The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-09-11
LABOR NEWS
FROM BRITAIN
. WORKERS SAVINGS
CHECK INITIATION
. COOPERATION WITH
EVACUATION SCHEME

The full story Of the British work.
ers' war effort must be pieced to-
gether from innumerable apparently
unrelated items of information. When
they can all be put together they will
form a wonderful pattern of continu-
Gus sacrifices, controlled and guided
to single end.
Not the least significant illustra-
ton Of well-directed effort is supplied
by the war savings campaign. It has
yielded some astonishing results.
Since the campaign began a total
of close upon $1,000 millions has been
saved-saved in the literal sense of
,pendable income set aside from cur
rent consumption-mainly by the
working people. There are now near
ly quarter of million savings
groups operating all over the country,
whose function it is to collect savings
week by week and to encourage the
purchase Of savings certificates, de-
fense bonds and deposits in the Post
Office Savings Banks and Trustee
Savings Banks.
This gathering in of unspent week
ly income goes on now at the rate of
nearly G1O,0OO,0OO week. New saw
ings groups are being formed at the
rate Of over thousand week.
The latest official figures Of all
branches of small savings since the
campaign began show a grand total
to date of 1894 1898. 1t is all vol
untary saving. There is no compul-
sion anywhere, no forced deductions
from wages, no offer of premium
bonds or any other sort Of appeal to
the gambling instinct.
Why the People Save
The campaign of thrift is directed
by national savings committee. The
T. U. C. General Council is represent
ed upon it and it's work is actively as
sisted by officials Of the trade unions
In various areas there are trade
union advisory committees and the
chairman of the committee for the
London area is Alfred Wall. His
union, the London Society of Com
positors, has inculcated habits of
thrift among many generations OF
printers craftsmen. He has just is
sued leaflet telling trade unionists
why war savings are necessary:
because the principal function
of trade unionism is to keep wages
up and to secure a fair distribu-
tion of wealth.
2-Because to keep wages up
prices must be kept down.
3-B ecause concentration of
finance in the hands of few peo-
pie is neither good for the country
nor in the interests Of the workers.
Explaining the second point, ALFRED
Wall emphasizes the fact that the wal
has brought about a shortage of con
sumable goods and if the demand fol
them is uncontrolled their price will
go up: Therefore, every penny spent
except upon life's necessities reduce:
real wages. 1t is better to have none,
and save it than to pay it all out be
cause of terrific rise in prices"
Systematic Saving Now Possible
From another standpoint, Ernes
Bevin reinforces the argument abou
war savings as it presents itself t
him as Minister Of Labor.
He points out that with the de
velopment of rationing in clothing
boots and great many other goods
together with control of prices, tn
workers can budget their expenditure
more accurately and know week b!
week how much they can save.
Then the essential work order, b,
giving workers a guaranteed weekl.
wage, stabilizes the weekly income
"and that gives you chance to pu
all the bonus earnings and overtim
back into war savings and so turl
this situation into a real businesslik
affair: Security Of tenure, increase'
output, increased earnings, increased
savings"
A third message comes from tn
chairman of the TUG. George Glib
son told a conference on war say
ings in the north to save by wearing
old clothes. Beware of new clothes,
he said. at is sign of respecta
bility for you to wear well-wor
clothes. If your trousers are frayec
don't fret. Better be ragged now an
save some money in the bank than b
dressed like toffs. Those with saving
will have the advantage when ba
times come"
In addition to what they are doin
in the way of savings, five millio
workers, contributing one penny
week each to the Red Cross and 81
Johns Ambulance Fund, have raise
to date over $3.50, O,00O-and the pen
MES keep rolling in.
Learning to Live
Another insutficiently considere
aspect of wartime effort is tn
maintenance Of the national syster
of education under conditions whic
have thrown both children and teach
ers into entirely new surrounding!
This is matter which reflects enol
nous credit upon the trade union OF
ganization of teachers.
Two days after the outbreak of wa
a three-day migration, properly OF