COST OF LIVING

Grey River Argus, 12 May 1943, Page 4

COST OF LIVING

Australian Measures SUBSIDIES TO KEEP PRICE DOWN. (Rec. 10 p.m.) CANBERRA, May 10. The price ceiling subsidies, which will probably; cost the Australian Federal Government up to £15,000,000 may avoid up to £50,000,000 in wages increases. The Federal Treasurer, (Mr. Chifley) disclosed this when he declared that subsidies to keep down living costs would be less ■ expensive to the Government than increasing wages to meet price rises. The general price rise of ten per cent, would add £50,000,000 to the Government’s' expenditure. Mr. Chifley emphatically denied that ceiling price control had been introduced as a backdoor way of limiting profits. Subsidies would not be paid where industries were not rationalised, or where their production methods were inefficient.