BRITAIN’S AUSTERITIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 October 1945, Page 6

BRITAIN’S AUSTERITIES

PRIORITY FOR EXPORTS CHANCELLOR'S PLANS (Rec. 10.35 a.m.) LONDON, October 3. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Dalton) partially revealed his financial plan for Britain at the .Lore! Mayor’s dinner to city bankers and merchants. He said he aimed at making his forthcoming budget fit into a series. “I hope to do this in such a way that we can follow through the years immediately ahead consistently developing a financial plan which will assist our industry and trade to bring benefits in due proportion to all sections of the nation.” , , Mr. Dalton revealed, that a Bill to nationalise the Bank of England will be published next week. Discussing Britain’s recovery he said: “A great effort is required to bring British imports and exports into proper balance. We, until this is done, run great risks, both in our home economy and in our overseas trading relations. We must, therefore, take every step to increase our exports to all markets throughout the world as rapidly and on the greatest scale possible. We must likewise take steps to restrict our imports, giving, of course, high nriority to essential supplies of food and raw materials until our trade balance has been securely regained. “We must, for example, continue to suffer, perhaps for some consid-j erable time, from having daily newspapers of only four pages. 1 know the British, who have stood so much, will prefer to suffer austerities a little longer if that be the nrice we have to pay for a prosperous. self-reliant, self-respecting future.”

SPEEDIER DEMOBILISATION LONDON, October 3. By the end of this year more than 1,500,000 men and women will be demobilised from the British armed forces. By June, 1946, at least 3,000,000 will be demobilised. The new programme, which takes _ into account releases on compassionate grounds and other wastage due to discharge for medical and other reasons, is an increase over the present plans of 400,000 by the end of the year and 750,000 by the end x of June. The speed-up was announced by the Minister of Labour (Mr. G. Isaacs). It means that the British armed forces are to be reduced to less than half their peak war strength within the next eight months. Ships, planes, and land transport are being mobilised to get home quickly overseas men due for release. The Royal Air Force, between now and May, plans to transport 1,000,000 men and women members of the services and 250,000 tons of freight. All homebound naval vessels are to be used as troop transports. Aircraft-carriers will bring back British-released prisoners of war. Some merchantmen are being converted to transports, while as many passenger liners as possible are being conscripted for this job. In the last three months of 1945 the average weekly rate of release will be 80,000.

INDUSTRIES EXHIBITION (Rec. 10.5 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 3. Sir S. Cripps announced a national exhibition of design would be held in London next Summer to demonstrate to the world British industry’s change-over from war to peace. The exhibition would cover clothing, domestic equipment, radio, television, toys, and other peace-time goods as well as displaying wartime achievements. CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent) LONDON, October 3. New Zealand will be represented at the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire conference by Messrs J. F. Johnstone, W. G. Fernie and S. Jacobs. The conference will begin on October 15. It is expected (hat the first week will be occupied in committee work and will be followed by a plenary session. ASHTON BY-ELECTION LONDON, October 3. At Ashton-under-Lyne by-election the voting was: H. Rhodes (Labour), 12,889; Sir Robert Cary (Conservative), 8360; Squadron Leader A. Beale (Liberal), 2604. The vacancy was due to the elevation of Sir William Jowitt to the Peerage on’ his appointment as Lord Chancellor. R.A.F. STRENGTH (Rec. 11.45 a.m.TLONDON, Oct. 3. The R.A.F. is to maintain a peacetime force of about six times its prewar strength, says the “Daily Telegraph’s” aviation writer. Compared with 100,000 men in the R.A.F. in 1938, there is to be a permanent establishment of 584,000 officers and men, besides 68,000 W.A.A.Fi’s. These totals represent a considerable scaling down from the R.A.F.’s peak figures in 1945 of 955,000 men and 155,000 women. The big peace-time force will have plenty to do. About 50.000 R.A.F. men and women will be based m Germany, in the British Air Force of Occupation. The R.A.F., in addition, will keep strong contingents in the East Mediterranean, Middle East, South-East Asia, particularly Burma.