Although "Clio" of Melbourne's Punch was a Toorak socialite and a "society" columnist she had a merciless eye for the foibles and hypocrisies of her class.
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"Talk about 'war economy'!" she scoffed 100 years ago this week.
"Some of our very smartest have been feverishly practising it, but whether with absolutely satisfactory results or not is very much open to question.
"One well-known dame declares that by sending to the butcher's shop every day, and thus avoiding [butchers' reserving fees] she saves at least 10 shillings a week on her meat bill. But as the dear thing dispatches the chauffeur and motor to bring the meat home, it is very doubtful whether the price saved on the meat balances quite satisfactorily with the price of petrol used.
"On market days the approaches to the markets in our southern suburbs are simply lined with motor cars of well-known women bent on 'war economy'. But do they really save money after all? Behind his stall, wily old John, through his slit eyes, notes the well-cut tailor-made clothes of his customer, and though he may not he a judge of fashion, is astute enough to know the difference between that class of customer and she who comes to buy in [plain clothes] and with curlers in her hair]. John sees Madame Tailor-Made coming and makes sure she pays 3d. a lb. more than the hatless customer who stuffs her newspaper parcels into a brown string bag, and carries her purchases home herself."