Henderson Daily Dispatch

New Ration Book Is Due In December

Raleigh, July 24.-War Ration Book Five, "smaller than a dollar bill" and containing just half as many stamps as the last book issued, will be distributed through the public schools in December, Theodore S. Johnson, Raleigh OPA district director, announced today. The new "A" gasoline ration book will be issued at the same time, he said.

Distribution, Johnson said, will take place from December 3 through December 15. The new "A" gasoline books will go into use December 22, and war ration book five will be used soon after the first of the year for food rationing and for rationing of shoes.

The new book five will be a better book, Johnson said. It will be easier to carry and handle. It will be just as long as book four but only half as wide. The number and arrangement of stamps is more convenient. The new stamps will be the same size, but will not have both a letter and number as the present stamps do and OPA hopes the new edition will be the last of the series of war-time ration books, Johnson said.

One hundred and fifty million copies of book five are now being printed at approximately half the cost of the preceding book, Johnson said. The gigantic task of distribution is one that the teachers and school officials are fully equal to, he said, recalling the efficient way in which they handled the distribution of war ration book four.

At the current rate of making stamps good, Johnson explained- five red stamps and five blue stamps at the beginning of each month-war ration book five can last, if needed, about fifteen months. Because of the enormous job required to print and distribute ration books for about 130 million people it was decided to be on the safe side and provide for this period and avoid the expense of having to get out still another book later.

Since war ration book five will not go to effect before January 1, it will be necessary to use other stamps in book four as substitutes for processed food and meat fats during the interim period. Interim period use of shoe and sugar stamps will not be necessary, Johnson said, since the stamps provide for these items in books three and four will carry the programs without resort to substitutions.

War Ration Book Five will be the fourth war ration book to be distributed by school teachers and other volunteers. Johnson said. The first book was distributed May 4, 1942.

The New "A" Book.

The new "A" gasoline book, the third issued under rationing, will differ from the present book only in color. The book will contain five sets of coupons, six coupons to a set numbered A-18 through A-23.

Each set of coupons will cover a different period. The first set, numbered A-18, becomes good December 22, Johnson said.