KEEPING THE SCORE OF THE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 73, 15 November 1940, Page 17

KEEPING THE SCORE OF THE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS

Radio Helps The Investment Campaign

ADIO is giving unique and spectacular assistance to the recentlylaunched campaign for national savings. Apart from direct stimulus to various phases of the campaign, the necessity for opening investment ac-

counts is being driven home by a New Zealand-wide radio hook-up every evening. The hook-up, which is another example of war-time co-ordination of the two radio services, is made at nine o'clock, every station on the air standing by for approximately 25 seconds. During this time, just as sports results are flashed on the air, the number of national savings accounts opened that day are announced. Later, provincial figures may be detailed, and an element of competition added. As yet, New Zealand lags behind England and the other Dominions and colonies in the matter of war savings. Already in Britain, more than £400,000,000 has accumulated in small accounts. Further savings are coming in at the rate of over £15,000,000 weekly, and a sum of £20,000,000 a week is aimed at. Australia has passed the £14,000,000 mark, and Queensland, with two-thirds the population of New Zealand, has saved £2,;500,000. Both broadcasting services are helping the scheme along. Talks by Ministers of

the Crown, Treasury officials and representative citizens have been broadcast by both networks, and recently Aunt Daisy made a special broadcast, linking her appeal with the new patriotic song "The Empire is Marching." Every encouragement is being given to children to save up-even if it’s pen-

nies-and the Commercial Broadcasting Service plays every morning a "Savings" song, to the tune of "Roll Out the Barrel." It begins "Save up your pennies," and it will be interesting to see now how many children start saving their pennies and opening national savings accounts.