AUSTRALIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 March 1944, Page 2

AUSTRALIA

NEWSPRINT SUPPLIES.

CANBERRA, March 22. A further relaxation in the Australian newsprint rationing provisions will operate from April’l. Newspapers will be permitted to consume an additional 12 J per cent, of newsprint based on quotas for the quarter ending September 30, 1943. U.S.A. SERVICEMEN’S PAY SYDNEY, March 22. American servicemen in the Southwest Pacific area retain only about a quarter of their pay. The remainder goes back to the United States in allotments for dependants, war bonds, Government insurance, and Army deposits. An official statement issued by General MacArthur’s Headquarters tp-day, says that 43 per cent, of the earnings of officers and enlisted men is allotted each month for dependants, war bonds and Government insurance. Another 25 per cent, goes back to the United States to relations in the form of postal money orders or Army radio money orders. Of their earnings, United States Service personnel in this area thus save or send home 74 per cent., leaving only 26 per cent, for themselves. So far the men in this- area have purchased nearly seven million dollars worth of war bonds for cash. The issue of the Headquarters' statement follows complaints that high spending by American Service personnel here was aggravating inflation. ARMY LOSSES. CANBERRA, March 23. Considerable losses of Australian Army cash and stores through inefficiency and inadequate safeguards were reported to Parliament by the Auditor-General. He revealed that the year’s losses through theft were: Army £ 16,379, Air Force £l3OO, and Navy £564. He criticised the leniency of the courts of enquiry dealing with these losses. Confusion and inefficiency in the accounting of Army ordnance stores were also reported.