CURTAILMENT URGED

Evening Star, Issue 24293, 7 September 1942, Page 2

CURTAILMENT URGED

PUBLIC SPENDING IN AUSTRALIA (N.Z.P.A. Special Aust. Correspondent) SYDNEY, September G. If public spending is not curtailed all goods in Australia will be rationed, declared the Prime Minister, Mr J. Curtin. He appealed to th© public not to make this necessary, since it would waste man power. Mr Curtin said that Australia’s war expenditure this year would be £450,000,000 —more than £50,000 an hour. More than half the working population was now on war production, and he asked the public; (1) To buy only those goods and services needed to maintain efficiency for war work. (2) To buy only meat essential to health, and not to buy beef and pork, which were required for export and service needs. (3) Not to buy clothes just because one has coupons. (4) Not to take holidays unless for health reasons. (5) To lend all savings for the war effort. PUST-WAR PDWERS REFERENDUM CANBERRA, September 5. The referendum at which the Commonmvealth will seek post-war powers will contain a provision to make uniform taxation a permanent feature. The Attorney-General, Dr H. V. Evatt, has hinted that the uniform. taxation plan is now working successfully, and the Government hoped it would continue permanently. The suggestion that the Government’s proposal to arm itself with post-war powers was an excuse to participate in a premature election was. Dr Evatt said, without foundation. The Government’s proposals were a genuine attempt to guard against the anarchy and chaos which would threaten unless post-war problems were tackled on a national basis.