INCREASED PAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 136, 6 December 1939, Page 12

INCREASED PAY

AUSTRALIAN FORCES

CRISIS AVERTED

BIG FINANCIAL

BURDEN

(By 'Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Received December 6, 10 a.m.) CANBERRA, December 5. The threatened Federal political crisis over the rates of pay for soldiers was averted today when the Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. Menzies, announced in. the House of Representatives rises in military pay which met with the approval of the Country Party. Mr. Menzies intimated that the militia would receive 8s a day till their camp training ended, when they would go into the reserve and make way for compulsory trainees at 5s a day. He added that the second A.I.F. would be paid 7s a day on embarka- < tion (a rise of Is a day), but 2s ofj this would be deferred till their return to civil life. J The Prime Minister said the increased militia pay this financial year would amount to £900,000, in addition to £1000 a day for the second A.I.F. Australia's share of the cost of the Empire air scheme would be not less than £50,000,000. The Labour Party immediately moved an amendment designed to give both the militia and the A.I.F. 8s a day. The Labour leader, Mr. Curtin, described the Prime Minister's statement as a grudging submission made in political interests. The agreement revealed that it had become politically necessary for the United Australia and Country Parties to patch up their differences or be annihilated.