SHIPPING VETERAN

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 173, 19 April 1937, Page 10

SHIPPING VETERAN

Mr. Fred Prince Retiring FORTY-FIVE YEARS’ SERVICE After continuous, active association witli shipping in AA’ellington for nearly .15 years. .Air. Fred. Prince, assistant to the marine superintendent of the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, Ltd., is retiring on superannuation at the end of this month. He will carry with him in his retirement the good wishes of a host of friends. Before entering the service of the Shaw. Savill and Albion Company, Mr. Prince was for 15 years on the tallying staff of tlie New Zealand Shipping Company, Ltd., being clerk-in-charge during the last eight years of his association witli that company. In 1908. Mr. Prince was appointed clerk of tlie stevedoring department of the Shaw, Savill aud Albion Company. Ltd., under the late Captain E. J. Evans, who was then marine superintendent for the company at AA’ellington. In 1921, Mr. Prince was promoted assistant to the marine superintendent, a position then held by the late Captain T. H. Chudley, who had succeeded to the post on the death of Captain Evans. Since that time Mr. Prince has acted as assistant to the late Captain AV. R. Kershaw and to Captain AA’. H. Hartman, the present marine superintendent for the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company at AA’ellington. During his long association with the waterfront, Mr. Prince has seen a vast development in the trade of the port of AA’ellington. Forty-five years ago berthage facilities in the port covered little more than Queen’s AA'harf. whereas to-day they extend in a continuous line from Taranaki Street almost to tlie iloatiug dock. In 1893 the total tonnage of shipping entering the port was 925.400 tons, but last year it reached the record level of nearly 4,000,000 tons, well over 2.000.000 tons of cargo being handled. AA'hen Mr. Prince first became associated with the Wellington waterfront, tlie direct steamship services between New Zealand and Great Britain were in their infancy. He saw the rapid transition from sail to steam and watched the passing of the old-time clipper ships of the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company and the New Zealand Shipping Company. AVell he knew such lie.aut.iful sailing ships as the Lady Jocelyn, Hermione, AA’ellington, Invercargill, Otaki. Turakina, and many others, and hv was familiar with the early steamships of the trade, the first Tainui. Arawa, lonic. Coptic. Tongariro. and Kaikoura. He saw tlie rapid development of tlie refrigerated cargo trade, and the continuous growth in the size of the ships aud fleets of the companies to their present great dimensions, and lie saw, too, tlie advent of the oilburning steamer and tlie oil-engined motor-ship. Mr. Prince’s association with shipping covers a very long aud eventful period in the maritime history of tlie Dominion. In his time Mr. Prince has known several generations of seafarers and has been actively associated with their comings and goings. He, has always been a good friend to the “floating staffs” of the companies he has served, titid among litem lie has numbered hosts of lifelong friends. His genial presence and his kindly nature have endeared him to hundreds, afloat and ashore, and Fred Prince will be greatly missed when his active association with ships ceases at. the end of this month.

“Aly hobbies are flower culture, wearing a good ‘buttonhole,” keeping old friends, and telling stories,” said Mr. Prince yesterday, and the sincere wish of liis many friends -is that he maylong be spared to carry them on.