HIGHER PAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 July 1942, Page 4

HIGHER PAY

FOR AUSTRALIAN FIGHTING MEN WITH INCREASED FAMILY ALLOWANCES. ANNOUNCEMENT BY FEDERAL PREMIER. (Special P.A. Correspondent.) (Received This Day. 1.10 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Increases in the pay o£ soldiers, sailors and airmen and in allowances to their dependants will be provided for in the Federal Budget, 1o be introduced at the next sitting of Parliament. The rates of the increases have yet to be announced. The decision to grant-increases was announced by the Federal Premier (Mr Curtin), who said: “The Government has been considering the duty which the nation owes to its fighting services and will submit to Parliament, as part of the Budget, its proposals to improve the payments made in respect to fighting personnel.” ’

Mr Curtin said the announcement could not be made earlier, since it had depended- on the outcome of the litigation on the taxing powers of the Commonwealth. The present Army rates of pay for the lower ranks are: Private, 6s a day; corporal, 10s; sergeant, Ils, each plus 2s deferred pay. The Army pay allowance is 3s 6d a day for a wife, 2s 6d for the firstchild, 2s for the second and Is 6d for each succeeding child.

From the first week in August, soldiers above the rank of private will have to pay tax on earnings only. Exceptions will be members of the A.I.F. back in Australia for less than three months.