Rushden’s New Savings Drive Special September Objectives for Street and Factory Groups

In a campaign throughout September the 149 National Savings Groups at Rushden will aim at doubling their normal rate of saving and adding largely to their membership. Higham Ferrers and Raunds will make similar efforts as soon as possible.

The scheme was worked out at a meeting of the Rushden and District Savings Committee, when Coun. T. W. Cox, J.P. (chairman of the Rushden Urban Council) was elected chairman in succession to Coun. J. Allen.

Half-yearly savings returns were read by Mr. A. Maclean (hon. Secretary). They showed that Messrs. Knight and Lawrence’s group has a 100 per cent. membership; Messrs. John White’s a membership of 1,437 and an average weekly contribution of 4s. 5d. per head; Messrs. A. Sargent and Sons an average of 15s. 6d.; and Messrs. B. Denton and Sons a 97 per cent. membership and an average of 10s. 4d.

The most remarkable record, however, is held by Messrs. Fred Hawkes, Ltd., with a 91 per cent. membership and an average investment of £69 10s. for the half-year, or £2 6s. 6d. per head per week. This firm gives 2s. towards every certificate purchased.

Street Record

Crabb-street, said Mr. Mclean, held the Rushden street group record, having raised £1,400 in its first year.

Mr. N. J. Deft, Assistant Regional Commissioner, said the Government was aiming at raising another £6,000,000 per week, or £15 per second.

For the Rushden campaign it was agreed to call preliminary meetings of factory and street group secretaries, and to set an objective for each group expressed in terms of war weapons.

It was agreed to seek the help of the W.V.S. in organising new street groups.

Mr. F. F. Poole, B.Sc., of Raunds, described the working of the successful Raunds Savings League and was invited to help in the remodelling of the Rushden league.

Savings Spirit at Rushden Campaign Aims at Doubling Group Figures

Rushden and district is to aim at doubling its Group savings figures in September as part of the War Savings Summer Push, and street and factory groups will compete in saving for individual war weapons. This proposal by the National Savings Committee was put before the factory savings group secretaries on Tuesday, at a meeting in Messrs. John Cave and Sons’ sports pavilion.

Coun. T. W. Cox (chairman of the Rushden U.D.C.) said he would like to pay a tribute to the services of the Group leaders, for they were helping to keep the enemy at bay. The million mark would soon be realised in the Rushden area probably before September.

The new push was an extension of the War Weapons Week campaign, and it was hoped that it would have as good a result. Each group would aim at a separate war weapon: Crabb-street was going to aim at an ambulance costing £600. He knew that Rushden would do its best and would not fail in its effort.

Praise from H.Q.

Mr. W. J. Deft, Assistant District Commissioner, said that about a fortnight ago he met the committee and was able to inform them that he had been deeply impressed with the savings efforts and with the War Weapons Week figures. These had compared favourably with any figures in the country, and the opinion of Rushden at headquarters was very high.

Although the savings were good, however, an urgent appeal had been made by the Government. Savings during the recent weeks had dropped, though this was probably due to men joining up and also to people saving towards a holiday. At the same time, however, people who were not saving were prolonging the war and involving an unnecessary loss of life. The drive was also necessary to avoid further taxation.

Employers had given a guarantee that savings would not be taken into consideration in any application for an increase in wages.

The Target

One of the principal items to consider was the target, which had been decided on as a 100 per cent increase. Each group should have its own indicator, and this would show members the progress that had been made.

He hoped that all the inhabitants of Rushden would rally round the committee and show the country and district they had done their best in helping the fighting forces to win the victory.

Mr. E. F. Poole, B.Sc., of Raunds, described how Raunds ran its Factory Savings League, and the secretary of the Rushden and District Committee, Mr. A. Maclean, read out the figures for the factories and gave the weekly averages, some of which were exceptionally good.

After the business part of the meeting refreshments were served and a Ministry of Information film show was given.

Further progress is being made by street and factory savings groups in Rushden and district in connection with the area’s “Double Your Savings” campaign which is being held this month.

