BRITAIN’S WAR ECONOMY

Grey River Argus, 14 February 1940, Page 11

BRITAIN’S WAR ECONOMY

RUGBY, February 9. A Durban firm has made a gift to the Royal Navy of 950 tons of refined sugar, valued at about £20,0Q0. A proportion of it will be used for supplying ships on the. South African station. Additions of from eighteen pence to four’ shillings weekly, for more than half-a-million railway workers, were announced, to,-day. The General Secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen said that as the rates were applicable to overtime and so on, in- many sections it would mean an extra five or six shillings a week for adult males. The new rates are to be retrospective from January 1, and will absorb the

cost of living additions, payable from that date. 11l the House of ..Commons the Qharicellpr of, pie . Exchequer (Sir John Simon) said that Government subsidising of the cost of living to the; extent of £50,000,000 a. year had prevented a rise, of 12 points in the food index. ,:The subsidies, included more than £12,000,00(1 to keep the ■price of milk 'from rising a penny a quart. Wheat and meat subsidies cost £480,000 and £320,000 a week respectively, and bacon £BO,OOO.