Eased

Best news in two years came to Australian citizens last week. Thanks to a balanced budget and drastic economy, the Treasury reported a surplus of -L-2,750,000 for the first four months of the current fiscal year. Promptly the Cabinet moved to reduce federal taxation by -L-1,600,000, including a one-third cut in the land tax, and a -L-500,000 reduction in the property tax. Set aside for Australian wheat farmers was -L-2,250.000 of which -L-1,250,000 will be spent to relieve actual distress, the rest to be a subsidy to help wheat farmers buy cheaper fertilizers.

The economy that saved taxpayers money caused a tense situation in Australia's little Navy. At Melbourne's navy pier last week 200 enlisted men walked ashore in protest at the Government's pay cuts. Australian officers worried. Just so did the British naval mutiny at Invergordon start last year (TIME. Sept. 28, 1931), an affair that became more serious than British papers have yet admitted, and according to British standards, Australian discipline is notoriously lax.* Apparently Australian tempers are better. After threatening the Government the men returned to quarters, the fleet sailed for training at Jervis Bay. Minister of Defense Sir George Pierce announced that the sailors' pay cuts would be "eased."

* Every British officer knows the story of the Australian Brigadier General in France during the War who read an announcement at evening parade: "Douggie Haig is coming down here tomorrow so you chaps better get your rifles clean for once and for God's sake don't call me Joe."

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