NORTHERN COMPANY

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume 49, Issue 7744, 13 July 1921, Page 4

NORTHERN COMPANY

MR. (’. HANSON'S RETIREMENT. Afrr managing the Northern Steamship Company for a period of 34 years Mr. Charles Ranson has tendered his resignation on account of age and health, and will relinquish his office at the end of this month At the meeting of directors held on Monday the chairman, Mr. C. Rhodes, said that they accepted Mr. Hanson's resignation with the greatest regret, lie had joined the company in us early days of small things and had helped to build up an important and useful fleet, valuable to the city and the coastal trade cf the province, while paying constant dividends over his whole term of management. Every director had personal evidence of the esteem and respect in which the officers, staff, and clients of the company held Mr. Ranson, and it must be a matter of pride to him to give up the reins of office knowing his absence was regretted by all. Other directors spoke in a similar strain, in reply, Mr. Ranson thanked the company for the generous way in which they had recognised his services financially, and expressed his dec]) regret at leaving the service of the company.

Mr. Ranson was born in Suffolk, England over 70 years ago -and came lo New Zealand about 1876. For five years In- managed the auctioneering and shipping activities of the firm of Freeman R. Jackson, of Wanganui. After opening an agency tor this firm at llawera he came lo Auckland as :-:couLnt for Hunter and Nolan, auctioneers, now known as the Loan and Mercantile Agency. In 1887, having wound up the affairs of his firm, Mr. Ransoa was on the eve of his depa~ ‘.lire from the Dominion, when Mr McCosh Clark, one of the directors of the Northern Steamship Company, casually mentioned to him that the directors had decided to wind-up the company. Dir. Hanson expressed the opinion that he could set the business on its feet again. Mr. Clark immediately obtained recommendations of Mr. Hanson’s business ability from city merchants and appointed him manager the next morning. At this time there were eight vessels in the fleet and about .100 employees, and the shares of the company were unsaleable at Is 6d each. Dir. Ranson wrote the capital and the shares down, reducing the £1 shares to 14s 6d and the 12s 6J shares to 7s, and proceeded to reorganise the business. So great was his success that at the present lime the company owns a fleet comprising 40 vessels and employs over 500 hands. The ships have all been bought under the direction of the manager, with the exception of the Clansman, which was in the fleet in 1887, and all have, answered their purpose well. Mr. Ranson has been instrumental in opening and establishing wharves and stores at all the ports from Opotiki to North Cape on the east coast, and from Wanganui to Cape Maria Van .-Diemen on the west coast. Five vessels have been lost in Mr. Ranson’s terms of office--the Gailock, eff Taranaki, in 1903 ; the Kia Ora, between Kawhia and- Raglan, in 1907; the Muritai, on the Hen and Chickens Island, in 1908; the auxiliary scow Te Teko, on Slipper Island, in 1920; and the Tasman, off Whakatane, in 1921. ' Captain R. C. Hammond, assistant, manager, has been appointed manager from the end of this month.-