Just Pretend the War Hasn't Ended

As we've seen, the U.S. Food Administration was quick to suspend its strict wheat-conservation rules after the armistice, but still asked people to use wheat sparingly. It made that request more formal and general at the end of November by declaring the first week of December "Conservation Week for World Relief." Skipping over the details of exactly what all good Americans should deprive themselves of, the newspaper story concentrated on scary stuff. "Many parts of Europe are threatened by famine and disorder on account of the lack of food," said the Gazette, "and it is most urgent that every household in America should rally to this new call."

The same issue reported that the Lake County Council of Defense had taken time at its final regular meeting to formally lift its rule requiring night closure of businesses, thus allowing businesses to stay open every night as long as they wished, but the Gazette predicted that the "leading stores in the county" would close three nights a week.

The fuel administration, which had lifted its restrictions on use of light and fuel, asked for continuing voluntary conservation.

Early in December, the Hobart Lumber Company announced that with the help of the Local Fuel Administrator, William J. Killigrew, it had procured two cars of hard coal for sale, but no one could buy any hard coal without a written permit from Mr. Killigrew, such permits to be given out on December 7 between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m.


Sources:
♦ "Food Conservation Week." Hobart Gazette 22 Nov. 1918.
♦ "Hard Coal." Hobart Gazette 6 Dec. 1918.
♦ "Order Closing Stores Lifted." Hobart Gazette 22 Nov. 1918.