"AUSTERITY" CHRISTMAS

Evening Star, Issue 25037, 2 December 1943, Page 4

"AUSTERITY" CHRISTMAS

SHORTAGES IN AUSTRALIA SEASONAL GIFTS NOT ENCOURAGED (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) "SYDNEY, Dec. 1. Australia's 6ecoud " austerity " Christmas finds. Santa Claus labouring under much greater difficulties .than a year ago. Goodwill in large measure must compensate for an acute shortage of gifts. Regulations ban the display of Father Christmas signs in retail shops, as well as advertising reference ,to Christmas or New Year by name,' or to the practice of. giving seaonal gifts. No toys have been imported, and their manufacture within Australia has been virtually banned. Except for a small amount of old stock snapped up in spite of exorbi-. tant prices, the only toys available were made from scrap material by a few returned soldiers and other - disabled persons to whom special permits had been issued. Staggering prices are being paid for second-hand toys which two years ago would have been discarded as junk. The original new prewar prices have more than doubled. Although there will, be a special release of some Christmas foodstuffs, including ham, bacon, and possibly dried fruits, the Australian housewife _ faces an increasingly austere food position in the new year. Features will be the most severe egg shortage yet experi--encd in Australia, the rationing of meat to 2-}lb per person a week, a total ban on the sale of unsweetened condensed milk, restrictions on the sale of powdered and other prepared milk products/and the pegging of ice cream sales.

Australians will be given no extra holiday travel facilities for Christmas. Indeed, these have been heavily . reduced. The small petrol , allowance promised to owners of pleasure boats has been held over until increased coal production permits transport services to return to normal. _ ' ■ Even seasonal greetings present a problem, since the manufacture of Christmas cards has been banned in Australia for the past two years, and stocks are running low.