World War Two was in progress practically all of the time that I worked for the Mutual Boiler, which meant that I was doing a lot of traveling on rationed tires and gasoline. My first experience with a rationing board was when I first went to Cincinnati. I had a good car, but I needed a set of tires for it. My work was considered essential to the war effort, but the board would not give me a permit to buy tires. They would, however, give me a permit to buy a new car that was equipped with four new tires. I was unable to convince them that it was only the tires that I needed, so I bought a car to get the tires. I bought a new 1942 Chevrolet, Two door Sedan, fully equipped including license, title and the works for $1,020.00. I still have the invoice.

All of the tires, during the war years, were made from the newly developed, synthetic rubber and copies of some of my old Ration Board applications indicate that, in some cases, I would only get 2,000 miles of service from a tire.

I never had any real serious trouble getting tires or gasoline. The board would, sometimes, hold up an application for a while, but that was only done to convince me and others, the importance of the people on the board. I still have some of the old “A” and “C” Gas Rationing stamps, so if they should start rationing gasoline again I will have the jump on the rest of you.