NATIONAL SAVING CAMPAIGN

Evening Star, Issue 24008, 6 October 1941, Page 5

NATIONAL SAVING CAMPAIGN

FIRST YEAR YIELDS £3,1D0,000 NEW SPURT NOW REQUIRED An announcement that the receipts for the first 12 months of the national savings campaign will reach the gratifying total of £3,100,000 was made by Mr T. N, Smallwood, chairman of the National Savings Committee, in a broadcast talk last night. Mr Smallwood emphasised that £l,"00,000 of the amount had been saved during the current financial year, which commenced on April 1 last, and said that the number of accounts opened had now reached 227,000, which was only 23,000 short of the objective of 250,000. QUOTA FOR EACH TOWN. After reviewing past progress, Mr Smallwood said that it had often been stated that national savings constituted for many people their one and only war effort, but it was a war effort worthwhile, which, although involving sacrifice, could be undertaken by every man, woman, and child. With this in mind and the Empire’s call for savings, which was recently endorsed by the Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) when he said that every peilny possible was wanted in the savings scheme because it was helpful in financing the war and also in reducing the demand for the limited quantity of goods available, a new phase was to be introduced by allotting to each city and town a national savings weekly quota based on a total annual saving of £5,000,000 for the Dominion. “It is recognised that the many already engaged in a practical way in the national savings campaign must have assistance to get full results,” Mr Smallwood continued, “ and they are asked, where this has not already been done, to gather round them in each district a live committee composed of those imbued with the desire to serve in a national cause to take up the idea with enthusiasm as a very real war work.” So that each city or town should know the daily progress in the attaining of its quota, Mr Smallwood said, it was suggested that each local committee should arrange for the local post office flagpole (or other flagpole if in a better display position) to be equipped with a flag and a “ money ball.” Each Monday morning the “ money ball ” would start its journey from the foot of the pole, being hauled up the pole each day to a height representing the proportionate distance that the ratio of national savings receipts for the day bore to the weekly qouta. When the ball reached the top of the pole, the flag would be broken out and fly for the rest of the week.

Mr Smallwood stated that each organiser would receive full working details of the scheme this morning, and it was hoped that the symbol of determination—the “ money ball ” would be on all flagpoles immediately, and that flags of achievement would fly everywhere each week. “Many districts have in the past exceeded the quotas allotted. Mr Smallwood continued, “and in no case should they be impossible of achievement if, as is grimly necessary, the wholehearted help our Empire and Dominion needs is received from every individual in city, town, and country. ”