81
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at approximately these ratos:- It. Y85, Capt.T120, injor Y180, Lt,col 1220, Cel.1260 per month. I won't youch for these figures, but they are fairly accurate. Having taken a long to make up their mind to pay officers at all, I s'pose it † k them at least three months to read and begin to digest the Hague Convention, also to sort out the bits which suited them, the Japs set the figure of Y60 as the cost of feeding an officer for one month. This left a Lt a lot with which to play, and a 2nd/it'with even less; I forgot to include his figure, it was Y70 per month.
After our escape, when reporting on the conlitions in the camp, we estimated the actual value of the food to be not more than H'K/10, and this converted at their rate of exchange is equivalent to Y5. As a matter of fact it would not oost them that for the first six months, as the rise was already there in the godowns, and also the larrisé, in which to transport it to the campi that is another story, however, and can be told some other time.
court to risqɓ003
In order that the other runks should have sowthẳng to spend at the conteen officers turned into the Paymaster as much na they could spare, after the YGO had been deducted; I think the contribution was voluntary and credit was given for the amount handed in. The result of all this was that each man regardless of rank, received Y2.50 per month; certainly it was a gesture I will admit, but didn't help much, for the stocks in the canteen were always hopelessly low of the things that were really wanted and prices were high,
I have
I will give you an example of what was happening; already said that the footgear problem was acute, well, gym shoes were brought into the canteen, they cout YS and lasted the average troop three weeks; his 50 sen balance would not even buy him a packet of cigarettes. I will leave you to judge whether
'the canteen will be a success or not, unless drastic changes are made.
I hope this will ɛive some idea, to those interested, what is happening in the damp, and I hope they will not worry too much, for they need not.
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