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| Rushden Echo and Argus, 21st February 1941 |
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War Weapons Week
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Day-by-day Progress
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MONDAY £89,255 Higham’s Big Part in First Day Rushden, Higham Ferrers and Raunds War Weapons Week has made a flying start. The first day’s total is £89,255, representing actual cash figures for Saturday, and not including promises. It compares with £80,727 for the first day of Wellingborough’s campaign. Separate totals for towns and villages were;
Large investment’s already made include:
An investment by Messrs. John White Ltd., will be announced later. A crowd outside the old Rushden Post Office applauded with delight when the Council Chairman (Mr. J. Allen, J.P.) announced the figures at 12.45 to-day. After giving the Rushden figure, Mr. Allen observed : “Now, Rushden, here comes Higham Ferrers after you,” and the Higham figure was received with appreciation. Mr. Allen continued: “So on the first day we are practically one-third of the way there, but we are not thinking about £250,000 now, we are thinking more likely of getting nearly double that amount. You must see to it that we get a splendid total again to-morrow.” At Higham Ferrers Mr. Alfred Sudborough announced the figures from the Town Hall window. ………….. It was stated this afternoon that a Rushden firm of boot manufacturers has lent the Government £5,000 free of interest. The name of the firm is not available for publication. The selling centres at both Rushden and Higham Ferrers have been dealing with a heavy rush of business, and the banks and post offices have had a similar experience. It is whispered that Crabb-street, which has for some time led the way in street group savings, has subscribed over £200 since the week opened. The schools are making fine progress, and many industrial firms are doing all in their power to encourage and facilitate investments by their employees during the special campaign, though in other cases, it is stated, this course has not yet been taken up. TUESDAY £149,974 District Urged To “Bust Everything.” Greyhound speed is being maintained in the campaign, and the total announced at Rushden’s Old Post Office today by the Mayor of Higham Ferrers was £149,974. The amount invested yesterday was £60,719, and the area is still £8,000 ahead of the Wellingborough rate of progress. Coun. A. C. A. Colton, J.P., poured high spirits and vigorous optimism into the microphone as he said how proud he was to announce the total, “You will see,” he said, “we are well on our way, and at the end of the week we are really going to bust everything. Then came the story of the little Higham girl who begged 7s 6d from her parents to fill her savings stamp book and after purchasing her certificate came home crying because she now had an empty book. Mr. Colton foresaw smiles when the book was refilled and recommended smiles for all. “We shall ask you,” he continued, “to give us a new start with our indicator, because we are going right down to the bottom and start again before the week is out. We are going to show the rest of the county that we can lead them.” £5,000 and 5s. After announcing the receipt of £5,000 free of interest and a gift of 5s. (which will be sent to the Chancellor), from an old age pensioner, Mr. Colton declared; “Surely if an old age pensioner can do her bit, it is up to us to do our bit, so please don’t fail us.” Among those at the ceremony were Coun. J. Allen J.P. (chairman of Rushden Urban Council), Coun. T. W. Cox, Coun. W. E. Capon, Mr. A. Maclean (hon. Secretary), and Mr. A. Doran, of the National Savings Committee. Monday’s total was made up of:-
This made the district figures :-
Investments on Monday included £15,000 by Messrs. B. Denton and Son, Rushden, and £500 by the Northamptonshire Printing and Publishing Co. At Higham Ferrers to-day the new total was announced by Ald. Frank Walker, J.P. WEDNESDAY £194,463 Raunds Comes Along With Fine Spurt An intriguing position arises from to-day’s declaration of the Rushden, Higham Ferrers and Raunds War Weapons Week figures. Hitherto, Rushden had led the Wellingborough total each day by a matter of, £8,000, but the lead has now doubled, and the District’s original objective of £250,000 is beginning to look ridiculous. The grand total is now £194,463. A fine spurt by Raunds was the feature of Tuesday’s investments, which for the district totalled £44,489. Yesterday’s instalments were :
