LIBERTY LOAN

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23972, 12 June 1943, Page 4

LIBERTY LOAN

SUGGESTED TARGET OF £10,000,000

APPEAL TO WAGE EARNERS

(P.A.) WELLINGTON. June 11. A Liberty Loan target for the wage earners of New Zealand was indicated by Mr F. P. Walsh in a statement tonight for the New Zealand Federation of Labour. "This body has affiliations representing 200,000 workers, who,” said Mr Walsh, “earn the larger part of the Dominion’s wage bill, which is more than £100,000,000 per annum. “Would it be too much of a sacrifice,” asked Mr Walsh, “for the workers of this country to subscribe 2s out of every £ they earn, and thus contribute £10,000,000 to defend their liberty, their standards of living, their culture, and happiness in this loveliest of all lands? “Look at the fate of our fellow workers in conquered Europe,” he said. “When we think for only a moment of their suffering and their sacrifices we no longer ask the question; ‘What have we at stake in this war?’ In all countries overrun by the Axis forces the trade union movement has been smashed and the liberties of the people extinguished. That has been its fate after many years of working and fighting to establish the rights of labour. Ruthless torture and terror have been used against humble people to destroy all the things of life they held dear. “We would do anything to save our country from such a fate,” he said; “our own country, in which the gifts of nature and the work of reformers have made it possible to achieve economic and social conditions unsurpassed in any part of the world.” From the first day of the war, added Mr Walsh, the Federation of Labour pledged itself to use all its power and influence to help the Government in tbe fight against the forces of Fascism. All its members had been determined to do their-part, whenever they were called upon, to work for the war effort. Every worker realised how necessary it was to make guns and aeroplanes, to produce food, and to load and man ships to take it to Great Britain, and they must realise just as fully that it was no less essential to put their money into the Liberty Loan. The Federation was taking its own advice, having made a subscription of £2OOO.

DISPLAY BY BANDS IN SQUARE

BRISK SALE OF BONDS

Christchurch citizens who were in Cathedral square yesterday afternoon to hear the Third Liberty Loan speeches were provided with a variety of musical entertainment. Bands present included the Christ’s College Band, the band of the Christchurch Boys’ High School, the Technical College Band, and the West Christchurch Bugle Band, also a boys’ choir from the Christchurch South Intermediate School. Mr Lyn Christie acted as master of ceremonies. The sale of National Savings stamps among the crowd proceeded vigorously. There was also an excellent sale of bonds at the military hut. Already about £3OOO has been subscribed towards the loan by the staff of the Chief Post Office, it was announced yesterday. This effort, it was stated, was in addition to contributions to the Post Office Patriotic Fund and to the national savings effort of the staff. When all figures were available. the staff’s total amount towards the loan was expected to be £ 4000odd. The Chief Postmaster (Mr V. C. Lawn) announced that, to avoid delays, each teller at tbe Post Office Savings Bank would in future accept cash or cheque investments in the Third Liberty Loan. In addition, those depositors wishing to transfer amounts from the savings bank account to the loan would be able to have the whole transaction handled at the ledger window.

CHRISTCHURCH RESPONSE

Subscribers to the Third Liberty War Loan in Christchurch yesterday included Baffin's Breweries (New Zealand), Ltd., £7500; Baffin Brothers, Ltd., £2500; and James Murphy, £IOOO. The receipts from National Savings accounts in the Christchurch metropolitan area this week amounted to £8593, and from National Savings bonds to £4634. These amounts are included in the loan campaign.