A further list of groups have notified to Mr. A. Maclean (hon. Secretary of Rushden and District Savings Committee) the increased sums which they are planning to save this month and the war weapon which this particular sum will buy and which they have made their objective. A previous list was published in last week’s “Echo and Argus.” Here is the second list:

Fred Corby Ltd., £330 (light ambulance and Tommy gun); Rushden South End School, £100 (machine gun); Rushden Tennyson-road Infants’ School, £80 (two parachutes); C. W. Horrell Ltd., £500 (ten Bren guns); C.W.S. (Rushden Works), £300 (light ambulance); Tecnic Boot Co., £300 (light ambulance); Strong and Fisher, £300 (six Bren guns); Fred Hawkes (N.V. Engineers) Ltd., £35 (no target selected); Ellis and Everard Ltd., £11 (2,000 rounds of rifle ammunition); Woolworths, Rushden, £11 16s, 6d. (one rifle, one heavy A.A. shell and 33 bullets); Pendereds, £7 (rifle); Beaconsfield-terrace, £4 4s. (heavy A.A. shell and hand grenade); Essex-road, £12 (two medium artillery shells); Wentworth and Carnegie-roads, £7 (rifle); Co-operative-row £30 (Tommy gun); York-road and Roberts-street, £30 11s. (clothing three soldiers); Queen-street, £50 (Bren gun); Robinson-road, £50 (Bren gun); Higham-road, £178 (machine gun, Bren gun and mortar).

In less than two years the Rushden area has invested £1,000,000 in National Savings.

The special campaign to help finance the war was launched by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on November 22, 1939, and from the start the Rushden area played a splendid part. The great War Weapons Week in February sent an already fine total to new heights, and recent steady rise in weekly savings enabled the million mark to be passed during last week.

At the end of the week the area total was £1,004,268, made up of the following town contributions:

During the week ended August 30, Rushden subscribed £7,373, Higham Ferrers £624 and Raunds £786.

Rushden Certificates £1,756, Defence Bonds £1,615, 3 per cent Savings Bonds £3,000, P.O. Bank £1,002.

Higham Ferrers Certificates £253, Defence Bonds £30, P.O. Band £341.

Raunds Certificates £401, Defence Bonds £10, P.O. Bank £375.

Last week’s returns were :

Rushden Certificates £3,282, Defence Bonds £1,380, P.O. Bank £882, total £5,544.

Higham Ferrers Certificates £844, P.O. Bank £291, total £1,135.

Raunds Certificates £1,101, Defence Bonds £5, P.O. Bank £260, total £1,366.

The week’s area total was £8,045.

Success of the September savings drive for street and factory groups was reflected in the Rushden area total for the week ended September 13, the figure of £7,021 being the highest for some time. No less than £4,162 was invested in National Savings Certificates a clear indication that the small investors have been busy. Details were:-

Rushden. Certificates £3,418, Defence Bonds £3120, P.O. Bank £2,016, total £5,744.

Higham Ferrers. Certificates £25, P.O. Bank £46, total £71.

Raunds. Certificates £719, Defence Bonds, £40, P.O. Bank £447, total £1,206.

Rushden Intermediate School aims to raise £100 during September for the purchase of a parachute, a rubber dinghy and equipment for four soldiers. Cromwell-road hopes to cover the cost of a Bren gun (£50).

Rushden and Higham Ferrers have completed their September National Savings Drive, with a record which compared well with the rest of Northamptonshire.

Only street and factory savings groups were brought into the campaign, and in Rushden these increased their contributions by 40 per cent. above the monthly average, while at Higham Ferrers the increase was 33 per cent.

In actual figures the September small investments at Rushden were £16,513, compared with £11,630, the monthly average for the April-June quarter. At Higham Ferrers the companion figures were £2,618 and £1,973.

First returns of the group campaigns show that some of the groups did conspicuously well. Employees of Messrs. Sanders and Sanders, the Rushden boot firm, paid for a light ambulance and two stretchers by lending £330; Queen-street (objective £50 for Bren gun) raised £102 10s.; Park-avenue £40, parachutes) £43 9s. 2d.; Church-street, £45 3s.; St. Margaret’s-avenue (£68, clothing 10 soldiers) £112 10s.; Prospect-avenue (£300, light ambulance) £303; Griffith-street (£50, Bren gun) £76 17s.

Fletcher-road, Quorn-road and Woodland-road, with a combined monthly average of £12, raised £53 and fulfilled their hope of paying for a Bren gun. Harborough-road and Little-street increased their group membership by 30.

Rushden on The Second Front - Tanks May Carry Local Names into Battle

Rushden Savings Area’s new aim is to get its name inscribed on three Army tanks. It will mean a big push in small savings during the next few weeks, but the National Savings Committee believes it can be done.

