1939-1941

When War loomed up in September, 1939, therefore we comprised a staff of twenty in Wellington, three in Christchurch, and eight in Auckland. I will make an Appendix at the end of this document, showing in rotation the departure of members of the staff for His Majesty's various branches of the Forces. This took place gradually and consequent on the scramble for increased and necessitous industrialisation for War purposes, our business in all sections got busier as our staff got less. Some relief was gotten for the inside staff by bringing the outside staff inside, and later petrol restrictions forced those that were still outside, inside, but our business didn't get any less - it got bigger. The position of goods, or course, was complicated considerably by the War plus licensing restrictions. Every transaction seemed to take twice the amount of thought and worry, that is, on the purchasing side, than there was any need for, but somehow the goods came, the service was rendered, and we carried on. Obviously as the staff got less, the remaining ones did increasing duties, and never have I known anybody to be more willing and happy to do their share and some more, than every member of our staff, right from 1939 to the present date. We found some of our old friends willing to give us a lift; in his spare time we called in almost regulary Arthur Tinney, our first employee, and right royally he has done his share since and up to date, giving us all the spare time from his own job that he can. In the warehouse and the heavy job, we are particularly grateful to Mr Percy Sadler, who joined us when we commenced selling Transmission Flat Belting, in 1936. He was a specialist on that line, and his efforts in Wellington and Wellington Province definitely established it for good. But since 1940 early, that work in the Province and in the City on belting and Ferodo has ceased other than on the telephone - he has never made a call. Our star Ferodo traveller, Mr Rowntree, for the last twelve months has had to be our stock records clerk, and general factotum at the counter, also odd warehouseman when shipments arrive.

Our ladies have had to do many things that used to be done by others; but they have fallen into line and done the most urgent things at the right time - and done it well.

Mr Lockhead, instead of selling motors all the time, has had to receive them, unpack them, repack them, dispatch them, and even at certain times when necessary, our Mr Martin has had to leave his pen and pencil and Dictaphone and take his coat off too.

It is somewhat wonderful to relate and think of the happy combination that must have been obtained, when in November, 1941, an avalanche of shipping arrive here all in one month, and between 80 and 90 tons of cargo was handled in and out by four persons whose aggregate ages was 182 years - some going!

The above (being part of an order for ten Transmissions) all for conveyors at Waitara Freezing Works, together with the Conveyor Chains, approximately 3,500 ft., all Bearings, Shaftings and other incidentals, comprised the single largest order for Renold & Coventry goods we have executed to date. Mr W. T Christian and Mr E. C Parker were jointly responsible for both the designing of Conveyors and the fabrication of Transmission.

During 1940 we also tried to do, and we did, a fairly good job so far as Reclamation of Waste for the Wellington City. I was appointed Chairman of the Metropolitan Waste Committee for the Salvage of Non-Ferrous Metals, and later Waste Paper. Our premises was the Depot for receiving, sorting, and dispatching material and the work was done voluntarily - 90 per cent by my own staff and 10 per cent by voluntary incoming labour now and then. Our co-operative effort in this direction over the first ten months of that effort yielded approximately £1,000 for the Patriotic Funds, as well as that value in metals for the War effort.

It will be obvious, therefore, that we still have a loyal and hardworking team.