gb0551ms-33-51

Transcription

[Page] 51
[continued from page 50]

still unrationed and people, many of them bent on
getting more than their fair share, assembled in long
queus outside the food shops, there was an occasional
tendency to trouble which has quite disappeared.
We have all altered our diet of necessity to conform
and in 99 cases out 100, I am sure, the result has
been beneficial to health. Personally, I enjoy the
meatless days & never felt better. Living is
expensive; that goes without saying & will remain so
for years. Eggs were never cheaper this spring
than 3/6 a doz [dozen] in shops & at the present cost about 4/-
we have laid in 50 doz. [dozen] from Caithness @ 3/- a doz. [dozen] whereas
in pre war times we stored 200 doz [dozen] against the winter
at a cost of 9d to 10d a dozen. The prices of many
commodities are fixed by the food controller, but the
goods are not always forthcoming. Cheese at
present has been very difficult to procure, also
jam, though the latter has become a little more
plentiful of late. Food hoarding is rigorously
put down and, in the South, a number of people
were very heavily fined for laying in stores of goods
beyond their immediate requirements. Oranges
seem plentiful at from 2d to 4d apiece & there
has been no dearth of Apples all winter but at
a high price 1/4 & 1/6d per llb [pound]. Clothing is becoming
an increasing difficulty to procure. It is wonderful

for one has, owing to stress of circumstances, managed to
increase the allotted span of a tweed suit! Since the war broke
out I have had perhaps, at most, two suits, none since Nov. [November]
1916, and I shall manage to keep going without any ad:
:dition to my wardrobe. Boots are very dear. I considered
myself lucky in getting a pair for police work at
the stores last week for 38/-. I quite expected to
pay £2.10/- to £3, which I would have had to do for a
pair made to order, at my own bootmakers,
An Act has just been passed raising the age for
military service to 50. Everyone takes it philosophically.
It is necessaryto ensure victory in the greatest cause
for which man ever fought, therefore it must be faced!
We bear no more of strikes in these days, when the
country is passing through this crisis. The spirit of the
people in all classes could not be better.
In the Museum there is nothing doing. I have got
a start made with substituting a neutral tinted
material for the offensive red cloth covering the
staging in the cases in the Ceramic gallery in
Chambers Street. A great step forward from an
aesthetic point of view.

6th July 1918
We are having a most abnormally dry Summer.
Little rain fell in May, practically none in June, and
now the outlook for turnips & fodder are serious.
Small fruit is an absolute failure & constant
[continued page 52]

  Transcribers who have contributed to this page.

Moira L- Moderator, Jane F Jamieson, Kate51- Moderator