter.

I think the ration books were regulated through the OPA Office of Price Administration. Rationing may have been a branch of this office.

Cars had a sticker that would tell the service station person what priority the car owner had in buying gas. An "A" sticker would get your more gas than the others. Doctors ,and some city officials, emergency vehicles, war factory workers, and some farm machinery got A stickers. My mother did not own a car so I do not remember what just regular people had.

This was a war that was in high priority by the American People. They backed it up with everything they had. There was a news commentator named Gabriel Heater that URGED U S Citizens on to, "Do their duty". He was not the only one. Every media including Hollywood got into the war effort. Schools sold war stamps. There was a book that when you filled it with with war stamps one could trade it for a war bond. Hollywood Stars went on nation wide tours to sell stamps and bonds. Different time, different attidude,---we were.