The War Office has agreed that the next few thousand tanks to roll off the production lines can be named after the most patriotic savings areas. There will be a special campaign from July 20 to September 26 (10 weeks), and the small savings will be compared with those for the corresponding part of 1941. A district showing a 20 per cent. increase will be privileged to name light tanks such as the Valentines; 25 per cent. increase will qualify for the medium Matildas and 30 per cent. for the Churchills or other heavy types.

The number of tanks awarded depends upon the size of the district, and in the case of Rushden, Higham Ferrers and Raunds, it will be three if the campaign succeeds. The tanks “christened” will also bear the names of savings groups street, factory, school or village which have distinguished themselves in the campaign. Three groups can be named on one tank, so there is a chance of real battle honours for nine of the local groups.

Rushden, Higham and Raunds groups are being urged to go “all out” this time. “Tanks for Attack” is the slogan, and those who play their part will be proud to think of the local names being carried into the heart of the battle.

For a 20 per cent. increase the area must contribute £82,123 through certificates, bonds and Post Office Bank deposits; for 25 per cent. the figure is £85,545.

Rushden Nearing The Million - Fine Record Mentioned at Savings Centre Opening - The Tanks Drive

Opening Rushden’s new War Savings Centre on Saturday afternoon, Coun. W. J. Sawford, J.P., Chairman of the Urban Council, announced the approaching Tanks Drive and pointed out that Rushden was near the million pounds in National Savings.

The centre is in the High-street, near the National Provincial Bank, and should be a very convenient place for purchases of certificates and stamps or for obtaining guidance and information.

In his speech Mr. Sawford described the event as a step forward in the march of National Savings in Rushden, Higham Ferrers and Raunds. The committee, he said, hoped the venture would receive whole-hearted support from every patriotic citizen.

The area had a very proud record of savings. Since November, 1939, the huge sum of nearly 1½ million pounds had been raised. Rushden’s share of this was over £950,000; the million pounds was therefore on the horizon, and now was the opportunity to see it quickly attained.

10 Weeks Campaign

On July 20th the Tanks for Attack Drive would be launched throughout the country. It was to last for 10 weeks, and to earn tanks for the district they must at least add 20 per cent. to the corresponding figures of last year. This would be far from easy and it was imperative that they should all dig deep into their pockets. They must ask themselves “What am I sacrificing to help win the war?”

Every purchase they made meant a real saving to the nation and a future nest-egg if invested in national securities.

Over 200 savings groups were in operation in Rushden, yet only a third of the population were members of groups.

Urging that those who were not already contributing to a group should take the earliest chance to do so, Mr. Sawford added: “I want to be able to say to you all in a few weeks’ time, ‘Tanks a million.’ You will not fail me, I am sure.”

Mr. Sawford had been introduced by the Mayor of Higham Ferrers (Ald. J. W. Barker, J.P.). The ceremony was also attended by Coun. J. Allen, Coun. E. A. Sugars (members of the Rushden Area National Savings Committee), Mr. A. Maclean (hon. secretary), and Miss K. Lamb (assistant secretary) who will be in charge of the centre.

Centre for Savings Every facility for investments in the form of National Savings is offered at the new centre in High-street, Rushden, opened last Saturday by the Council Chairman (Mr. W. J. Sawford). Seen at the opening ceremony (L. to R.) are Mr. A. Maclean (hon secretary), Coun. J. Allen, Miss K. Lamb (assistant secretary in charge of the centre), Coun. Sawford and Ald. J. W. Barker, Mayor of Higham Ferrers.

Rushden Area Savings - National Savings in the Rushden area for the week ended December 26th totalled £2,383, comprising £1,616 from Rushden, £270 from Higham Ferrers and £497 from Raunds.

RushdenCertificates £877, Defence Bonds £20, P.O. Bank £719.

Higham FerrersCertificates £111, Defence Bonds £10, P.O. Bank £149.

RaundsCertificates £266, Defence Bonds £175, P.O. Bank £56.

Rushden Area Savings - National Savings in the Rushden area for the week ended January 16th totalled £7,853, comprising £6,279 from Rushden, £735 from Higham Ferrers and £839 from Raunds.

RushdenCertificates £2,674, Defence Bonds £290, Savings Bonds £1,427, P.O. Bank £1,888.

Higham FerrersCertificates £463, Defence Bonds £20, P.O. Bank £252.

RaundsCertificates £607, Defence Bonds £10, P.O. Bank £222.