SERVICE PAY INADEQUATE

Evening Star, Issue 24294, 8 September 1942, Page 2

SERVICE PAY INADEQUATE

PLAIN SPEAKING EXPECTED IN COMMONS WAR AUSTERITIES OF THE COMING YEAR (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.) (Rcc. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 7. Considerable interest will bo focused on the statement Mr Churchill is to make to the House of Commons shortly when Parliament will hold four sittings before a further adjournment for a fortnight. The House and tho country are eager to hear a first-hand account of the Moscow and Middle East visits. Tlio Commons will also debate a subject which is a major political issuo for the time —namely, service pay and allowances. There arc now between four and live million men in the armed forces, and tho complaint that they are underpaid as compared with the civilians in terras both of pocket money for themselves and material security for their families has grown as the war has lengthened. A recent White Paper produced academic figures which are regarded as having liirtlo relation to the facts, for which reason plain speaking is expected in the Commons. This question of pay is also agitating women war workers. The recent Markham (Report indicated that many women are rated about two-thirds the value of tho men working beside them, while the rate of compensation for injuries is correspondingly inferior. Apparently little is being done to alter this, for which reason the ‘ Economist ’ observes: “ What is really wanted is a new suffragette movement to get rid of this two-thirds idiocy in pay and compensation.” Women will be required to take an oven greater part in tho war in the coming year. The DirectorGeneral of Man Power has announced that he wants a million, women in parttime work or a 75 per cent, increase. There are now 8,000,000 women between the ages of 18 and 42 registered in Britain, and the registration ago is being extended to 45. The first armed women commissionaires were recently appointed. Three are now employed at a Birmingham war factory. Armed with revolvers, they do daily and nightly armed duty under the orders of the factory’s security officer. Their training included a course of revolver practice. CUTTING OUT TRAVEL. f As the fourth year of war begins, another of its tolls is impressed on tho British public. Drastic cuts will he made shortly in travel facilities, firstly to cope with the growing volume of military and other essential traffic; secondly’, to save fuel, rubber, and man power. The Ministry of 'War Transport states that the nation must completely change its outlook towards transport. “ Our aim must be to make every village, urban district, and suburb a self-contained unit supplying its own amusement interests.” Increases in military traffic will necessitate, in comparison with last year, the running daily of at least 250 extra trains. Some thousand extra daily trains are already running for industrial war workers. GAOL FOR RUBBER VMSTAGE. In view of the shortage of rubber, it is now' a punishable offence to put waste household rubber in the dust bin, while if rubber is burned or otherwise destroyed fines and imprisonment can be imposed, the maximum penalties being £IOO or three month's’ imprisonment. or both, on summary conviction; and £SOO or two years, or both, on indictment. 'the Ministry of Supply states that Britain’s rubber shortage is so serious that every possible ounce must he reclaimed. ONE BATH A WEEK. An intensive campaign for fuel saving is now in progress. One of the many requests is that people should have only five inches of water in their baths, while many hotels stipulate three inches, and one bath a week. One slogan is: “Coal must he released from the home front.”