Smyrna times., 1943-03-25
OPA EXPLAINS
MEAT STAMPS
Red Stamp to Have Different
Sets of Valid Dates; so
Points Per Person in April
STORES "MAKE CHANGE


new meats and fats rationing pro-
gram just announced by the OPA.
This latest program requires no
registration of any kind for the
consumers. War Ration Books Two
are already distributed-and when
the program goes into effect, house
wives will already have had a full
months experience in the use of
their point-ration books in buying
processed foods. Neithe rwill con-
sumers be asked to report any
stocks of foods they may have on
hand. One of the few differences
between the use of the blue and the
red stamps in War Ration Book
Two, is the order in which stamps
will be declared valid. When ra-
tioning begins on March 20, the
first set of stamps, marked A
worth 16 points-will be valid. Be-
ginning on April 4, and then on
each succeeding Sunday throughout
April, an additional set of stamps
will be validated. All these stamps,
from A through E inclusive will re-
main in use all month-making a
total of 80 points per person for
April.
Make "Change" With Stamps
Another difference in the use of
the red stamps is that it permits
retailers to make "change" in ra-
ton stamps when customer finds
it impossible to give the exact
amount of valid red stamps when
making purchase. Only one
point red stamps of any series cur
rently valid may be used for this
purpose. Point values for the en-
tire list of foods rationed will be
the same as in every retail store in
the country-just as they are for
canned goods. Point prices of diff
ferent cuts of meat will be differ
ent-just as the point price of april
cots and peas, for example, is diff
ferent. However, there will be no
difference in point price between
different grades of the same cut of
meat-nor between different grades
of hard cheese, nor the same guam
tity of any kind of butter.
Illustration Given
A visual representation of how
the red stamps used for the ration
ing of meat, butter, cheese and fats
will become valid was released to-
day by OPA. Using page in War
Ration Book Two, the illustration
shows that the A series of stamps
becomes valid on March 20, the B
stamps become valid April 4, the c
stamps become valid April IL and
D stamps become valid April 49,
These stamps remain valid through
April 80. The E series of stamps
becomes valid on April 25 but the
expiration date has not been an
nounced. The stamps worth one
point can be used by storekeepers
as Change" if they find that Gus
toners do not have the exact
amount of stamps needed for pur-
chase. For example, if a customer
gives a 5-point red stamp to pay
for APPOINT purchase, the store
keeper can give her one-point red
stamp in change. Storekeepers can
not use the 2, 5, or point stamps
as change. The one-point stamps
given as change expire at the same
time as other stamps bearing the
same letter.
Loose Stamps Permitted
The fact that the one-point red
stamps can be used in change-mak-
ing means that consumers will be
permitted to carry these stamps
loose. However, OPA recommends
that in order to avoid losing them
or carrying them afte the expira-
ton date, consumers use their loose
stamps the next time they make a
purchase. Important dates in the
New Meats and Fats Rationing
Program: March 29-Housewives
institutions, and industrial users
begin surrendering red point
stamps for the meats, butter, fats,
and other rationed products in this
program which they buy. Red "a
Stamps, 16 points, good during first
Continued on Page Four)