MALAYAN SITUATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 August 1946, Page 7

MALAYAN SITUATION

DEFENCE QUESTIONS UNDEB

CONSIDERATION

(Rec. 10.15 a.m.) SINGAPORE, August 5.

Defence questions affecting Southeast Asia are under active consideration in Singapore and London, said the Governor of Malaya, Mr. Malcolm MacDonald. Fie added that the overall division of strength between the three services and the size and location of garrisons, had still to be worked out.

The internal situation in Malaya, he said, was easier. He was unable to confirm or deny the report that the principle of federation had been conceded by the British Government.

State Losses on Potatoes A loss of some £50,000 in connection with Tasmanian-potatoes imported during 1945-46 is recorded by the Controller and Auditor-General (Mr J. P. Rutherford) in discussing in his annual report to Parliament the operations” of the Internal Marketing Division. The report states that in recent years the accounts of the Internal Marketing Division were advantageously affected by contracts for supplies for the Armed Services, and adversely by transactions involving sales of certain foodstuffs under cost for stabilisation purposes. The' amount of at least one of the resulting losses (some £50,000 in connection with the Tasmanian potatoes) was to be recouped from the War Expenses Account under Cabinet direction, but other losses (such as £35,000 in connection with egg-pulp from Australia) were borne by the Division. The report added that a continuous audit of the transactions of both the Export and Internal Marketing Divisions is being maintained.