Evening star., 1942-10-27
Little Chance Seen
For Any Increase
In Coffee Ration
oPA Spokesman Soy
Widespread Use Prohibits
Adjustment Of Supply

Once of Price Administration
spokesmen offered little hope today
that the announced coffee ration
Of one pound every five weeks for
adults could be liberalized in the
near future.
The ration, effective after mid
night November %, was fixed only
after careful consideration Of the
imports expectable from future
shipments, spokesmen said.
Little margin was left between
supply and anticipated demand, the
oh1cials said, since it has been as
certained that about 81 per cent Of
all American families are coffee
users. This appeared to leave little
leeway for any subsequent adjust
ments based on failure of demand
to absorb available supplies.
Some coffee merchandising cir
cles reported that IS to 40 cups
could be obtained from each pound
of coffee. Luther Reid, chief of
rationing information, estimated IS,
but even that figured out at less
than 1h cups q day for every
person over IS.
Meanwhile, another OPA omcial
pointed out today that restaurants
and hotels were going to be brought
under the coffee rationing plan, but
that OPA had not yet determined to
what extent these places would be
affected.
It is believed OPA will establish a
base period for portion Of last year,
and that a certain percentage of
coffee purchased then will be al
lowed these users.
A WPB limiting order issued this
summer cut hotels and restaurants
to 65 per cent of purchases for a
base period last year, but the OPA
omcial said this percentage may be
increased or decreased, depending on
surveys now being made"
The rationing was expected to
spur a search for substitute bev-
erages which already Is under way.
These probably will not include
tea or cocoa since black tea sales
have been cut so per cent, Green
tea Is virtually unobtainable and
cocoa consumption has been cut
40 per cent.
Mr.. Reid noted there was nothing
to prevent housewife from buying
chicory and mixing 1t with coffee
to stretch out the supply. In some
parts Of the country, notably New
Orleans, coffee ready mixed with
chicory is commonly sold. The ra-
ton allowance of such a mixture is
the same as that for coffee-that is.
the chicory is counted as part of
the ration.
Professors have been experiment.
ing for some time with such adul-
terants as toasted bran, rye, malt,
Mexican chick peas. barley and other
cereals. Adulteration is permitted If
the package is so labeled.
Interest was reawakened also in
plans discussed by Government off,
cials last spring proposing construc-
ton OF plant for concentrating
coffee. Under this scheme coffee
would be concentrated in Brazil so
that one ship could haul the equiv
alent of several cargoes. The hitch
is, that this country could i'll spare
the machinery and materials neces-
sary to erect concentrating facilities.
Late yesterday OPA announced
that the first ration of coffee would
be purchaseable by use Of stamp No.
q in the sugar ration book, instead
of stamp No. % as previously an
nounced. Because of the way the
stamps are arranged in the book, it
would be inconvenient to start with
No. %. Instead, stamps will be used
In this sequence: Nos. ~, %, Is, 26
and so on toward the center Of the
haok