Evening star., 1943-03-01
Pcint Rationiinq
Fails 10 Bring
Buying Rush
Comparatively Few
Stamps Are Used
By Housewives

Washington housewives today
began their greatest shopping
adventure since bargain hunting
was replaced by just plain hunt
ing for what they wanted.
Although canned goods were re-
leased under the point system Of
rationing after having been frozen
on grocers' shelves during the past
eight days, business at most stores
today was no heavier than the usual
light Monday morning trickle.
Most customers, it appeared, are
still little shy about using their
coupons. Or else they are saving
their rations for later In the month.
Comparatively few coupons were
clipped. Patrons using stamps
bought mostly baby foods, soups and
juices.
Those who came, grocers reported,
were we'll prepared with shopping
lists on which the point values Of
the foods they wanted to buy were
already calculated But the store
managers didn't anticipate it would
continue to be easy-especially after
Government Offices close this after
noon and the shopping rush really
begins.
Values Draw Complaints.
Complaints were aimed at high
point values rather than at the fact
that they are rationed or at the sys-
tenn used. One woman, apparently
discovering for the first time that q
box OF raisins would cost her 20
points, said her family would have
to go without raisins for the dura-
ton, even though they were fond Of
them.
Some housewives were still con-
fused over what was rationed and
what was not. They said the price
ceilings established on some fresh
vegetables last week confused them
into believing these foods had been
added to the rationed list.
A few shoppers came to stores
without their ration books. They
explained the number of books and
stamps they are required to carry
around with them Is getting to be
too much to remember.
In the self-service stores managers
and employees conceded that lines Of
persons passing through the check
ers are going to be slowed up consid-
erably. The real bottlenecks will
develop, 1t was feared. in the late
afternoons, and especially on Fri.
day and Saturday evenings.
| Confusion Feared.
William Moore, manager of the
Safeway store at Fourteenth and
Chaplin streets NV, said he thought
1t would be about month before
the point system will be working
properly. Most of the trouble, in
his opinion, will be encountered at
the checking counter, where GUS
toners and checkers will have to
keep track of both the prices and
the point values of the purchases.
The Safeway stores have listed the
point values of all rationed canned
goods on the shelves and on the
cans themselves in addition to laav-
ing charts posted in the store. Mr..
Moore has also marked shelves con-
tanning unrationed canned products
with signs saying, mot rationed."
Not more than half a dozen Gus.
toners appeared at Mr.. Moore's
store during the first hour of busi-
ness today.
Many Save Coupons.
Many people, it appeared, were
going to hold on to their points as
long as they could. At the Arcade
Market, Fourteenth street and Park
road NV, many were filing up their
baskets with goods which did not
require coupons. Some of them said
they wanted to save them as long as
they could and buy the things they
really needed later in the month.
One woman had another reason.
Il don't understand point ration
ing we'll enough yet" she said. I'm
not going to spend my points until
I do"
At the I. S. Burks store, 5000 Con-
necticut avenue NV. business was
| just about normal, with As customers
appearing between and 1915 am.
The manager predicted the greatest
test would come between and 7:30
pm. today. Usually about 1000 GUS
toners are handled during this
period and on Saturdays, between
200 and 1,5O0 persons are waited on
| during the same hours.
The cash registers at this store
have been adjusted so they can total
and record points as we'll as cash
| amounts.
Last week, the manager said, the
store did nomal business despite
the freeze" on canned goods. Most
of the increase to make up for the
lack of canned foods was in fresh
fruits and vegetables, spaghetti,
macaroni and similar foods.
Although the OPA allows delivery
boys to accept stamps from custo-
mers who order by phone, the Burka
Market will follow a policy of making
no deliveries unless the coupons have
first been deposited at the store.
Baby foods, juices and soups were
getting the heaviest play at the