Evening star., 1943-05-30
Ration Book ; Applications
Tough for Officials, Too
1920 of Returns
Contain Errors,
OPA Reports

Even though the OPA doesn't like
it. YOU scarcely can be blamed if you
/ filled in your application blank for
Ration Book improperly. Some
OF the best people are doing it.
During the past week, hundreds
of volunteer workers have been por-
ing over the application blanks
which are being sent to the Districts
mailing center at Heurich's gym
naslum, TWenty-siXth and D streets
NV. They are learning some amaz-
ing things about human careless
neSs-even among WASHINGTON
highest strata of oficialdom.
There is, for instance, the case of
the high War Production Board Of
fetal who neglected to write his
address on one line of the card. A
volunteer worker saved the official
some embarrassment by doing it for
him.
Many Forms IlIegible.
But there were other cases where
it was necessary to send the ap-
pllcation back. A Senator and sew
eral representatives forgot to sign
their cards. Several forms have
come in from diplomats and had
to be cast aside as illegible. Despite
the clear statement that men in
the armed forces are not eligible
to apply for ration books at this
time, batch of applications has
come in from Army officers of all
ranks, including a major general.
OF course, lot of average citi-
zen1 are making the same mistakes.
In fact, nearly 80 per cent of the
forms sent in during the first week
have been improperly filled out in
some respect, One woman, who
runs a rooming house and has six
guests, sent in seven separate ap-
plications-all of them under her
own name. Another applicant asked
for a ration book for a member of
the family who had died. The ap-
plicant plainly indicated that the
person was dead. Someone else
wrote in name for the head of
the family and noted after it, de
ceased"
At the bottom of the card. where
the applicant is supposed to sign
his name under the words stating
that the informa ton given is COR
rect, one citizen wrote simply, 1T is
true"
Applications Are Premature.
A large number of applications
have come in for babies who are
not expected to be born for another
several months. There are also
many persons who sent in their
cards without tearing off the stub
they are supposed to keep By far
the most numerous of the improp-
erly filled out forms came from
persons who failed to sign the cards
or who did not give their ages.
In most instances the application
forms must be sent back when mis-
takes are noted. When the address
is illegible. however. the mailing
center can do nothing but save the
cards and hope that the applicants
will come in after July 81 when
they have not received their books.
II they retain their stubs, the OPA
will be able to find their applica-
tions quickly and issue books.
Thomas B. Brown, jr., issuing Off
Ger for the District. said yesterday
that about 10 per cent of the 100000
or more applications distributed to
residents of the District already
have been returned. He estimated
that 25000O books would be dis
tributed here. The average of books
to be issued for every application is
considerably less than the OPAs
national estimate of three. but Mr..
Brown pointed out that Washing
ton has an unusually high propor-
ton of single persons employed in
the Government.
More Volunteers Needed.
Hundreds of volunteers already
have offered their services for the
work of handling applications and