Page 703 - Reading Mercury

appropriately named the “Garth,” which had many local associations, and its adoption
would mean raising, the objective to £400,000.
Mr. Reeves also read a letter from the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, in which he
said he was interested to hear of our Warship Campaign, and expressed his cordial
good wishes. “The Royal Navy have done so much for us, let us do all we can for
them.”
A letter was also read from Mrs. Howard Palmer, telling of the good work of the
Women’s Institutes. Fourteen groups in Wokingham Rural area have collected £3,799
11s. 1d. in the last six months.
Referring to the suggestion that the Easthampstead Rural District should hold their
week at the same time as Wokingham, Captain J. M. Tasker, Regional Savings
Commissioner, said that this friendly rivalry between districts caused great interest
and helped both campaigns considerably.
After the Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Baxter, had read the minutes of the last meeting, Mr.
Briscoe told the meeting that Wargrave feels that it could raise more money if it held
its week separately. £30,000 had already been promised if the week was held early in
the new year.
The Mayor hoped that Wargrave would reconsider its decision and come in with the
rest of the District, while Col. Burnell, the Chairman of the Wokingham Rural District
Council, also said that he thought it a great pity Wargrave should be so parochially
minded. Small units should throw themselves into an opportunity of this kind. Perhaps
the Navy could find a rowing boat for them to adopt if they had a week of this kind.
The Wargrave committee eventually decided to reconsider the matter and announce
their decision at the next meeting of the main committee.
Capt. Tasker told how the small groups had responded magnificently to the Summer
Campaign, and that the Warships Weeks were intended to stimulate interest in small
savings and to dovetail the Summer Effort. Large sums are helpful to the campaign
but the basis of the campaign was the local groups and the small saver.
The ship Wokingham had been allocated was the destroyer “Garth,” and if
Wokingham succeeded in raising the money it would receive a replica of the ship’s
coat of arms, while the arms of the district would be placed on the quarter-deck of the
warship. He was sure that this appeal would not fall on deaf ears and that Wokingham
would raise the money, and surpass the objective by as much as possible.
Wokingham had originally decided to aim for the price of a Corvette, but as the
latest ships of this type cost only £120,000 it was decided to adopt the Destroyer. In
these times a high target is desirable. We all realise the need to tighten our belts now
that we are up against it, as never before. To pass the target would bring Victory
nearer and restore peace.
It was decided not to elect the sub-committees until the outer parishes had appointed
their committees, and reported to the next meeting which will be held on Tuesday,
th
December 30 .

th
Sat 13 Dec
THE POLITICAL UNITY OF ITALY
Last Tuesday Mr. A.G. Macrini, continuing his series of lectures for the W.E.A. at
the Town Hall, spoke on the “Political Unity of Italy.”

SAVINGS CAMPAIGN
th
War savings for the week ending November 29 totalled £7,685. Wokingham
Central Group has exceeded its target of £130 by raising during September, October,

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