The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1942-04-09
Rationing Boards
Perform Necessary
Functions In War
Locul Members Work
On Jobs Steadily
Without Any Poy

Without Any Poy
This war has introduced a new
volunteer to America-the man on
your local rationing board. There
are more than $1,000 fellows like
him through the country almost en-
nough for two modern Army divi-
sions. His stationary be Park Ave-
nue. in New York, the ranch coz
try of Montana, the Texas Pam
handle.
You may not have seen him, be-
cause he works quietly, frequently
at night. He doesn't make many
speeches. He doesn't wear a uni
form. But the public is aware of
him because since January | he
has kept it from getting new auto
mobiles and new tires as usual. 1t is
his job to say who can and who
can't have the less than half a bill
lion new cars now on reserve. He
decides who is eligible to get new
tires now that there are only a few
million in stock. He is also Uncle
Sans agent in the %rationing of SUI
gar, which brings his in contact
with every man, woman and child
in the country.
The job these men do to conserve
rubber, metals and other vital mat
erials for guns, tanks, ships and
planes, could not be done in Wash
;ngton. 1t takes a field free, a big
one organized to execute plans and
instructions almost the day they are
made. Such a force is now in opera
ion.
How does it operate? And who
sees that the operation runs smooth
ly? How was the organization of SO
vast a force created so quickly?
After Pearl Harbor there was no
longer any question of business az
usual. Factories had to be turned
over to war production. Rubber had
to be saved. Overnight it became
necessary to make sure that the cars
and tires on hand were not dis.
sipated in pleasure as usual
The speed with which the factories
were converted was more than mat
ched by the swiftness with which
operating field force was set up
to keep the cars, tires tubes on the
market from being boarded OF
wasted.
The Office of Price .Administra-
ton in Washington created a Divi-
sion of Field Operations with Frank
Bane as director. 1t was the job
Of this unit to set up boards in every
community in this wide land in the
briefest time possible. The job took
only three weeks.
Bane began on December 16 by
the 48 State Governors, ask
ing for their cooperation in his plan.
The plan, he said, called for organi-
ration of rationing boards through
the State and Local Civilian Defense
Councils, which had been established
in many communities throughout the
ountry last summe and fall to help
in preparations for public health and
welfare in case of an emergency.
Letting local defense councils NOM
mate members of the new rationing
boards as San obious choice" Direc-
tor Bane explained, because they al
ready had established offices and a
qualified personnel whose prestige
in their r~espectife communities will
contribute to the success Of the pro.
gram"
Every state defense council was
made responsible for seeing that
every county was organized. Today
there is a I2tioning board in each
of the 1910 counties in the country.
Some counties with large populations
have several.
The local rationing boards now
operate under a state administrator,
who is also non-salaried. Each of the
48 State Administrators are respon-
sible to a regional office. There arc
now 10 of these--in Boston, Chicago,
Cleveland, Atlanta, New York, Dal-
las, San Francisco, Kansas City,
Philadelphia and Denver. The regi-
onal officers employees Of the Fed
eral Government, are responsible to
the Division of Field Operations, of
the Office Of Price Administration
under Chief rationer Leon iIendct-
SON. The organization is closely
knit and each office has been as
signed specific duties.
The duty Of the lr|l board men.