Meat Shortage at Home

Levin Daily Chronicle, 26 March 1918, Page 4

Meat Shortage at Home

—? » QUEUES WAIT IN, VAIN FOB SUPPLIES. (From the "National News," Jan. 6.) There were large butcher#' queues at Sjnithfield Market again yesterday morning, but, although there- was a slightly better supply of beef than on any other day during the week, the supply was so small that many had to go away without any. • Betail traders from all parts of London and the adjoining counties formed up as early as 5 a.m. By 10 o'clock many had been sent oft to "carry on" with totally inadequate supplies, but others waited in the hope that meat might arrive. East End butchers were given all the preference possible; but there were many from the West End who wanted supplies for hospitals and infirmaries, and supplies were distributed in as small quantities as possible. The better class butchers did not receive better treatment than others. The retail side of the market presented a forlorn appearance; the thousands of empty hooks telling their own tale; but some firms were able to show a fair supply. The prices were:—Beef: Sirloin, ls'sd to Is 6d per lb. ribs Is sd; top side, Is 2d to Is 6d; flank Is; brisket Is. Mutton: Legs, Is 2d to Is 6d; shoulders, Is 2d to Is sd; necks, Is 2d and Is 2d; breast and scrags lid. Lamb: Hind-quarters, Is sd; forequarters, Is 2d; legs, Is 2d to Is 6d; shoulders, is 2d. to Is sd; breast and scrags, lid to Is 2d. CALVES' HEADS AND BABBITS. At one stall a large crowd was en-' gaged in buying or looking at calves' heads. They were priced at 5s 6d each. "You can't get fat on that," said one customer, ' 'but as there is nothing else left we must have calves' head for dinner to-morrow." As a result of the shortage of meat, poultry was as dear as at Christmas, being as much as 2s a pound, and the small amount of game • available sent the prices up. "Dealers are fighting for rabbits,' said a salsman, "and offering Itigh prices. The Standing price is 3s 6d wholesale for the best English wild rab: bit. Turkeys from cold store are making better prices than we expected, and there is little prospect of their falling owing to the shortage. Large queues assembled outside butcher' shops in South London at an early hour, the police having to control the people. The majority of the shops were not selling to casual customers, keeping their small supplies for regular ones. Queues formed outside the unopened butchers' shops in Walthamstow, but in most cases, after .a long wait, the women were told that.no meat would be forthcoming. At one shop, in which odds and ends of meat were displayed, two hundred women waited in the cold, but only half of them could be served. In all parts of the Metropolis butchcrs' shops remained closed, but people waited about in hope that later in the day some business would be done. At Fulham and Hammersmith people were .ready to pay any price for even a small joint, but they were disappointed.. One consequence was that grocers did a great'trade in tinned commodities. .Practically all the butchers' shopß in Woolwich were closed, only one or two, which do a considerable trade in cooked meats, being still open, and their stocks were soon exhausted. At Edmonton Green —a large shopping centre —four of the five butchers' shops were closed, and the one that was open contained only three legs of mutton. There were queues outside all the shops in anticipation of supplies coming down.