Food rationing, I learn, is expected to be established in Great Britain about the end of this month. It will apply to butter, cooking fats, sugar, meat, bacon and ham.
There will be no rationing of tea - at any rate, at first - and since the war began over 30,000,000 lb. of tea have been allocated to the trade and the Services, while a further quantity has been released for export.
Additional allocations will be made in the near future. In due course there will be one uniform brand of tea.
There will be extra supplies of margarine, which, it is hoped, for rather diminished supplies of butter, much of which comes across the North Sea. Eventually, Government margarine is to be of one standard quality - and one price, which will not be greater than the present average retail price. There will also be one standard quality of compound cooking fats.
All rationing will be on a weight basis, with the exception of meat, which will be fixed at a certain value, so that people may spend their money as they wish. A child will not be allowed as much meat as an adult. Special arrangements will be made for people in hotels or hostels, and a meat meal at a restaurant may mean the surrender of half a coupon.
The Irish Times, October 6th, 1939.