HOME FRONT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 31 August 1942, Page 4

HOME FRONT

“SPRING OFFENSIVE"

“AN ACTIVE ACCOUNT IS ON ACTIVE SERVICE” It was announced to dav bv the chairman of the New Zealand National Savings Committee that to remind those who had opened National Savings Accounts of the benefits and importance of keepinc them constantly in action, a "Spring Offensive on the Home Front” is be conducted in September. Notwithstanding several interrup ; lion;-: to the steady progress ol the? - j ings campaign." .-aid Mr Smallwood, “results had been well maintained, receipts having now reached £8.332.000 ot which £1,924.000 applied to the cur- ! rent financial year; but from this latter figure and the present average of receipts, it was apparent that a special I effort would be necessary lo reach the objective of £5.000 000 for the year." “A review of the 304.000 National , Savings Accounts opened with the best ! of intentions and a sincere desire to assist with the successful prosecution of the war.” continued the speaker, “revealed that only a relatively small proportion were being used regularly, mostly by the 120.000 members of our 7600 savings groups operating in firms and factories. There was need for the utmost support of every part of our war effort and National Savers could join in the coming offensive by taking as their motto for September and the following months, the slogan ‘An Active Account is on Active Service.’ By adopting this suggestion in practice, the Home Front’ could arid would be matching the force and offensive spirit of our own men in the field anti providing valuable support to them.”

The chairman said that no one was asked to go without tbe necessities of life to contribute to National Savings, but they were asked to do without j luxuries and non-essentials. He stressed ■ that to divert more and more materials and man power to the making of vital • war supplies was an objective of the j free nations and mentioned the import- { ant part National Savings played in ] this. The speaker continued by stating that by foregoing non essentials now civilians were in effect transferring j more materials and man-power to war ; industries: and that by lending the I money thus saved for war expenses, they were also providing some of the i funds necessary to operate our war in- j J dustries. j “In addition. "Mr Smallwood said, "it , should not be forgotten that investing ■ j in National Savings is voluntary; that 1 moneys put into National Savings are j only lent; and that they remain the J property of and will be returned to ! j the lenders after a definite fixed period , > When this time comes every person j would have worn out things of everyday j use to replace, clothes, household linen, ] furniture, blankets and a host of othe- ; article.-. Those who regularly and vcl | untarily saved now wouid therefore , j reap considerable benefits when the war j was won; and so would the Dominion i and our fighting men whom the release ) I of these funds would help to rc-esiab ; lish in industry.”