Evening star., 1946-11-03
Life Back to Normal
As OPA Releases Volunteers
By Carter Brooke Jones

By Carter
It wasn't her child she was hold
ing, Mrs. Esther M. Coppeck ex-
planned. The little fellow belonged
to neighbor.
You see," the young woman, who
has two children of her own, added,
we're so used to exchanging chill
dren. We got used to it during the
war. There waSso much we all had
to do. The war work and SO on"
Mrs. Coppock's neighbor came and
got her child. Mrs. Coppock looked
around to see what her boy, David,
4, was up to.
Now that the last of the volunteer
price control boards were going out
of business, she wouldn't have to
worry about that night every week
she sat on such board. She
wouldnt have to see that her hus-
band, Joseph D. Coppock, an econ
omist with the State Department,
acted as baby sitter that night, or. If
he couldn't, that some other ar
rangement was made.
Few Formal Charges Made.
All through the war these volun-
teer panels heard complaints against
merchants and shopkeepers in their
communities-considered them in a
friendly, neighborly way, and tried
to straighten things out. Generally,
there was no formal charge against
the man who had asked a price over
ceiling. The chances were he
hadn't meant to. hadn't perhaps,
mastered all the complexities OF
OPA. = a.~
During the war, rationing and
price control both were under boards
made up of volunteers, with paid
employees of OPA keeping the books
and doing the detailed work.
Thus more than 5000 volunteers
in the Metropolitan Area at one time
served rationing or price control,
either as members of boards or as
field investigators.
Citizen Could Appeal.
The citizen who needed a tire or
more fuel oil went to an OPA office
in his area and got his ration
tickets. If he felt he was unjustly
treated, he could appeal to his ra-
tioning board. Similarly, complaints
against rationing practices of deal
ers would be passed on by ration
board. Dealers in the various ra-
toned commodities were required to
show ration tickets equaling their
sales, and If they couldn't they
were hauled up, first before a board.
If flagrant violation was indicated,
the district attorney and grand jury
might take over the case.
The ration boards passed out Of
the picture with the close of the
war. But price controls remained,
and so the price boards continued
their work.
The end of whole era will come
tomorrow when the last of the price
control boards hold their final meet
ings. In the District. $50 volunteers
and IS paid employees will call it a
day.
Rent Control Separate.
Sugar, virtually the only product
still rationed, is administered by
OPA district offices. Other prod
ucts still under price control have
been taken over by the regional ad-
ministrators. Rent control has been
under separate administration In
the $50 affected areas with salaried
administrators and staff.
At one time, OPA had throughout
the country $4,000 volunteers at
work on price control and ration
ing programs. The last of these
have been thanked and sent on
their way.
It was understood in Mrs. Cop
pocks apartment house at 1901 Da.
Wis place NV. that she had to ge,
away q certain number of hours
week. and somebody always was
ready to take the children If hel
husband couldn't be there. Just al
Mrs. Coppock was ready to take
others any time she could.
1t was like that in many othel
apartment houses, in almost any
group of homes, here and across the
country. Nobody thought much
about how these housewives man.
aged to find time and opportunity
to do all they did to help thei'
country.
Found Work Fascinating.
Ms. Coppock brought David II
where she could watch him. One.
year-old Jane was supposed to be
taking a nap, but her voice 1ndl-
Gated the contrary, and she too was
fetched to see the visitors.
"The work was really fascinat'
ing" said Mrs. Coppock.
When did the panels meet? Oh
around 8 pm. When did they breal
up? Sometimes IL, sometimes mid
night, sometimes later. And, ir
between, sometimes there were
other missions to carry out fol
OPA.
1--WE always been interested ir
consumer education" she added.
She came to Washington armed
with an A. B. from DePauw Uni
versity, an M. A. from the Univer-
sity of Illinois and another gradu-
ate course at Columbia. Early ir
the war. Mrs. Coppock took 9