AFTER LONG SERVICE MR. T. W. WHITSON RETIRING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 73, 27 March 1914, Page 2

AFTER LONG SERVICE MR. T. W. WHITSON RETIRING

Mr. T W. Whitson, secretary of the Union Steam Ship Company, is, states a Press Association message from Dunedin, retiring after thirty -five years' connection with tho company. Mr. Whitson was born in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland, in 1847, and received his business training in Edinbuigh and London. He came to New Zealand at the end of 1875, and joined the Union Company in 1879 as chief correpondent at the head office, Dunedin. Iv 1891 he was appointed secretary of the company. During recent years he combined with the position the duties of relieving manager, and in this capacity took charge on mauy occasions of the chief branches of the company — Wellington, Auckland, Chrietchmch, Sydney, and also spent sometime in Fiji. In ]881 Mr. AVhilson was sent in charge of the company's first excursion to the South Sea Islands. Tins was made by the s.b. Wairarapa. She was the first steamer of any size to visit the Islands, and her splendid appearance and accommodation created great interest in the Fijian, Samoan, and Tongan Groups which she visited. In 1886, when the Union Company, in conjunction with the Oceanic Steam Ship Garopstny, of San Francisco, took oveT the San Francisco mail 6ervice, Mr. Whitson was despatched to Sau Francisco and London to organise the passenger traffic and arrange details of through booking, etc. During his Icng connection with the company Mr. Whitson has seen great changes, in its trades and in the personnel of the staff. When, he joined in. 1879 the fleet, which had not long previously been increased by the purchase of Messrs. M'Meekan, Black wood, and Co.'s steamerfe, consisted of 16 steamers, whose aggregate tonnage did not reach within 1100 tons, the tonnage of the latest addition to the company's fleet, the s.s. Niagara. The trades of the company were then confined to their coastal and intercolonial services. Now the fleet consists of, 74 steamers of an aggregate tonnage of 225,483 tons, and the flag of tlte company is seen in all four quarters of the globe. Of the 16 masters in command m^ 1879, only two are now alive — Captain Bernech, living in retirement in Roslyn, and Captaia M'Gillavry, who retired from the servico many years ago, and resides in Auckland. Of the branch managers and agents at the various New Zealand and Australian ports at that date only two are now connected with the company — viz., Mr. David Mills, manager at Sydney, and Mr. D. Williams, manager at Newcastle. Th& total clerical staff of the company numbers an present nearly 450. Of these only five were on the staff when Mr. Whitson joined, and of a head office staff now exceeding 100 only two of these were in the company's employ at that time. Of the original txnrd of directors there are only two alive — Sir Jamps Mills and Sir George M'Lean. The htter retire from office in 1906.