Starvation Debenture. The Wastepaper Commissar of the Soviet Slave State promises to Repudiate the Bearer - his Promise to pay £21,000,000 (which he has not got) ...
Sydney, United Country Party Bureau of Publicity, Information & Research, [1932].
Oblong octavo (133 x 202 mm), an election handbill, printed in black and green on both sides.
Three horizontal creases where folded; one small top corner crease; essentially in fine condition.
'The "Starvation Debenture" is political election propaganda for the United Country Party for the June 1932 New South Wales State Government election. In 1932, the Country Party was led in New South Wales by M.F. Bruxner, in alliance with the United Australia Party led by Bertram Stevens, who became Premier after the June election. The "Starvation Debenture" features the hammer and sickle emblem in a circle at centre top, and ONE LANG printed in squares in each corner, "Starvation Debenture" is printed across the top to foot blame for the Depression to the three caricatures, Premier Jack Lang, union leader Jock Garden, and an unidentified politician (possibly Theodore the Federal Treasurer who was at odds with Lang), are printed in circles beneath this, accompanied by a printed caption criticising the Lang government. The text on the reverse side consists of further criticisms, particularly regarding Lang's loan 'repudiation policy', and urges support for the United Country Party: "Help United Country Party Candidates to Snip the Latch on Lang on June 11". The United Country Party was the forerunner of the present National Party' (for further information, visit the archived 'Objects through Time' exhibition on the NSW Migration Heritage website). Clearly a rarity: the copy in the above-mentioned exhibition, a well-worn and foxed example from the Powerhouse Museum, is the only one recorded in Trove. However, what it does bring to the surface are several articles in the digitised newspapers, establishing the following facts. The debenture was issued on Friday 3 June 1932, and it was illustrated in the 'Sydney Morning Herald' that day. The following day, the newspaper announced that the ensuing publicity resulted in a rush on the debenture, and that 'Two hundred thousand were ordered originally and the secretary of the party (Mr Munro) has made arrangements for more to be printed'!!! How those odds have blown out.
Item #106377
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