MORE ACCOUNTS NEEDED

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23350, 9 June 1941, Page 6

MORE ACCOUNTS NEEDED

NATIONAL SAVINGS CAMPAIGN FOR 250,000 OPENED In announcing last evening the opening of a campaign for 250,000 national savings accounts, the chairman of the National Savings Committee, Mr T. N. Smallwood, drew attention to an advertisement recently sponsored on behalf of the National Savings Campaign in which Hitler is spitting out the words quoted by Rauschning in his book “Hitler Speaks." “I shall shrink from nothing ... destroy ... by all and any means. I shall spread terror. Why babble about brutality and be indignant about tortures? The people . ■. . make them shudderingly submissive." The speaker continued by asking whether we were prepared to be made "shudderingly submissive ; whether we were prepared to lose our heritage of freedom which had been purchased at such a great price; whether, if the cause of freedom does not give us the fullest inspiration to put forth every effort, to count no sacrifice too great, the great sacrificial beacon lit and kept alight by the people of Britain does not fire our hearts and minds and give us the determination to put forth our best efforts. “1 want you to put yourself my place,” continued Mr Smallwood, "I am chairman of a small and enthusiastic committee endeavouring to propagate the gospel of thrift in a national cause. The response has been good, but not good enough. We endorse the words of oUr Acting-Prime Minister when he says that he is sure to-day not 5 per cent, of the people of New Zealand realise what is at stake in the present war. In so far as this is translated in terms of national savings accounts this seems true. The campaign was commenced on October 10 last and so far 124,371 national savings accounts have been opened, representing under 10 per cent, of ordinary savings bank accounts in the Dominion,” Mr Smallwood then said that in pursuance of the Government’s policy of adequately supporting our fighting forces, it was asked that every penny that could be reasonably spared should be lent for a period df approximately four years. Whatever the calibre of the people and however great its power, material weapons and equipment of every kind must be given to our forces. Knowing of this, it was asked why we don’t fight with all the means at out command and lend our savings. The people of London in seven days subscribed £124,000,000 for War Weapons Week—£24 a head of population—we in seven months have subscribed £1,500,000 from the same type of saving—£l a head of population. Reasons for Saving In covering the personal side of savings, Mr Smallwood said that in peace time one s%ved with an object—travel, education, marriage, and a prospective home; a sense of security and all it implied; and while these objectives were worth while, they must be postponed in war time until their fulfilment was safeguarded. The objectives remained but their fulfilment depended on winning the war. This cause required everyone's savings, it wanted them to buy weapons and more weapons and the cost to each individual was so little. It certainly called for no monetary loss, as 3 per cent, interest was paid for the postponement of privileges, Mr Smallwood concluded by saying: “The National Savings Committee is to-morrow opening a new campaign—a drive to achieve 250,000 natibnal savings accounts. We. have 124,371 national savings accounts so far, that is, one account for every J3 persons, II you haven’t opened an account, we want you to do so immediately, and encourage others to do likewise. But we don’t want you to stop there, we want you to go on adding week by week to your account. We don't want this from any personal motive, except that we and many others are utterly convinced that the cause i.s vital, and worth while to you personally. If you have a lun'p sum available, National Savings Bonds can be immediately purchased at ,any Post Office, trustee sav ; ings banks, or trading bank. A solemn assurance has been given that eyery ■penny so subscribed .will be used solely to defray the cost of the war to this country. Forge the national weapon—build up the weapons for freedom, Hitler says he will make us “shudderingly submissive," Can he? Not while the blood courses through our veins, not while we think, dream, and act, to' emulate our own kith and kin, the bulwark of our safetf and security—that noble, massed In- : spiratlon of our time, the peoples of the British Isles. Fellow New Zealanders, be up and doing! I am offer*, ing you the best investment in the world, a shareholding in a great company—British Enterpriser Unlimited.”