This week in the War, 29 March–4 April 1943: Rationing in the USA

This week in the war, on 29 March 1943, the United States introduced rationing for meat items such as beef, pork and mutton; and also cheese. Poultry remained exempt.

Sugar and coffee had been rationed since 1942, as had tires and gasoline. Measures to conserve the latter two items included the imposition of a national speed limit of 35 miles per hour.

A sticker with the letter A, B, C, T or (rarely) X had to be fixed to the inside of the windshield to indicate ones priority in buying gasoline.

A = Low priority, inessential to the war effort. Only 4 gallons of gas per week were allowed.

B = Essential to the war effort. (Workers in factories, for example.) Up to 8 gallons per week were allowed.

C = Doctors, ministers, mail carriers, etc.

T = Truckers. (Gasoline was unlimited.)

X = Members of Congress.