31. Government War Preparation Records,, 1936-1960, bulk dates 1941-1945.

Summary: Used to track the economic effects of World War II on the U.S. consumer. Documents shortages, prices, rationing, and federal bureaucracies designated to oversee life on the homefront. Includes correspondence, newspaper and magazine clippings, news letters, Office of Price Administration releases and policies, brochures and other government publications. Correspondents include William Consodine and Oscar Cox. Subjects include effects of War preparation on the consumer; favorable and unfavorable effects of war preparation; consumers strikes, shortages and rationing of tires, gas, automobiles, clothing, food, and appliances; prices and hoarding; rationing as a social control device; consumer expedients for avoiding hardships; air raid precautions; post-war shortages and substitute products. Subjects relating to government actions and their results in preparing for the war include economic theory; mismanagement and overproduction; disposal of surplus material; reconversion; cartels; propaganda; nutrition; censorship; misrepresentation; conflict of policy; failure to convert to war basis; government disregard of its own injunctions; price controls; price ruling; priorities; scandal and corruption; "inefficiency and delay due to red tape & wantonness in expenditure;" excessive personnel; FCC & Office of War Information; waste, civic-consumer appeasement; bureaucratic stupidity; confusion and red tape resulting from issued orders; and CR's criticism of war preparation. Also included are files on the roles of business, labor, farmers, and consumers, the Office of Price Administration and OPA personnel such as Leon Henderson, state and local defense councils, effects of war on the national economy, trend toward dictatorship & collectivism, post-war economic plans, OPA price controls, wartime education, and consumer education courses.