How to Use Your War Ration Book

Ration Book Instructions

IMPORTANT. -- Before the stamps of the War Ration Book may be used, the person for whom it was issued must sign it as indicated in the book. The name of a person under 18 years of age may be signed either by such person or by his father, mother, or guardian.

For future reference, make and keep a record of the serial number of your book and the number of your issuing Ration Board, as indicated in your book.

Your first War Ration Book has been issued to you, originally containing 28 War Ration Stamps. Other books may be issued at later dates. The following instructions apply to your first book and will apply to any later books, unless otherwise ordered by the Office of Price Administration. In order to obtain a later book, the first book must be turned in. You should preserve War Ration Books with the greatest possible care.

1. From time to time the Office of Price Administration may issue Orders rationing certain products. After the dates indicated by such orders, these products can be purchased only through the use of War Ration Books containing valid War Ration Stamps.

2. The Orders of the Office of Price Administration will designate the stamps to be used for the purchase of a particular rationed product, the period during which each of these stamps may be used, and the amounts which may be bought with each stamp.

3. Stamps become valid for use only when and as directed by the Orders of the Office of Price Administration.

4. Unless otherwise announced, the Ration Week is from Saturday midnight to the following Saturday midnight.

5. War Ration Stamps may be used in any retail store in the United States.

6. War Ration Stamps may be used only by or for the person named and described in the War Ration Book.

7. Every person must see that his War Ration Book is kept in a sage place and properly used. Parents are responsible for the safekeeping and use of their children's War Ration Books.

8. When you buy any rationed product, the proper stamp must be detached in the presence of the storekeeper, his employee, or the person making delivery on his behalf. If a stamp is town out of the War Ration Book in any other way than above indicated, it becomes void. If a stamp is partly toen or mutilated and more than one-half of it remains in the book, it is valid. Otherwise it becomes void.

9. If your War Ration Book is lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated, you should report that fact to the local Ration Board.

10. If you enter a hospital, or other institution, and expect to be there for more than 10 days, you must turn your War Ration Book over to the person in charge. It will be returned to you upon your request when you leave.

11. When a person dies, his War Ration Book must be returned to the local Ration Board, in accordance with the Regulations.

12. If you have any complaints, questions, or difficulties regarding your War Ration Book, consult your local Ration Board.

NOTE

The first stamps in War Ration Book One will be used for the purchase of sugar. When this book was issued, the registrar aasked you, or the person who applied for your book, how much sugar you owned on that date. If you had any sugar, you were allowed to keep it, but stamps representing this quantity were town from your book (except for a small amount which you were allowed to keep without losing any stamps). If your War Ration Book One was issued to you on application by a member of your family, the number of stamps town from the books of the family was based on the amount of sugar owned by the family, and was divided as equally as possible among all these books.

OPA Form No. R-303.

U. S. Government Printing Office 16-26649-1

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