MISSED AGAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 239, 8 October 1940, Page 7

MISSED AGAIN.

GERMAN HOPES. London Industries Still Working. British Official Wireless. (Reed, noon.) RUGBY, Oct. 7. The Board of Trade states that if the aim of Hitler and Goering was to seriously impede commercial and industrial activity in the Greater London area during a month of intensive day and night bombing, it had signally failed. Inquiries addressed by the Board of Trade to members of firms of export groups and trade associations in the area give conclusive proof that the overwhelming majority of the works engaged in the export trade are keeping up full production and are making deliveries -to contract time for dispatch to customers overseas.

Even in the most heavily bombed areas works which have been repeatedly hit have been able to adapt themselves quickly to front line conditions.

A typical example is a works in the neighbourhood of the docks, employing 1200 people. This works has been bombed eight times within three \v«A%. Every known typo of bomb has fallen upon one or the other section of the works.

A big carpenter's shop, general stores, a large paint shop and metal-working shop were destroyed. So were stocks of raw materials, and the principal generator was put out of action. Yet the managing director of the company owning the works was able to report only two days after the latest raid that as a consequence of resourceful organisation their output was already buck to nearly 70 per cent of normal and increasing dail; .

Another works in the same area reports thut within 30 hours of the almost total destruction of the premises production for export orders had been transferred under a prearranged "shadow plan" to another factory in north England, and the output was being fully maintained.

The London Chamber of Commerce has a membership of some 0000 firms engaged in every branch of light and heavy industry. Fewer than 20 of these firms have notified the chamber of the necessity to move to temporary addresses owing to damage caused to their premises by bombing. All firms continue to "deliver the goods."