| Show Rationing Chief Lauds Public for Cooperation Most Kicks Kicks' Come COllIe From Pressure Groups OP OPA A Administrator Points Out i By HY Leon Henderson Administrator of the OPA Because the present rationing program pro gram Is o of paramount interest to every person this paper presents an exclusive article written for members o of the west western ern Newspaper Union Unton syndicate by by- Leon Henderson lenderson price control administrator The views expressed are those of Mr Henderson There are still a lot of rough spots in rationing but we know were we're on the right track because most of the kicks were we're getting are coming from the pressure groups and comparatively comparatively comparatively com com- few from the pub pub- lic And so more and more raI rationing ra ra- rationing ra- ra I becomes necessary were we're going to make more mistakes But were we're going to find them out and cure them one at a time because that's the way progress is made While rationing on the modern modem scale is unprecedented rationing it itself itself it it- self is nothing new to Americans As a matter of fact its it's older Solder than our government itself because the Pilgrims used it at Plymouth Rock to weather the hardships of days of scarcity Washington of course was the nations nation's first rationing ad ad- Indomitable courage and rationing brought his men through Valley Forge Rationing played a great part in the settling of the West because many of those hardy pioneers would never have made It across the desert i if they hadn't pooled all their supplies and shared alike Fight for Life Itself Now that our nation faces a fight for life itself were we're using this valuable valuable valuable able tool to insure the necessities of life to every American so that we can all pitch in on the one big Job of winning the war That's what rationing ra- ra rationing rationing ra ra- really amounts to The public public public pub pub- lic I believe is realizing that rationing ra- ra rationing rationing ra ra- is a protective measure forthe for forthe forthe the individual and the country instead instead in instead in- in stead of an unnecessary restrictive device and they are re supporting it it by and large as they are supporting our o ur other necessary war measures Most host of the criticisms that come to tous tous tous us from the public are from people who really dont don't understand the purposes purposes purposes pur pur- poses of rationing programs and why they are necessary or those who have been misled by selfish in interests interests in- in interests seeking to destroy rationing into the belief that it is not necessary necessary sary or that it is being done simply to make our people aware of the seriousness of the war Six Commodities Rationed In the first eight months of war for our country we have had to ration six commodities sugar tires autos typewriters bicycles and inthe in inthe inthe the East gasoline Very briefly here are the reasons We cant can't ship enough sugar into the United States to give everyone all he wants of It therefore we ration sugar so everyone can have a fair share Our principal source of rubber rubber rubber rub rub- ber is cut off we cant can't make enough tires for everyone therefore therefore therefore there there- fore we we ration tires to serve our country's most vital needs We need our auto factories for forwar forwar forwar war production No more autos So we ration what autos we have on hand to serve the country's greatest needs We need all the typewriter factories factories factories fac fac- tories for manufacture of oC shells gun parts and other war sup sup- plies Typewriter production stops so we ration the typewriters ers we have on hand to meet our most essential needs We need the metals and rubber that go into bicycles for war production No more bicycles So we ration the bicycles we have left to those who really need them In the East we cant can't get enough gasoline because we haven't enough tankers or other facilities to transport all it takes to run ran all cars as usual without hampering our war effort So Sowe Sowe Sowe we ration gasoline to give every essential user enough for his actual actual actual ac ac- needs Each Problem a Do New One While the underlying purposes of these rationing programs can be stated that simply the working out of the machinery to make them effective effective effective ef ef- ef- ef and fair to our million people is quite another matter Even Eveni i if R we had the benefit of long ex ex- experience experience experience in such work the launchIng launching launching launch- launch Ing of a new rationing program would still be a sized man-sized job But Butto Butto Butto to work out rationing systems for forI I million people is something new v under the sun Never before in history history history his his- tory has it been done Every problem problem problem I lem that arises is a new problem We cant can't call in the experts because because because be be- cause there are no experts W We have to work it out on what seems to be the soundest possible basis and when we find were we're wrong and our plans dont don't work we have t to togo togo o go back and change them Were We're learning as we go But we have been beset on the theother theother theother other hand by another kind of criticism criticism criticism cism that has not been helpful Our rationing programs have been subjected sub sub- to criticisms and attacks from enemy and selfish interests whose sole purpose was to destroy public confidence in rationing to wreck the system These enemy attacks were designed designed designed de de- de- de signed to hamper our war effort by spreading confusion and dissatisfaction tion on the home front as one phase of the Axis propaganda activities inthe inthe in inthe the United States This of course emanated from the offices of the former Bund members and other enemy agents and is dealt with whenever the FBI breaks up the work of spies and saboteurs Downright Selfishness But the other is the result of downrIght downright down down- right selfishness as opposed to the higher interests of our war effort There have been some some and and fortunately fortunately fortunately fortu fortu- the number Is small considering considering considering consid consid- ering the size of our country who country who w MH r w r P 21 d A r r g a y t Like millions of other housewives throughout the U. U S. S Mrs Leon Henderson wife wile of the Office of Price Administrations Administration's head went through the routine of registering for her sugar rationing book Dr Elmer S. S Newton superintendent of Western high school Washington D D. D C. C is fillIng filling fill fill- ing out the application blank for Mrs Henderson The other lady on the left leCt is Mrs fibs Henry Wallace wife wile of the vice president |
