Preliminary Inventory No. 102, Records of the Rationing Department of The Office of Price Administration, Record Group 188

Legislative sanction for the rationing program of World War II was derived from the Priorities and Allocation Act of May 31, 1941, which authorized the President to allocate materials in short supply in a manner necessary to promote the national defense. Although the legislation was interpreted to include the power to ration goods, a rationing program was not developed until the entry of the United States into the war resulted in a critical shortage of rubber.

Rationing regulations, orders, interpretations, and procedural issuances to be administered by the field offices were sent to regional rationing executives, the directors of the regional rationing division, by the Rationing Department. The chief media for maintaining liaison between the national and field offices were the periodic reports prepared by the regional rationing executives, which included comments on are problems and local reactions to regulations.

Meyer H. Fishbein, Martha Chandler, Walter W. Weinstein, and Albert W. Winthrop

1958, 8.5" x 11", paper, 175 pp.

101-F1958