Evening star., 1944-02-24
Report to the Housewife


If the prospect OF learning to use
the ration tokens scheduled to come
into circulation Sunday has been
keeping you awake nights, Just turn
over and relax, counsel the experts.
According to those lin the know" the
new system should prove a great
simpliflcation of the old one.
All you have to remember is this. :
Beginning Sunday, all red and
blue stamps in War Ration Book 4
will be worth 10 points each, no
matter what figures are printed
on them. However the point values
of brown stamps Y and z in War
Ration Book 3, good until March
TO- will remain the same as desig-
mated by the figures on the stamps.
This Is also true of green stamps
K, L and M in War Ration Book 3,
good until March 20. In other words
these "old" stamps will be used on
the old valuation schedule and only
the special new ones designated will
be placed at the 10 points per stamp
figure, with tokens used as change.
You will get your first tokens from
your store when making your first
purchases after the program begins.
You do NOT get supply of tokens
yourself in advance.
Beginning February q five blue
stamps for processed foods will be-
come valid-8A, 8B, &C, Sd and
8E. Each of these will represent
10 points. Also on February q three
red stamps for meats, fats, ETC., be-
come valid, ga, 8B and sc. Each
of these will be worth 10 points.
When making purchases dealers will
give you change" in the new tokens,
each token representing one point.
Red tokens will be used as change
for red stamps. blue for blue stamps.
The tokens remain valid indefinitely
Consumers will not be permitted to
change stamps into tokens without
making purchase of a rationed
commodity.
Therefore, it would appear that
the only period of confusion for the
average housewife will be that dur
ing which the "old" brown and
green stamps are still valid, and
worth the values designated on
them. AS soon as these stamps are
used up, and only one system has
to be followed, the 'change-in-tok-
ems" method should prove very SIM
pie. Just keep your chin up, your
wits about you, your patience mex
hoi1ctih1a ond hri11ioY,f ly,,o~y,laIro
of bookkeeping in your mind-and
you'll be all right. We hope.
All of this little dissertation leaves
us very small spacA for the rest of
the usual Report A quick resume
discloses that pork will be about
the only plentiful meat this week
end-so use your pork bonus" hap
PLY and make the most of it before
1t expires Saturday midnight. And
If you have saved up some more fat,
turn it in to your butcher and get
some more points that way. You
might be able to work up to hall
ham! Beef, veal and lamb are very
scarce and even sundries seem to
have turned coy and are not avail
able in many markets. Eggs con-
tinue plentiful and reasonable; |
cheese very dreary picture. Frying
chickens will be reasonable and il
adequate supply, with few stewers
to be found. Bakers are still few
and far between.
Fish is a little better than it was
last week, with sea bass, fresh f1oun-
der, steak cod, herring, hardheads,
Spanish mackerel, mullets, croakers,
king mackerel and butterflsh listed |
as most plentiful There are some
smelts and some haddock fillets to
be had in limited supply. Shad. too,
is limited this week. No trout, no
rockfsh, porgies, raw or cooked
shrimp to speak of. Plenty of oy-
sters and good regular crab meat,
but still no lump"
Produce remains unchanged from |
supply. and cabbages are coming in
so heavily that beginning today they
are designated as the victory food !
selection through March a. Other
especially plentiful items include
kale. collards, parsnips, carrots, let
tuce-au kinds-beets, turnips, eau
lifloWer, spinach, snap beans and
both kinds of potatoes. Also in ade-
quate supply we find celery, toma
toes, shallots, turnip greens, mus
tard greens and summer squash. In
the slightly more expensive group
are lima beans, cucumbers, peppers,
peas, brussels sprouts, watercreSs
and landcress.
Here and There: Remember
when you get desperate over your
ienten fare VS.. shortages that many
of the quick frozen foods will come
neatly to your rescue. Fishcakes,
for instance. and new chop suey.
that call for no ration points. Oven
baked beans, pointless, too . AS
we mentioned, mullets are plentiful,
and if you are not we'll acquainted
with the fish we suggest that you
write to the Fish and Wildlife
Service, Merchandise Mart. Chicago
54, for copy of their recipe packed
leaf1et Striped Mullet and Their
Preparation for the Table" A