The Northern Steam Ship Co.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 284, 1 December 1898, Page 15 (Supplement)

The Northern Steam Ship Co.

(LIMITED).

n . mTia]lv 's finest vessels are ™7 Waged. The Wakatere, vnnninff in the Thames settee was construcated on the Clyde, and'is a. splendidly appointed steamer tith capacity for carrying over 1000 While these services have % £en developing so rapidly pressing iSrements in other directions have I 1 /been neglected, ancL.n connect.on I t 1 these Die Waiotahi was built or lAp B-iV of Plenty trade, and the Waj- ' '*S«ri Mnritai and Kanieri purchased "Mthe East and West Coast services. ~.,-4 company do not insure their yes- . J '7 \ ut : have an insurance fund (now

A LARGE PROVINCIAL CONCERN,

HE Northern Steam Ship Company, -whose black and white funnel steamers are well known, has been no inconsiderable factor in the remarkable progress made by the province during late years. Ds fine fleet of coastal, steamers has largely overcome the disadvantages under which settlers have laboured in the cost of carriage of produce to the Auckland market. Founded in 1881, the early years of the company's history were marked by many vicissitudes, but in spite of reverses its policy has always been progressive, with the result that today the province is as well provided with facilities for sea carriage as any district in the colony. The company was formed by the amalgamation of the interests of several shipowners, and commenced operations with such vessels as the lona, Argyle, Staffa, Douglas and Eawene, all of which have now passed out of active service, most of them having been sold. Soon alter its formation the company purchased the handsome steamer Wellington from the Union Steam Ship Company, and subsequently had the steamers Gleneig, Clansman and Uairloch built on the Clyde.

standing al; J.2t>,000), which has been used in the purchase and construction of new steamers for the increased requirements of the districts which the company serves. Practically the whole of the. produce of Die province down as far as the East Cape passes through Auckland, and the bulk^'ol: this (as well as the requirements of the country districts from Auckland) is carried by the company's steamters. Throughout its history the company has been remarkably free from serious accidents, and while carrying many hundreds of thousands of passengers.

For the first three years the shareholders received dividends at the rate of ten per cent., but for a long jwriod alter that the company was non-divi-dend paying. This was largely owing lo the depressed state, of trade, and the cost of opening up communication with new districts. The seamen's, strikes, too, which were a feature of the hitler eighties, seriously interfered with the company's progress, and threatened at one time to paralyse its entire trade. With 1890 the tide of prosperity returned and the shareholders that year received the modest dividend of 2A per cent., in the following year ,') per cent, was paid, from 1592 to 189G 6 per cent., and since, then 7 per cent. During this period the fleet has also been steadily improved and augmented, old wooden steamers being replaced by smart new vessels. Several rival concerns have also been bought, out, and the area of the company's operations considerably extended. Among the new trades may bo mentioned the Thames, Paeroa and Coromandel services, which have steadily grown with the progress of the gold/iclds, and in which some of the

is fortunate enough to be able to say that it has neither lost'"ti vessel nor a life. The increasing business of the company hits rendered necessary the erection of new offices in Quay-street, just opposite the wharf used by its steamers, and of which the accompanying illustration conveys a good idea. It is expected the building will be; completed early in, the neV^yettr, ,and it will afford much grea_erMacj>litics in the carrying' on of the cofe-Tjany's business. i§ The late Mr D. B. CriiickshaTrik was the first chairman of the company,

and held the position until his death, in 1895, when he was succeeded by the present chairman, Mr James Mac* farlane. The other directors arc Capt. 11. ¥. Anderson, Messrs W. S. Wilson, J. R. Cray, and A.711. Nathan; and Ihe following are chief officers of the company:—Mr Charles Hanson, manager; Mr John .). Ker, accountant; Mr .'John Coutts, superintendent engineer; and Mr George Cow, assistant superintendent engineer. The fleet comprises the following 27 vessels: Vessel. Tons. Clausula ill 591 Wakatere 440 Wellington 429 Gairloch 373 Terranora 349 Gletielg 2SS Waiotahi 27S Taniwha 262 Waimarie 245 Murital 221 I'ona 220 Kanieri .203 Rotomahana 183 Wa.ita.mgi 171 Chelmsford 121 Ohinemuri 1.1.4 Coromandel 100 Paeroa 91 Ngunguru SO Patiki . r>9 Katikati 36 Pingal 34 Steam Launches. Matuku Eliza Little George Falcon Kopu