Many things became in short supply on the home front.  The economic law of supply and demand, left to itself, would have prices of scarce things to skyrocket.  To prevent this wage and price controls were placed in effect.

Because manpower was in short supply Company A would raise its wages above those of Company B.  Employees of Company B would quit and go to Company A to earn more.  That was prevented  by the government establishing wage controls.  Benefits were not controlled.  Some companies began giving benefits such as insurance and vacations to entice and keep employees.  Almost no employers before World War II provided vacations or company paid health insurance to employees.

Sugar was imported from the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico.  When the Japanese defeated the forces in the Philippines the supply of sugar from that country ceased.  Most of the rest of the sugar was needed for the war effort.  Almost all sugar up until that time came from sugar cane.  Sugar beet farming really had its real birth during World War II.  Karo syrup, molasses and honey became sugar substitutes.  Sugar was needed to make alcohol for torpedoes, ammunition and for medicinal purposes.

Silk and nylon were needed for parachutes not for women’s stockings.

Oleomargarine existed as early as 1904 but no one much used it.  It was white because the dairy industry convinced Congress that if it were yellow consumers would buy it thinking it was butter and unscrupulous merchants would sell it as butter.  Butter was rationed during the War.  Oleo became a popular substitute.  It still could not be colored.  Margarine was bought in one pound bags with a little capsule of yellow dye.  The dye would be opened and mixed with the olemargarine until it was yellow.

To control the demand for what goods were available on the civilian market was to ration them.   A point system was established.  Each citizen, regardless of age, was issued 2 ration books.  Blue coupons were used with cash to purchase canned foods; red went toward meat, fish and dairy products.  Every coupon had a special point value and the total monthly point allowance was 48 blue and 64 red points.  The rationing points translated into about 2 pounds of canned fruits and vegetables, about 1.5 pounds of meat and 4 ounces of cheese per person.  The average family of 4  received 8 ration books, or a total of 192 blue and 256 red points per month.

Coffee canned meat and fish, canned, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables and fresh meat, fish, butter and cheese also were rationed.  Because of rationing of beef more chicken was eaten that beef.  Some fish was not rationed.

Tires were also rationed requiring special ration stamps thus existing tires were patched over and over.  Shoes were also rationed as manufacturers were hard pressed to produce enough foot wear for the military.

Some examples of prices and the use of ration points follow: Porterhouse steaks, at 39 cents a pound, required 8 points; Rib roast only cost 7 points and 29 cents per pound.  Not rationed were  canned turkey and chicken, pickled pig's feet, pastas, pancakes, pickles and eggs.

Victory Gardens were encouraged.  Everyone was encouraged to grow vegetables.  People who had never before done so planted seeds raising food on even the smallest piece of ground and even in pots on fire escape landings.  Flower beds became gardens as did empty lots.  Grass in back yards was plowed up and vegetables planted.  Some schools even had school kids tending gardens.  These gardens were similar to the Liberty Gardens of World War I.

Gasoline was also rationed.  Car owners were issued either A, B or T stickers.  “A” stickers were issued to those who used cars only for pleasure driving, “B” to those who had some business related driving and “T” for those vehicles used only for business.  Depending on what sticker you had that determined the amount of gasoline you could buy.

Everyone was encouraged to save things for the war effort such as string, foil, grease and metal.  Many a house wife gave up pots and pans so they could be melted and used to make things needed by the military.  There were many junk yards with old cars, plows, etc. before the War.  All that scrap metal was melted and used.  Empty cans were also turned in.

Grease is used to make munitions.  Housewives were encouraged to turn used grease in to the meat market from where it was picked up and transported to factories.  The meat market would exchange ration stamps for grease.  The price and wage controls and rationing did not end until 1946.  Even then there were shortages of goods  across the country.

As an aside, before World War II Twinkies had a banana filling.  Because of the shortage of bananas during the War the filling was changed to vanilla and remains so to this day.

Before the War the principal brands of cigarettes were Phillip Morris, Chesterfield, Camels, Pall Mall and Lucky Strike.  Luckies had a round series of circles on the pack mainly green.  During the War the dye used for the green was needed for military purposes.  Lucky Strike had a slogan “Lucky Strike Green has gone to War.”

There was no television.  Everyone listed religiously for news of what was happening on the war fronts.  Some commentators or reporters were John T. Kaltenborn, Walter Winchell and Edward T. Murrow.  On Saturday night there was a radio program called “Your Hit Parade.”  Everyone listened to that program for the most popular songs of the day.  I wrote about this in another note.

Everyone was encouraged to buy War Bonds.  Even little kids were encouraged to bring dimes to school.  For one dime you received one stamp you pasted in a book.  When the book was full it could be exchanged for a government War Bond.