SHIPPING IN THE EARLY DAYS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 16, 14 October 1907, Page 11

SHIPPING IN THE EARLY DAYS.

SOME INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. , Mr. Samuel Carroll, tho much respected octogenarian secretary of tho Chamber of Commerce, was reminiscent, not a usual 'us- state of mind for him. on "Whon I arrived in AVo.lirigton in 1862 lor- the ■■ Wellington Steam Navigation Co., the tho name-of which crops up occasionally, was in the 1 Il( l uida j; lon ! n .nd one of the first things I . ~. remember seeing was a notice outside Duncan ' end o l Y G n n " el ' s offic o. stating that a dividend ics- ot ±,JV 10s. was payable on tho shares of the Jch' company—£lo shares they were, too. Anjnd■ "Other"3os. was declared, afterwards, so that ufc _ each shareholdfcr: got £19, after having received a 10 per cent, dividend during the OU3 time the company was in existence." nee "How was it then that the company was Hie m liquidation?" ion ' "Well, it seems that at tho time the n he corapany was formed there was no statutory sed power providing for a permanent joint stock ;he ? om P anv - A timo limit of existence was nt _ imposed' on each -company formed, on tho j X expiration pf which there was a winding-up jj.g -and a re-formation or otherwiso as tho con,ctj dition of the company suggested. e( j "In that manner the steam navigation j.; x company was wound up—though as the , C( j figures show, it. was a very, prosperousconcern. . The company's fleet consisted of ' _ the Stormbird and the Wbnga Wonga, commanded .respectively by Captain Renner and .„ Captain Mundlo, 'the one-eyed skipper,' as ■ ■ ho was called." '•■'"' " j Everyone was content at the winding-up," as it was.thought that the time had arrived when , a permanent company (legislation having been enacted to permit of permanent joint stock companies) on broader lines with n- a larger capital should "be established.' A by further iriducement.-.to that end was offered at in a resolutipn passed by the House of Reis, preventatives to the; effect.that any further rs mail contracts wore to' bo given to, the local a' company. This with .the local' in idea as the mail contracts ( held by tho InBt' tercolonial Royal Mail Company were comrd ,ing .to a close." : : ■'■•'. ig ; ; '"So tho New Zealand Steam Navigation Is Company-Was formed, and at once took, 10 action tp enlarge, its, fleet. ' It .sent Mr. si, .'Dicky' Diincan' arid Captain Renner tc ie" Sydney,"' where thby purchased the Ladybird ir —still a'.hulk inthe Wellingtpn harbqur. of She,.'was; a, pretty, boat, .but a great fire-' r . eater,;and therefore . not' very- economical, 1 id They also bought the' Queen in Anstralia. •p The Auckland,pwners pf tile Rangatira were 35. induced to seli.that vessel and the Napier r3 owners alse spld tho Ahuriri, -taking up 10 shared in, the cempariy fpr part pf the purt , chase- menoy. The cpmpany further prdered the construction of the steamer Wellington at Home, and T remember that the - business' :.. was done through' N. AV. Levin, father of' ; ■ ; the late Mr. -W. H. Levin, formerly head I® of Levin and Co. ; That would be about the |° beginning of ,1863, as I was' accountant to- , fch<i company and remember drawing up the " first-'balance-sheefj..;, .• ... , 0 "After raking up quite a respectable fleet '" came something which seriously injured the (1 prospects of tho company, and finally did '- for it. 'Mr., Crosbie Ward ivent Home, ■ r and.,while there entered into : negptiations 7 with what became tho Panama Company, 11 by which it secured the mail contracts by •e, instituting a service that carried the mails (l Tia ."Panama.'•■•.•This powerful company I" equipped a strong fleet, that entered into '■•■ active competition with'tho Steam Naviga- ■- tion Company, with tho result.that both 11 companies languished and firiallv died in tho a oarly '70's." ; . '. ...;; ~ .' . , i, Mr. ParroUbelioves that 'it',was this run ■ of events that brought about Wellington's loss of the headquarters of steam navigaH tion-iu these waters,'for-on one occasion he .. remembers Mr. Duncan—"Dicky" Duncan 0 a letter from Mr. Cargill, of ■_ Dunedin, stating that he had received an s offor/from a firm .of shipbuilders at. Homo j. oftermg to build steamers by way of payr ment. .."This," wrote Mr. . Cargill 'to Mr. D Duncan, admitting Wellington's supremacy' r 111 such matters, "should suit you." And -1? '* would ,have done, had, it. not been' Tor j the Panama competition. : ,■■• ■ ~■ r "Of the New. Zealand Steam' Navigation 1 1 Oqmpanys fleet , only two . remain in com- ' ".'l sloll^ 30 ar as : know >" said Mr. Carroll, '. If*. o]d Stormbird . which. seems good for all time, _and_ the Wellington, which I un- !• derstand is still running out, of Auckland"