Mr. Walter C. Tarry (chairman of the War Bonds Committee) made the announcement at Rushden to-day. “You will see that we are still doing very well,” he said, “but there must not be any relaxing of our efforts if we are going to reach the objective that we have set ourselves. We are now in the middle of the campaign, and you all know that it is in the middle of the race that the pace begins to tell. What we need now for the next few days is a good, strong, steady flow of investments and then on Saturday one grand final burst, and I am sure that we are then going to beat the record. “Raunds and Higham Ferrers are helping us magnificently, and I feel confident that as citizens of Rushden we are going to see the Chairman of our Council going about in the spring with a brand new hat.” The latest list of investments includes :- £2,500 by the Rushden and District Gas Company £1,000 by Birch Bros. Ltd., and £1,000 by Municipal Mutual Insurance Ltd. This week’s savings by the Gordon Boot Co.’s employees at Rushden already exceed £250, and a gift for the Treasury of £15 12s. has been received from Messrs. Bignell’s Crabb-street closing room staff – the result of a dance. Coun. R. W. Janes made to-day’s announcement at Higham Ferrers. It will be observed that Higham is already far ahead of its original quota of £40,000. Another interest-free loan of £5,000 in connection with Rushden, Higham Ferrers and Raunds War Weapons Week was made known on Wednesday afternoon. It was from a Higham Ferrers firm in touch with the boot industry. An old lady walked into the Rushden selling centre on Wednesday, put down half-a-crown as a gift, and declared; “That’s against old Hitler.” The day also brought a gift of £1 from two old age pensioners. £250,280 Chairman Wins His New Hat Racing past the original objective of £250,000 Rushden, Higham Ferrers and Raunds area to-day won a new hat – it will be a trilby – for the Rushden Council chairman The total announced at Rushden this dinner-time was £250,280, and this means that the Rushden area has already subscribed more per head than did Wellingborough. Wellingborough’s total for the week was £457,115, and on an area population of 43,926 this worked out at £10 8s 1½d per head. Rushden district, with a population of 24,013, drew level at £249,879. Money invested on Wednesday was £55,817 and a fine feature of the day was the investment of £10,000 free of interest, by the Tecnic Boot Co., Rushden, whose principal, Mr. Walter C. Tarry, subscribed £1,000 to the Spitfire Fund last year. A new objective of £350,000 was announced to-day by Coun. W. E. Capon, of Rushden, after he had told the crowd about the Council chairman’s “hat trick.” The news was received with great enthusiasm. Pay Day Reminder Mr. Capon spoke of the tremendous cost of the war and figured out that the area’s contribution so far would keep the war effort going for 29 minutes. He described the great efforts of the schoolchildren and mentioned that during the week they had already saved nearly £1,500, one school realising £425, another £330 and a third £200. At Mr. Capon’s invitation the Council chairman presented the Limerick Competition prizes to the Rushden group of winners and a special clap was given for Stella Houghton, who wrote the best line of all and received an extra 6d. on her prize stamps. All the prizes were given by Mr. Capon. Resuming his speech, Mr. Capon said, “The chairman of the Council, in consultation with the Secretary, has decided to raise our aim from a quarter of a million to £350,000, and I am quite sure we shall accomplish it. Don’t forget that we have a pay day to-morrow and all money invested on Saturday will count towards the Week.” “The highest total per head in the neighbourhood was Northampton’s £13. I think we can take it for granted that we shall beat it.” said Mr. Capon. ……………….. Town and village totals now stand as follows:-
Latest investments include the Tecnic Boot Co.’s £10,000, £5,000 by the Prudential Assurance Co., £7,500 by the Rushden Industrial Co-operative Society and £2,000 by the London Central Meat Co. Two Telegrams Two telegrams were despatched by the Rushden Council chairman to-day. To Sir Kingsley Wood the message was : “Rushden and District War Weapons Week now exceeds its aim of £250.000. We have great hopes that our previous good record of War Savings will be permanently and substantially increased by this effort.” A wire to Lady Nunburnholme reads : “Rushden and District War Weapons Week now exceeds its aim of £250,000, thanks to your Ladyship’s splendid help. We are now making every effort to achieve the higher aim of £350,000.” Messrs. J. and C. Claridge, the Rushden boot manufacturers, are buying savings certificates on behalf of their employees who, if they belong to the savings group, may take them at a reduced price of 13s. each or if buying them on the instalment plan, at 14s. each. These concessions apply to certificates extra to those already being subscribed for, and new members joining the Factory Savings Group this week can buy what certificates they require at 14s. each. Already the 85 employees have asked for certificates to the value of £975, which is about £11 per head. At Higham Ferrers where Mr. J. Riseborough (Town Clerk) made the declaration to-day, scholars of the Council School have already saved £524 5s. this week. Their original aim was £250. Raunds Means To Get £50,000 Shoe Firms Buy Certificates in Advance for Workers Messrs. Adams Bros., the well-known Army boot manufacturers, of Raunds, are stimulating their savings group during War Weapons Week by purchase of certificates