SHORTAGES AND RATIONING: OH MY!

                         SHORTAGES AND RATIONING:  OH MY!

 

                                            NORMAN V. KELLY

 

 

I have spoken to a lot of gatherings since 1982, and am always delighted to learn that there are a large number of people living here that have an interest in Peoria’s history. Based on questions and interest I have compiled a top ten list of what folks asked me most. On top of that list is World War 11 in Peoria, Illinois. So, let’s go back to 1942, when the shock of the war had barely hit us here in the heart of Illinois.  Over the months we watched 23,200 of our loved ones go off into harm’s way and now Peoria had to keep up the home front. I think that our history shows that Peorians did a magnificent job of doing just exactly that.  Patriotism reigned supreme here, then came the shortages and the dreaded rationing, and life got a lot more difficult. There were thirteen people in my family at that time. 

 

                                                    1942

 

Folks think of Pearl Harbor and 1941, but within three weeks, 1942 dawned and I can tell you that here in Peoria, things were chaotic. Our population was a little over 105,000, and within the year of ’42 thousands of our men, including my three brothers, were off to the war. So, the rest of Peoria had to get to work and the first stumbling block was gas rationing.  Remember, we had plenty of gasoline, what we had to conserve was our rubber tires.  The Japanese had cut our supply of rubber, and now Peorians had to get to their defense plants, and their other jobs, even if they had to walk.

 

In 1942 we had public transportation in the form of 75 streetcars, 8 electric trolley cars and about 25 buses to serve us.  When gas rationing hit us in the early part of 1942, it changed our lives, I can tell you that. Records show that in Peoria County we had 47,673 passenger cars registered here and if those folks wanted to drive they had to sign up for the ration books in a timely manner. 

 

The OPA, the Office of Price Administration set up shop here and had the thankless job of issuing the rationing books, explaining and enforcing the rules to the drivers in Peoria. It was, of course, overwhelming, but the strange thing is…that it worked. The typical A

Ration Card allowed the driver to drive about 240 miles per month, based on a fifteen miles per gallon automobile. Of course there were cheaters, chiselers, counterfeiters, thieves, and the black market. Some people griped about the “preferred” occupations because those people had a C Ration Book and got a lot more gas because of the essential occupations they had.  The books ranged from A to E, which covered motorcycles, boats and farm machinery as well. There was a special ration book for trucks called…you guessed it…the T Book. But as I mentioned, we here in Peoria were a patriotic bunch, and folks complied to aid the war effort, it was that simple. Of course gasoline rationing got a lot of attention, but there was a lot more rationing coming down the pike.

 

                                         NOT  MY  SHOES!

 

Hoarders were busy in Peoria, those that had the money and the time to visit dozens of Peoria’s 324 grocery stores. They bought coffee, sugar, tea, and every other item you could possibly think of. In December of 1942, rumors of a meat shortage sent the housewives out shopping by the thousands. There was a catch the hoarders did not expect.  The law soon required that those people had to admit the amount of restricted items they had in their homes BEFORE rationing or pay huge fines. Now can you imagine that? The regulations came at us in droves, and some people just gave up and headed toward the local black market, others just put their cars up on blocks for the duration.  I think it is truly amazing the number of people that complied totally with the numerous laws and restrictions governing rationing.

 

Of course gasoline was just the beginning. Sugar, coffee, tires, shoes, and the list goes on and on. Still we had Downtown Peoria’s 242 taverns, eleven theaters and an awful lot of entertainment. All we had to do was watch the Pathe News Reels or read a newspaper to realize how soft we had it here at home. We kids did our part with scrap, lard and paper drives almost weekly.   As the war raged on Peorians became more determined to do their part.

 

Peorians had a lot more money than they had rationing stamps and the record shows that folks made do by gardening, canning and conservation. Everyone walked and shared their automobiles with friends and neighbors. It was a great out pouring of not only patriotism, but good old American know how and determination to help with the war effort. Our factories worked around the clock, we struggled and prayed and sacrificed 662 of our young men to win the war…and America prevailed.  Peorians stood tall among other Americans when the war ended…content with the job they had done.  The folks here were proud of America and their own incredible little town in the heart of Illinois.

Editor’s Note: Norm is a Korean Veteran and lifelong Peorian.                   norman.kelly@sbcglobal.net Next Month:   Norm will take us on a stroll into Peoria’s colorful past.