LIBERTY LOAN

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23985, 28 June 1943, Page 6

LIBERTY LOAN

DOMINION TOTAL £17,477,915 SIMILAR AMOUNT SOUGHT IN NEXT TWO WEEKS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 27. Liberty Loan figures completed to Saturday show a highly satisfactory total of investors, who number 124,121 after giving credit to subscribers of £1 bonds and those who have opened national savings accounts. “Up to the present," States the Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash), “our published figures have included only those who have purchased stock and bonds for £lO or more. The number of these, however, has now risen to 41,000, but what is more pleasing is the satisfactory result disclosed from the preliminary count of the buyers of £1 bonds and depositors to savings accounts. These amount to no fewer than 78,000, and the list is still incomplete, as it has not been possible to check through the large number of deposit slips received. “The following is a summary to date:—stock applications, 28.944 for £16,078,465; £IOO bonds, 496 for £68,635; £lO bonds, 11,571 for £253,120; £1 bonds. 28,110 for £55,918; national savings accounts, 55,000 for £1,021.777 —showing a total of 124,121 investors for £17,477,915.” Districts which have passed the halfway mark in reaching their objectives are: Wellington, 59 per cent, representing £2.591,488; Auckland, 54 per cent., representing £3.614.047: Nelson, 52 per cent., representing £286.799; Dunedin. 51 per cent., representing £1.274,249; Invercargill, 51 per cent., renresenting £663.568. National institutions have subscribed £4.660,000.

‘T - result is excellent,” added Mr Nash, “and we are looking forward to records being broken in the coming week. Masterton, for Instance, a subdistrict of Wellington, has raised 80 per cent of its quota. We are particularly looking forward to some of ihe city and district areas reaching their quota during the week. “I must point out, however, that in three weeks we have raised approximately half the loan, leaving a similar amount to be secured in two weeks We must not let up. Everyone who has not subscribed should do so. and subscribe to the limit, while some o'f those who have already done so may be able to do more. I am sure New Zealand will respond to the call, and (hat when the final figures are given we shall achieve a record both as to numbers of investors and the amount invested.”

WARNING OF NEED FOR LOAN MONEY FREYBERG TO ADVISE SOLDIERS TO HELP * From Our Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON, June 27. An appeal for support to the Liberty Loan was made by Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg, V.C., in the course of a broadcast talk this evening. As a soldier, he said, he did not pretend to be able to discuss the loan from the economic aspect, but he realised the importance of saving money at the present moment and the vital need for the money. He was most anxious to encourage the small investor, and he would advise men of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force to cooperate. • Stating that the whole resources of the country must be committed to the support of the war, General Freyberg said:—

“I am a little nervous about the present state of affairs because there is such a spirit of optimism abroad. I feel that people imagine that the Axis forces are disintegrating, and that the war in Europe is now approaching an end. Although there is reason foe optimism, I feel bound to aound'a ndte-of warning.” The German Army was still formidable, and would require heavy punishment before it collapsed, he said. Grim fighting lay ahead. Those who could not fight must use their labour and lend their money to produce munitions of war. The next battles would be on a large scale. Great quantities of equipment would be required for the Eastern Front in Russia and for the new front of fronts in Europe.

Efforts of the United Nations must be increased to defeat both the Axis and Japan. “Fpr the moment we are favourably situated regarding equipment, but equipment is never good enough," he said. “You can never be sure that the best to-day will be the best to-morrow Who knows what will be produced by German armament factories tomorrow?”

Referring to the Battle for Britain, he said that he was glad that New Zealanders were In England, and that they had stood on the shores of the Channel ready to defend Great Britain if she were attacked. He knew that their presence with Canadians and Australians was a great comfort to the British people. General Freyberg said that he passed through England three weeks ago, and a wonderful change had taken place since 1940 when he had seen Great Britain in her grave peril. To-day it was an armed camp.

AIR FORCE WEEK ATTRACTIONS IN CITY As a preliminary to Air Force Week, which will begin to-day, the personnel of R.N.Z.A.F. stations in the Christchurch area have invested more than £15,000 in the loan. This total represents subscriptions up to last Friday, and as there are more thaq 1250 men and women on the stations the average is approximately £l2 16s a head. The total aimed at is a good deal more than £13,000

During the week the displays by men from the local stations of the R.N.Z.A.F will include many interesting features There will be parachute packing, airframe servicing, bomb and armament displays, photographic exhibits, stores displays, and captured German equipment.

Another attraction that should prove of great interest to the public is that the Air Force repair depot in St. Asaph street will be open to the public for inspection for the first time, and on payment of a small fee in savings stamps parties will be taken through the workshops and shown the latest types of machinery actually working. These conducted .tours through the depot should prove interesting and instructive.

On display there will be the retractable undercarriage of a bomber and by manipulating a small lever people will be able to raise and lower the big wheels. There will also be tests in target practice with shooting at moving aircraft models. This is a test of skill both in the identification of aircraft and marksmanship. Another parade has been arranged for later in the week, and the public will have the opportunity of seeing for the first time some of the special vehicles that are in constant use on Air Force stations.' Included in this display will be an Air Force crash tender, a special type of salvage truck, a beacon truck, a long wheel base salvage truck, a modern dental van, up-to-date ambulance, fire-fighting truck, refuelling tanker trailer, and other unusual vehicles.

