Evening star., 1943-03-22
.0PA Suspends
Sales Of Butter,
Fats and Oils
Bon Put Into Effect
At Midnight to Avert
Rush Before Rotionino

Retail sales of butter. mar
garine, lard and other edible fats
and oils were under suspension
today, pending the start of ra-
tloning next Monday.
The ban went into effect at mid
night, following an announcement
at pm. yesterday that sent house
holders Scurrylng to neighborhood
stores that stay open on Sunday
IN an eHort-usually fruitless-to
bolster their supplies.
Restaurants are not affected by
the order and may continue to OBJ
tain butter and other foods from
their wholesalers.
Move to Conserve Stocks.
Mayonnaise and other salad dress
lngs are not rationed and hence
are not included in the sales freeze.
The Office of Price Administra-
ton said its sudden action was de-
clded on because stocks now on
hand are not large enough ito sup
port heavy public buying during
the one week remaining before ra-
tlOning"
The retail sales freeze" said OPA
Does not apply to anv of the
cheeses or meats involved in the new
ratloning plan, and sales of these
1oods Will continue as usual between
now and March %. Sales of canned
nSh and canned meat, which were
frozen February 18. will continue to
be suspended until rationing starts"
"The one-week freeze" said the
| announcement. twill allow store
kepeers to obtain supplies so as to
be IN a position to make ration sales
against red stamps from War Ration
Book 2 on Monday morning, March.
29.'
Point Announcement Wednesday.
OPA will announce Wednesday
the point values which will govern
rationing of the freeze" fats and
oils, as we'll as meats, cheese and
canned fish. Starting March %.
each person will have Is points a
week, in the red stamps of Ration
Book No. 2, to spend for these prod
ucts.
Generally, the most popular cuts
of meat, such as steaks and chops,
Will require more points than such
products as hamburger and spare
ribs. Likewise, butter probably will
use more points than oleomargarine.
While it will be legal to buy any
kind of meat desired, an average
limitation of about pounds per
! person per week will prevents many
| persons from achieving the more
| luxurious styles of prepared meats.
| Previously announced plans will re-
strict home consumption and i'm
pending rules are expected to limit
restaurant portions, too.
Explaining why meat, cheese and
the fats and oils are Jumped to-
gether, OPA said:
From the production or supply
standpoint, meat products are con-
verted not only into lard. but also
oleomargarine. Oleomargarine, in
turn, can be manufactured from
either animal fats Or vegetable oils.
or both. In dealing with the pro-
ductlon OF meats and fats, we do not
have two distinct supplies, but a
single total or overall supply which
is, to some extent. divided into
meats and fats. according to the
conditions of demand.
Meats and Fats Substitutes.
Even from the consumer stand
point, meats and fats are to a Ger
tain extent substitutes for one an
other. Some people get a great
deal of their dietary needs for fats
by eating fat meats: others prefer
lean meats and depend on butter.
oleomargarine Or vegetable fats for
their tat needs.
1T was, therefore, decided to treat
meats and fats as a single inter-
related group of foods TO be handled
by one set of rationing controls and
one ser of rationing stamps. This
plan makes for greater flexibility In
the production of the various foods
and also gives the housewife a
larger freedom of choice in budget
ing her rationing points to suit
her family needs or preferences"
While most persons will use their
red ratloning points on weekly
basis, OPA said residents OF remote
areas can arrange with ration boards
10 buy for longer periods. Persons
requiring special diets can get extra
points by showing medical certii-
Gates 10 their boards.
The stipulated points will be re-
quired except in comparatively rare
cases when butchers hold bargain
sales" 10 move quickly any meat
that has been kept on hand TOO
long In these cases. the butchers
can cut point values, but they must
report all such sales to ration boards.