Evening star., 1943-03-03
Rationing Of Butter
Starts April | Along
With Meat, Cheese
Weekly Allowance Of
Meat Tentatively Put
At IA Pounds

Inc OlHCe OF Price AQmln1S-
tration has decided definitely to
begin rationing of meats and
cheese on April l and undertake
distribution of butter, cooking
fats and oils in the same pro-
gram, it was learned today.
Under current plans, all will be
doled out through War Ration
Book 2.
On April l consumers will be able
to spend the red stamps of war
ration book No. for meats, cheese
and fats. The ration, 1t was under
stood, will be about IL pounds Of
meats and cheese to each person a
week. Consumers will have wide
choice as to how to spend their
precious points. In this way it may
be possible, for example, to purchase
5 or 10 pounds of spareribs with the
points which might bring only III
pounds of sirloin steak.
Different Coupons.
In order to create as little con-
fusion as possible, it was under
stood the current plan calls for use
Of different sets of columns of cou-
pons for distribution of butter, fats
and oils than will be used for meats
The amounts of fats to be rationed
in each period had not been decided
on. Because of the extreme short
age OF butter. other fats will be
used generously to supplement diet
OPA spokesman warned that il
will be impossible to tell the quanti-
ties Of individual meats which will
be available under rationing until
point values for various types and
cuts are fixed some time later this
month.
Price Administrator Brown told
reporters that plans to start ration
ing of meats, cheese and other COM
modities would be discussed at a
press conference later today.
AS disclosed some weeks ago,
cheese will be rationed together with
meat because of It's usefulness as a
meat substitute. while butter. mar
garine, and cooking fats and oils will
be grouped for rationing because of
their interchangeability.
Food Administrator Wickard, how
ever, has not yet transmitted to OPA
the authorization necessary before
cheese, butter and fats and oils can
take their place in the food ration
ing program.
The rationing program. it was
said, will not be preceded by a
freeze of retail sales, as was done
last week before the rationing OF
processed fruits and vegetables. In
addition, there will be no require
ment for consumer declaration OF
the amount Of meat in the family
icebox.
OPA officials were reported as
gratified with the favorable public
acceptance OF canned goods ration
ing. The housewife. 1t was said,
apparently has absorbed the finer
points Of the rather complicated
point rationing system much earlier
than had been anticipated. This
has caused officials to be anxious
to start the distribution of meats.
Oncials were said to be toying"
with the idea of requiring declara-
ton of meats In cold storage lockers.
If this procedure is followed, the
consumer owning such meat will
not be asked to declare. but the
person owning the locker will assume
responsibility This, it is felt, will
prove more effective way of re-
leasing the stores of meats said to
have been placed in cold storage
by the more well-to-do consumers.
Meat rationing, together with the
new dollars-and-cents ceiling prices
to be announced soon for beef cuts
and pork products, is expected to go
a long way toward breaking up black
market traf1ic, which not only has
kept meat from the consumer, but
has made it difficult for the Gov
ernment to purchase the food in
(See BUTTER, Page A-6J