MAORIS’ INVESTMENT "The Press’* Special Service AUCKLAND. June 26. The Under-Secretary of Native Affairs, Mr O. N. Campbell, has approved the investment of £IO,OOO in the Liberty' Loan by the Wairakei Land Board, oh bfebalf of Maoris in the board’s district This is the second loan of £IO,OOO made by the board out of Maori funds, a similar amount having been invested in a previous Government loan.

ARMY ENGINEERS’ WORK BRIDGES BUILT OVER AVON CROWD INVESTS £ISOO IN LOAN The roar of low-flying aircraft, the rattle of gas alarms, and the boom of explosions sending fountains of water high in the air, were among the noises of battle adding realism to the demonstration of bridge building and other field activities staged in Christchurch on Saturday afternoon by men of the New Zealand Engineers, as the Army’s final contribution to the Liberty Loan campaign. A stretch of the Avon near the Carlton Mill bridge was the scene of the demonstration, and the big crowd which took advantage of the bright sunshine saw one of the best displays to be put on by the Army, and at the same time helped the Liberty Loan to the extent of close on £ISOO. Two Harvard aircraft flown by R.N.Z.A.F. pilots, who made most spectacular low bombing attacks on the engineers, did much to make the demonstration so successful. Also working with the engineers were signallers, bomb disposal, field ambulance, artillery, and provost corps personnel. The Burnham Band played selections during the afternoon. Camouflaged Trucks

After a parade through the city the engineers established their camp in the trees in Hagley Park near the bridge and went rapidly to work. Trucks were hidden under camouflage netting, pine needles, and brushwood, a regimental aid post was set up to deal with casualties, and lunch was prepared on field cookers. Then the engineers began the task of throwing three types of bridges across the Avon. For a start, troops in battle kit crossed the river carefully on a narrow kapok assault bridge. .Then with the use of pontoons and piles driven into the river bed the engineers constructed a trestle bridge capable of carrying vehicles up to five tons in weight. An even more substantial bridge of the box girder type was set in position, and a 25-pounder gun was taken across. While the bridges were being built, another squad was busy on the erection of a water tower. This work was interrupted by the activities of an “enemy” sniper, but the engineers stopped work, seized their rifles, and returned the sniper’s fire. One man had been “hit ” however, and had to be removed from the high platform. Field ambulance men climbed the tower with a Curtis jacket of cane and canvas, wrapped it round the 4, wounded” man, and lowered him safely to the ground, where he was placed on a stretcher and taken to the regimental aid post. Then the

work went on, the canvas water tank being placed in position, and partly filled with water pumped from the river by a small motor-driven pump. Aircraft Attack Whistles blew suddenly as the Harvards; came roaring down to attack the bridges and the builders, but before they reached the river every man had taken cover and there was not a movement on the ground. As the Harvards flew so low that they almost touched the tops of the trees on the river bank, charges of explosive set in the* riverbe* represented bursting bombs, and sent fountains of water into the air. Smoke bombs were then used to represent a gas attack, and as the clouds of “gas” spread along the river bank, the alarm rattles sounded ana the men donned their respirators, working in them until the all-clear was sounded. „ , t A commentary of what was being done by the engineers and the methods used was given through an amplifier by an Army officer, who described also the cost of some of the equipment m use. Later in the afternoon an appea was made to the crowd to bny Loan bonds from W.A.A.C. s who were on duty. CONTRIBUTION OF £50,000 MR J. R. M’KENZIE’S INVESTMENT A Liberty Loan investment of £50,000 has been made by Mr J. R. McKenzie, of Christchurch. At the same time as his personal contribution was made. £IO,OOO was subscribed by the McKenzie companies and £2500 worth of bonds were purchased and made available for staff acquirement. Mr McKenzie’s other personal interests contributed a further £IO,OOO. so that all told no less than £72.500 has been subscribed by the McKenzie interests in the Liberty Loan. A total of £97,000 ha: been subscribed by the same interests in previous loans.

APPEAL TO EMPLOYEES GOOD RESPONSE MADE The appeal 10 the staffs of different firms to contribute to the War Loan is meeting a ready response and several firms have invested substantial sums. The Christchurch staff of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association and branches have made 300 applications of a total value of £7270, and, the contributors represent 75 per cent of the staffs. The staff of the Chief Post Office and Engineers’ branch havf invested £SIOO and 62 employees of Ernest Adams, I *d,, have paid £1530, while seven applications from Messrs Ackroyd Brothers and Meadowcroft represent an investment of £220.

RAILWAY DEPARTMENT’S APPEAL An intensive campaign in support of the Third Liberty Loan is being conducted in all branches of the Railways Department. The general manager, Mr E. Casey, is chairman of a committee consisting of departmental executives. Jtogether with the secretaries of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, Enginedrivers’. Firemen and Cleaners’ Association, Railway Officers’ Institute, and Railway Tradesmen’s Association, sub-committees of which are canvassing employees throughout the service to help in ensuring the success of the loan. * One of the first savings groups-to be

formed in New Zealand, the personnel of the department, are already depositing upwards of £24,000 per annum in ational war savings accounts, and it is confidently anticipated that the response to the present appeal will result in the liberal purchase of Liberty bonds.

THE ARMY’S CONTRIBUTION When Army Week closed on Saturday, Army personnel it and round Christchurch had invested £23,629 in the loan, which was an increase of £I2BO since the previous day. Other amounts still to come in this week are expected to bring the total close to £25,000.