1943: On the first day of war time grocery rationing, Y-S shoppers not so eager

Yahoo

01-03-2025

On March 1, 1943, readers of The Appeal-Democrat learned that grocers in Yuba and Sutter counties reported light sales of newly rationed groceries during the first day of war time 'point rationing' and they expected sales would continue to remain light during the first week.
Readers were urged to shop local.
'Shoppers in the immediate area were strongly urged to buy their canned goods and rationed foods in Marysville and Yuba City,' the newspaper reported. 'Future inventories will be based entirely on points collected by local grocers and merchants during March.
'If citizens purchase rationed foods in their own communities, the grocers of those communities will be able to secure equal amounts of food from the wholesalers at the end of each month. Supplies of rationed foods can only be obtained in amounts which the point system shows to be needed in specific areas.'
Supply and demand issues, military needs, and the economy were all factors in the federal government's food rationing and price ceiling program that impacted every American every day.
Coffee, cooking oils, and sugar was limited not just by their use to feed the military, but also because civilian cargo ships were converted to military use, and shipments of coffee from central and South America were disrupted by enemy submarine attacks, according to the National Parks Service. As Japan captured places across the Pacific, they cut the United States off from its main source of cooking oils. In December of 1941, Japan cut the U.S. off entirely from its main sugar supply by capturing the Philippines.
In addition, across the U.S. agricultural workers were drafted into the military or moved from the farms to industrial center to work. The resulting shortage of labor risked the American food supply, both for the military and for civilians.
Among rationed food items: meat, fish, dairy items; canned, bottled, and frozen fruits and vegetables; dried fruits, juices and all canned soups.
Because metal was needed for the war effort, canned soup took more points than dried soup in packages.
Two ration books were distributed per person, including babies, each month, and the books expired after a certain date to discourage hoarding.
'And here is what 'Mr. Grocer' does with the coupon you turn in to him for some rationed product,' The Appeal-Democrat explained to readers. ''He deposits it in the bank. The bank in return issues him a ration check book which he turns over to the wholesaler at the end of each month when he wishes to replenish his supply.'