in advance for each member of the Group, which will be paid for by subsequent weekly instalments. The splendid lead given by the Raunds Distributive Co-operative Society by the promise of £4,000 was improved upon when Mr. Ralph Lawrence, the secretary, stated that the committee had decided to invest a further £1,000, making the total £5,000. An indicator made at the Raunds Senior School, and on view in the Co-operative furniture shop Brook-street, Raunds, shows the daily progress of the £50,000 effort. The War Savings scheme initiated by Messrs. James Chambers and Son, Ltd., heel manufacturers, Park-road, Raunds, has been taken up so enthusiastically by the employees that the Raunds total contribution to War Weapons Week will be materially increased by this means. 15s for 13s 6d It will be remembered that the firm very generously offered to take up during this week as many 15s War Savings Certificates as their employees desired, and to accept repayments in instalments to the extent of 13s 6d only. The firm therefore are giving the holders 1s 6d on each certificate. The 75 employees of Messrs. Chambers have quite naturally jumped at this handsome offer and on Tuesday no less than £1,000 worth of certificates had been applied for by the employees alone. This sum is quite apart from the amount invested by the firm, and before Raunds War Weapons Week closes on Saturday night it is believed that it will be materially increased. “We are all in this war, and I venture to say that never has the general public been more anxious to see the end of a war. And I suggest to you that the best possible way of assisting to do this is to support War Weapons Week to the utmost of your ability said Coun. A.O. Fox, chairman of Raunds Urban Council, addressing an audience at the Carlton Cinema on Tuesday. He was making a War Weapons Week appeal. On Wednesday, Coun. Fox spoke to the schoolchildren, who were continuing their Christmas treat with a cinema show and he repeated his appeal to adults at the Tivoli cinema yesterday (Thursday) evening. Navy Will Use Weapons Well For the opening day of the campaign there was a message from the first Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. A.V. Alexander a frequent visitor to this area. “I am very glad to hear that the citizens of Rushden, Higham Ferrers and Raunds are hoping to raise £250,000 in the coming War Weapons Week at this period of the greatest national struggle in which we have ever been involved,” wrote the First Lord. “We need every penny that we can raise; I promise that whatever weapons you provide for the Navy will be used with the utmost determination. “Every ship, every aircraft, every gun, not only gives us power to attack, but also helps to save the lives of our fighting men. “To win victory we want from our workers more production; we want from you more money to finance production. I am confident that you will have a splendid response to your appeal, and I wish you every success. Mr. Anthony Eden (Foreign Secretary) also sent good wishes for the success of the campaign. Rushden Poster Competition While investors were keeping the clerks busy in the War Weapons Week selling centre at the old Rushden Post Office on Monday afternoon, Ald. C. W. Horrell, J.P. and Mr. E. W. Mann spent an hour in the large room at the rear selecting the best of 192 posters. [see pictures page] Advertising the National Savings Campaign, the posters were the original work of Rushden and visiting schoolchildren, and their great variety and general excellence gave the adjudicators a most difficult task. They are open to public inspection throughout the week. “It has been extraordinarily difficult to judge them,” said Mr. Mann, with whose opinion Ald. Horrell entirely agreed. “The colouring is very good, and the ideas also. They have kept to the point very well.” Prize Winners Mr. Horrell is giving the prizes, and the winners are :- Children 12-14 1. (National Savings Certificate) Jack Hardwick (12). “Weapons Win Wars” – a clever picture of a British plane chasing a Messerschmitt off the map of England 2. (stamps value 7s. 6d.) E. Rappitt (13) – “Your Cheque for Weapons” – a cheque on “Everyman’s Bank,” neatly introduced among good lettering. 3. (stamps value 5s.), W. Chettle (12). “Saving for the Brave” – a pastel poster with warship design. 4. (stamps value 5s.), R. Muscutt (13), “Victory Must Be Ours” – the old “Victory” with good lettering. 5. (stamps value 5s.), Joyce Guy (12), the work of an evacuee to whom the countryside evidently appeals. Children 11 and under 1. (National Savings Certificate) Jean Esco?? (11), an L.C.C. evacuee. “Buy These and Stamp Out This” – a smart notion of a savings stamp obscuring Hitler. 2. (stamps value 7s. 6d.), E. Shrives (11) “Join the Crusade” – a good picture of a Crusader. 3. (stamps value 2s. 6d.) Brian Pratt (8), “Weapons Win Wars” – a pastel poster. Infant Class 1. (stamps value 2s. 6d. Peter Johnson (7). The competition was ably organised by Mr. S. A. Lawrence, headmaster of the Alfred-street Mixed School.
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