“Business As Usual” In Whangarei

Northern Advocate, 6 September 1939, Page 6

“Business As Usual” In Whangarei

An appeal to business people not to become unduly affected by the outbreak of war was made by Mr J. S. T. Tudehope, president of the Whangarei Chamber of Commerce, at the quarterly general meeting last evening.

“War is upon us,” said th president. “It has come as a bombshell, in that until the last minute everybody thought that as there had been no war, there would be no war. We should be prepared to look upon it as a trial, individually and collectively, calling forth the two most outstanding characteristics of the ColonialBritish—adaptability and optimism.

The president said he felt the time of the present restrictions would be short, but in the meantime they must be accepted. The antidote for worry was work, and he trusted business people would not take the war too seriously.

“We must adapt ourselves to changing conditions,” he continued. “If we go round worrying and wringing our hands, we will infuse the same spirit into our staffs, and it will become contagious.”

He had been approached on the question of sport, and he felt that efforts should be redoubled to create diversions which would nullify any tendency to morbidity. He had been impressed with the cheerful spirit displayed by those endeavouring to secure oil licenses, the spirit displayed being more heartening. Mr G. N. Morris, S.M., who was guest speaker of the chamber, said, in opening his address, that it was not easy to talk to businessmen when minds were pre-occupied with questions of worldwide importance, but those thoughts had to be fought to avoid melancholy and perhaps panic. “Business as usual” had been a good old motto in former war years, and Mr Tudehope had added to that the need for recreation. He wished to add another—study. These factors had to be considered by businessmen.