Shortage of meat on home front

Women flocked to Stirling from Alloa, Denny, Plean and Cowie in search of butcher meat, the Observer of 100 years ago reported.

It highlighted the restrictions, caused by the war, on supplies of staples such as meat, butter and margarine.

The butchers had experienced a “very trying time”. Although supply of cattle from the market was greater than week than previous weeks, butchers were unable to meet the public’s requirements.

Co-operative Society stores failed to get their usual meat supplies and that led to a rush on private traders but they, too, were unable to cope with demand .

And with a large influx of out-oftown people descending on Stirling in search of meat, some butchers closed early in order to conserve supplies for their regulars.

“One flesher, unable to get out of his front door owing to the crowd seeking to get in, faded away surreptiously by the back door,” said the paper.

Butchers had only been open for a short time of the previous Monday and shoppers were warned meat was likely to be in short supply all week.

Because of the growing crisis, Stirling food control committee received a deputation from Stirling Cooperative Society urging the introduction of rationing.

However, the committee ruled out the move , preferring to wait another few weeks when further Government restrictions on food sales were due to be introduced.

However, t h e Observerwas adamant that rationing was the only way of tackling the current difficulties.

“Food supplies, though not over abundant, are not so short as they appear to be,” said the paper. It is the distribution that is at fault and only rationing will cure that.”