FLAG-FLYING AND FIGURES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 6 April 1943, Page 1

FLAG-FLYING AND FIGURES

[To the Editor] Sir, —After reading in your issue ol Ist April of the consistent failures of the people of Nelson and the surrounding districts to reach their respective National War Savings quotas. I was pleased to notice that the flag was flying during the week-end thus in dicating that Nelson, at least, had achieved its objective last week. I understand that our quota is £943 per week, but, as I am not expert with figures, I will assume, for my purpose, that it is £IOOO per week. If then the population of our city is 13,000 —5000 of whom are children under 16 and 3000 are wives and others without income, we have a remainder of 5000 who can be termed wage-earners. Five thousand earners to save an average of 4s a week in order to carry out their share of the task of defeating Hitler and then they fail four times out of five! Analyse again the figures quoted and it will be seen that if 500 of our businessmen and others of independent means were to save £ 1 a week (a very modest sum), we, the remaining 4500 workers, are performing our part by saving a mere 2s 3d a week each. If those same 500 business men, etc., find that £ 1 a week is too much, then surely 10s a week could easily be found and so leave the remaining 4500 to average about 3s 3d a week. By failing to do our part in this direction we are not only letting down the boys overseas, but are adopting a senseless attitude towards ourselves. We know that there are dozens of necessary articles which we cannot replace in our homes—manufacturers and others advertise in your paper that their commodities will not be available to us until after the war is over—and, therefore, by thoughtlessly spending the money which we should be placing aside for such commodities, we are not only failing to provide for the future, but are throwing a percentage of our money away by competing with one another for the fewer goods—particularly luxury lines —which are available.

I wonder how many of us, who, because we cannot replace essential things in the home, fritter away the cash for such replacements by making additional visits to the picture theatres, hotels or racecourses? I emphasise the word "additional” for I do not begrudge any man or woman the same number of pleasures as he or she may have considered reasonable before we found it necessary to provide the sinews of war. In thanking you for granting me valuable space may I be permitted to conclude with an appeal to more able pens than mine to tak* up this vital matter of urging Nelsonians to play the game by savin*, to save their good name and, perhaps, their skins. —1 am, etc., A.J. Nelson, sth April.