The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-11-17

bLOu may Hog pe as scary as 1t sounds. It isn't the same as restoring an era of pro- hibition by official order, it isn't in- tended to spy on hoarded stocks in attic or cellar, and it doesn't en- visage any bootlegging or rationed commodities. Better than 99 per cent of the American people are beautifully and voluntary abiding by OPA price ceiling orders and the anti-hoarding regulation is intended merely for the unpatriotic less than per cent who aren't playing fair in this necessary business. Need for an anti-hoarding regu- lation has been developing gradual l ly. In the case of sugar, people had to declare the amount of hoarded sugar on hand when applications were made for sugar ration books The public was pretty honest about that. Similarly, when gasoline ra- tioning was set up for the eastern states, applicants had to state how many gallons of reserve gas were stored in the garage.
 TIRE TROUBLE
 Tine rationing went in without any demand for declarations on hoarded tires. That situation is just being straightened out by hav- ing every car owner declare all tires held in excess of five per car turn ing in the hoarded extra tires by sale to the government
 When the coffee rationing pro- gram was being drawn up it was not planned to have applicants de- clare how much coffee they had stored in the pantry. Then the runs on the coffee stores began, and in some places they were only slightly less frantic than at the opening of the Cherokee strip.
 By the time this situation had de- veloped, most of the educational campaign material on the coffee ra- tioning program had been printed and instructions had gone to regis tration centerS. It was then too late to change. so an alternative plan was worked out. Exact dates and methods haven't been agreed on yet, so the whole program can't be given in all its details, but in general it will probably work some- thing like this:
 1. Barring a last minute change, the date for putting the coffee ra- tioning program into effect will be Nov. 2o. Sales of coffee from the stores to the public will be stopped Nov. 2l to Nov. 29, to give the stores a chance to build up stocks
 2. Consumers won't have to reg. ister to get their first rationed cof- fee. Instead. they will use stamp No. 27 in their War Ration Book No 1.-the book they now use for sugar. That stamp. which must be left in the Look, will be good for one pound of coffee for every person IA years or elder. ard that pound will have to last for five weeks, or through Jan. 3. l943.
 3. Ard this is unfortunate. On Nov. 29, every householder. res- taurant or other coffee user should make a note of the amount of cof- fee he has on hand. The amount of this 'hoar6ed" coffee won't have to be declared until later but 1t will have to be declared later ard it will figure in the amounts of coffee which ration hook holders will be entitled to in I943.
 AND DON'T CHEAT!
 For anyone who thinks he can beat this game by not declaring hoarded stocks of coffee - there Is already a regulation providing for 5000 or l0-year penalties for making false. declaration.
 But it is out of all this confusion that the need for an overall anti hoarding regulation became aupar- ent. Price Administration officials have been careful about giving out advance information on commodi- ties that might have to be rationed. Tn spite of that caution. there have been information leaks and result ing runs on the stcres
 With a general anti-hoarding regulation in effect. maybe all that can be stopped.