1930-1931

In 1930, although general trade conditions were not too good - were receding in line with the world situation - a little of the lack of capital expenditure, was made up in the commencement of real appreciable replacement business of our very early Drives, and business as a whole was maintained fairly well right through 1930.

In May of this year I journeyed to England via America; this time crossing the Continent by motor car, in company with Mr Charles Parker, Mr Stead of Sheffield, and Mr Orkner of Sydney.

I had a great reception in England from our principals, and was mighty fortunate in that the amalgamation between Renold Company and the Coventry Chain Company took place while I was still in England, and I was able to set forth the case of A. R. Christian Ltd., and show justification for our being the Agents for the new Combine. This was very fortunate. There was one big snag, however. It was made a condition of the combined Agency that the whole of the stock in New Zealand of Coventry chains and wheels for industrial purposes were to be purchased for cash by the new Agent, and while our finances were considerably better than they had ever been, they were by no means enough to sustain a sudden call for many thousands of pounds of this description. However, we got over this by sharing the burden with those people we had benefited by keeping to ourselves the exclusive Agency - ie., the Stockists - and we insisted on them sharing equally the burden, so that difficult stile was gotten over.

1930: Second Annual Conference of New Zealand Hans Renold Industrial Stockists

Back Row: Messrs. B. G. A Harkness, F. W Martin, Charles Hubbard, O. C. C Moffat, W. H Tooley, A. I Harrison, Evan Peterson

Front Row: Miss Gibson, Messrs. Eric Williams, J. H Vose, A. R Christian, Charles Palmer, J Peterson, Senr.

Also, while in England in 1930, although the matter was not finally decided, it was mooted, that we should also become Agents for all products of Renold and Coventry. Up to now we had not been representatives for the motor and cycle trade.

On my return from England I found that New Zealand was beginning to be influenced by the world depression and trade was receding. Fortunately, however, for some considerable time, our special specialisation on Freezing Works and Primary Production helped us to keep going at a reasonably good standard on Renold; Ferodo all the time decreasing in sales value, and everything being a very hard fight.

Meantime, at this period we had a particularly good and happy crowd for a staff, and therefore we made good in 1930 a lot better than a lot of people in similar businesses did.

During 1931 the fight got harder and returns got less in all lines. These were really our hardest and most uninteresting years, other than the fact that we were finding plenty of opportunities for creation in mechanisation for Freezing Works, and although we did a tremendous lot of creation and designing, for which there were never any corresponding orders, we definitely did educate ourselves, and it got about amongst the freezing engineers that we did our job and could help; so that when a problem wanted solving, we had the opportunity of solving it and supplying the goods. Nevertheless things got worse and worse, and actually through February, March, and April, 1932, our turnover in total was less than our wages bill for those three months.