O*******d 发帖数: 20343 | 15 美国的定量票。 有糖票,肉票,汽油票
During the Second World War, you couldn't just walk into a shop and buy as
much sugar or butter or meat as you wanted, nor could you fill up your car
with gasoline whenever you liked. All these things were rationed, which
meant you were only allowed to buy a small amount (even if you could afford
more). The government introduced rationing because certain things were in
short supply during the war, and rationing was the only way to make sure
everyone got their fair share.
http://www.ameshistory.org/exhibits/events/rationing.htm
In summer 1941 the British appealed to Americans to conserve food to provide
more to go to Britons fighting in World War II. The Office of Price
Administration warned Americans of potential gasoline, steel, aluminum, and
electricity shortages.[7] It believed that with factories converting to
military production and consuming many critical supplies, rationing would
become necessary if the country entered the war. It established a rationing
system after the attack on Pearl Harbor.[8]:133 Of concern for all parts of
the country was a shortage of rubber for tires since the Japanese quickly
conquered the rubber-producing regions of Southeast Asia.[9] Although
synthetic rubber had been invented in the years preceding the war, it had
been unable to compete with natural rubber commercially, so the USA did not
have enough manufacturing capacity at the start of the war to make synthetic
rubber. Throughout the war, rationing of gasoline was motivated by a desire
to conserve rubber as much as by a desire to conserve gasoline.[9]
“ We discovered that the American people are basically honest and talk
too much. ”
—A ration board member[8]:136
Tires were the first item to be rationed by the OPA, which ordered the
temporary end of sales on 11 December 1941 while it created 7,500 unpaid,
volunteer three-person tire ration boards around the country. By 5 January
1942 the boards were ready. Each received a monthly allotment of tires based
on the number of local vehicle registrations, and allocated them to
applicants based on OPA rules.[8]:133 The War Production Board (WPB) ordered
the temporary end of all civilian automobile sales on 1 January 1942,
leaving dealers with one half million unsold cars. Ration boards grew in
size as they began evaluating automobile sales in February (only certain
professions, such as doctors and clergymen, qualified to purchase the
remaining inventory of new automobiles), typewriters in March, and bicycles
in May.[8]:124,133–135 Automobile factories stopped manufacturing civilian
models by early February 1942 and converted to producing tanks, aircraft,
weapons, and other military products, with the United States government as
the only customer.[10] By June 1942 companies also stopped manufacturing for
civilians metal office furniture, radios, phonographs, refrigerators,
vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and sewing machines.[8]:118,124,126–127
Civilians first received ration books—War Ration Book Number One, or the "
Sugar Book"—on 4 May 1942,[11] through more than 100,000 schoolteachers,
PTA groups, and other volunteers.[8]:137 A national speed limit of 35 miles
per hour was imposed to save fuel and rubber for tires.[9] Later that month
volunteers again helped distribute gasoline cards in 17 Atlantic and Pacific
Northwest states.[8]:138 To get a classification and rationing stamps, one
had to appear before a local War Price and Rationing Board which reported to
the OPA (which was jokingly said to stand for "Only a Puny A-card"). Each
person in a household received a ration book, including babies and small
children who qualified for canned milk not available to others. To receive a
gasoline ration card, a person had to certify a need for gasoline and
ownership of no more than five tires. All tires in excess of five per driver
were confiscated by the government, because of rubber shortages. An "A"
sticker on a car was the lowest priority of gasoline rationing and entitled
the car owner to 3 to 4 gallons of gasoline per week. B stickers were issued
to workers in the military industry, entitling their holder up to 8 gallons
of gasoline per week. C stickers were granted to persons deemed very
essential to the war effort, such as doctors. T rations were made available
for truckers. Lastly, X stickers on cars entitled the holder to unlimited
supplies and were the highest priority in the system. Ministers of Religion,
police, firemen, and civil defense workers were in this category.[12] A
scandal erupted when 200 Congressmen received these X stickers.[13]
As of 1 March 1942, dog food could no longer be sold in tin cans, and
manufacturers switched to dehydrated versions. As of 1 April 1942, anyone
wishing to purchase a new toothpaste tube, then made from metal, had to turn
in an empty one.[8]:129–130 Sugar was the first consumer commodity
rationed, with all sales ended on 27 April 1942 and resumed on 5 May with a
ration of one half pound per person per week, half of normal consumption.
Bakeries, ice cream makers, and other commercial users received rations of
about 70% of normal usage.[11] Coffee was rationed nationally on 29 November
1942 to one pound every five weeks, about half of normal consumption, in
part because of German U-boat attacks on shipping from Brazil.[14] By the
end of 1942, ration coupons were used for nine other items.[8]:138
Typewriters, gasoline, bicycles, footwear, Silk, Nylon, fuel oil, stoves,
meat, lard, shortening and oils, cheese, butter, margarine, processed foods
(canned, bottled, and frozen), dried fruits, canned milk, firewood and coal,
jams, jellies, and fruit butter were rationed by November 1943.[15] Many
retailers welcomed rationing because they were already experiencing
shortages of many items due to rumors and panics, such as flashlights and
batteries after Pearl Harbor.[8]:133
Scarce medicines such as penicillin were rationed by triage officers in the
US military during World War II.[16] Civilian hospitals received only small
amounts of penicillin during the war, because it was not mass produced for
civilian use until after the war. A triage panel at each hospital decided
which patients would receive the penicillin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationing
【在 C***J 的大作中提到】 : 也没有搞清出为什么MD不搞户口制。
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