ATTACKED BY PRACTICALLY WEIGH AUSTRIAN ARMY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17125, 29 October 1917, Page 5

ATTACKED BY PRACTICALLY WEIGH AUSTRIAN ARMY.

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United Press Associ

iation—Copyright,

WATCH THE EXPENDITURE

- A TIMELY REPORT,

WAR COSTS SCRUTINISED.

SOME STAGGERING FIGURES.

Received October 28, 5.5 p.m

LONDON, October 27

The Parliamentary select committee on National* expenditure has submited an interim report.

: The committee recommends that ■tiie General Staff should be required to consider the financial aspect when considering alternative proposals. AH army commands should be impressed with the need for further economies, and an efficient method of checking waste should be devised.

The committee recommends that Cabinet and the General Staff should consider whether so large a force of troops and territorials is required for home service and munitions work.

The cost of guarding a post by a single sentry is £850 annually.

Brass shell cases and boxes, wortn several millions, hays accumulated In France.

The committee strongly urges _ a stronger financial check at the Ministry of Munitions. The responsibility of settling prices of munitions contracts has not yet teen determines*, despite its expenditure being already over a thousand millions.

The gross war cost to September is about five thousand millions. The •gross deadweight national' debt, after deducting advances r to Allies and the : Dominions (which total 1321 mil- : lions) also war revenue will be Vabout three thousand millions. If the war expenditure, and all receipts continue at the present rate, each half-year will add roughly a thousand millions gross to the debt, or 750 millions, after deducting advances to the Allies and Dominions.