Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, government officials made it clear that in order to be on the winning side of World War II many available supplies would need to go to the war effort.
The answer to fulfilling that need was simple: rationing available resources.
The first item placed on the ration list came three weeks after Pearl Harbor. Tires and rubber were considered a war commodity in the first few days of January 1942, and those who needed a new tire or tube had to go through a laborious three-step process. However, the rules were aimed primarily at industrial or commercial vehicle users. Nearly all the rubber was being diverted to military use.
“If you are just an average operator of a private car, don’t waste your time going through all this procedure,” said Arthur Sarvis, state tire rationing administrator. “You can’t get one even if you do need it.”
At that time, Lenawee County’s January quota for tires stood at 46 for passenger cars, and 131 tires and 110 tubes for trucks. Only 11 tires were allotted for “civilians” each week. With tires being a precious resource, some residents found their vehicles susceptible to theft. At the end of January, Arlo Cramer of Adrian used a chain and padlock to secure his tires at night.
“I know that this won’t make it impossible for anyone to steal my tires, but at least it will take anyone who might try it a little longer to do it,” he said. Cramer had to leave his car parked on the street until his garage could be finished.
On Feb. 9, 1942, Lenawee County moved to a War Time Zone, pushing the clock ahead by one hour. Adrian kindergarten students reported to class at 9 a.m., instead of 8:30 a.m., to avoid walking to school before it was fully daylight. Hudson held classes from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Morenci made the biggest adjustment, according to the Telegram, opening at 9:45 a.m. War Time, with morning session lasting until 12:45 p.m. Afternoon session was from 1:45 to 4:45 p.m.
Sugar rationing was next. It was announced Feb. 7 that a stamp rationing plan would be put into effect by May, with registration to take place at local schools. A stamp book — Book No. 1 — would be issued for each adult and child, allowing for a half-pound of sugar a week, half what an average household consumed pre-war. Those who had a surplus of sugar were courted by Kroger to sell their sugar back to the store at 7 1/2 cents per pound for cane sugar and 7 cents for beet sugar. The store would then repackage and resell the sugar at cost, before the rationing system took effect.
On April 20, the county’s 14 school superintendents attended a meeting at the courthouse in Adrian to receive instructions and supplies for the sugar registration program for both commercial and residential consumers. On May 4, 19,551 people received sugar ration stamp booklets, as well as one parrot.
Filing the parrot for a supply of sugar sent the rationing board into an investigative tizzy. An application form was submitted for a “Polly Parrot Johnston, Adrian township; height, one foot; weight, four pounds; green eyes, yellow hair and 40 years old.”
While this column’s intent is to solely focus on the first few months of rationing during World War II, the outcome of the parrot application merits a follow-through. Fast forward to August 1943. Polly’s application was approved and she was entitled to one pound of sugar a month under a special pet provision. But Polly could not be found. A Nebraska woman fond of parrots mailed one pound of coffee and about three pounds of sugar to the Adrian post office, waiting for Polly. The pet of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Johnston, it is said, was accustomed to drinking coffee with sugar. Adeline Harrison said she was aware of parrots’ love of coffee and sugar. However, the Johnstons could not be located as of the date of the article, Aug. 4, 1943, having moved from their residence some five miles outside Adrian. Within 24 hours, the newspaper was informed of their whereabouts, within the Route 4 delivery area, and Polly received her gift of coffee and sugar.
Whether Polly received her backlogged ration allotments is not known. The headlines turned to more rationing and grim news from the Pacific and Europe as the war progressed, pushing Polly and her family out of their ever-brief spotlight.
Dan Cherry is a Lenawee County historian.