THE RANGATIRA

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 116, 19 May 1931, Page 10

THE RANGATIRA

LAUNCHING CEREMONY

COMPLIMENTS EXCHANGED

TJ.S.S. CQ.'S ENTEEPRISE

Full' particulars have arrived from "The Post's" London correspondent with regard to the launching of the Union Steam • Ship Company's new ferry steamer Bangatira, which is to replace the Maori in the Wellington-Lyttelton service, and is expected to arrive in time for the next; Christmas rush. The vessel was launched from the Naval Construction works of Vickers-Arm-strongs, Ltd., at Barrow-in-FuTness, by Lady Wilford, wife of the High Commissioner., Owing to the great depression in the shipbuilding industry (writes "The Post's" correspondent) it was felt by the owners and the builders of the ship that the ceremony should be as quiet as possible. :

The following guests were invited: Sir. Thomas; Wilford (High Commissioner), Sir Charles Holdsworth (managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company), Mr. Alex.■ M. Michie (director of the London Board of the Union Company), Commander 0. W. Craven, 0.8. E., B.N. (managing.director of the Northern Works, and Shipyards of Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd.), and Mrs. Craven, Mr. GK W. Barr, Mr. J. Callander,'Mr. H. Thompson'(special directors of Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd.) and their wives, Mr. B, W. Biigg (naval architedt of the Peninsular and. Oriental Steam Navigation Co.), Mr; 8.-. T. Clarke (superintending engineer of the company), Mr. F. S. Miller (naval architect of the Union Company), Mr. W. T. Tucker (superintending engineer |'of--fhe Union1 Company), Mrs: Tucker, Mr. W. J. Belsey (manager of the Marine Department of British ThomsonHouston Co.), Captain J. B. Ohlson, 1X8.0., 8.N.8.. (of the P. and 0. Company), representatives of the Union Company, Board of Trade, Lloyd's Eegister of Shipping, and officials of the Vickers-Armstrongs works at Barrow.

MEMENTOES TOE LADY WIL- ,•■ ■ \ •'•,- FORD. ■■-■ --■ ; '

: At (the subsequent luncheon, Commander Craven said that they owed a deep debt of gratitude to Lady Wilford for' coming to'laurich the Eangatira. He did not think it would have been possible" to find one to carry out this important operation whose associations were more closely connected with the Union Steam Ship Company of New! Zealand, as her father, the late Sir George M'Lean, was chairman of the company from' 1875 to 1906. It Was usual on these occasions to ask the lady Who' has launched a ship to accept a little; memento. With the best wishes of the ■ builders, he presented Lady: Wilf ord with a diamond brooch, in the form of a true lovers' knot with a big centre diamond.. Accompanying the brooch was. an inscription giving 'details of the function.^ Later: Mr. A. M. ■' Michie,' on behalf of the Union Company, presented Lady Wilford with a bar brooch, three' diamonds on platmum. He said that the directors' of the. Union-.Steam Ship Company had not forgotten the great services of her father, who. was. >th"c first chairman of directors of,the company. . ;

BUILT AT BABRQW.

Commander Craveli, proposing the toast of the Rangatira, said it was nofr the first ship Barrow had built for tho Union Steam Ship Company. The Takapuna was' launched by the Barrow' Shipbuilding Company in 1883, and she was,actually in service until 1924. "While I (sincerely hope 'that the teangatira will have a very useful and profitable career," Comijiauder Craven added, "I think it only fair to say that. I trust for the sake of the very depressed industry in which we are engaged that she will require replacing before she arrives at such a great age.

"It has been the earnest ondeavour of tho company' to establish themselves firmly as builders of high-class passenger ships, and when L tell you that Barrow-built ships are sailing the Atlantic for the' Cunard Company, four ships are regularly trading to Australia in the service of- the Orient (Company, one ship has recently been delivered to the New Zealand Shipping Company for service between. the Domfiiion and this country, another three ships are in the service' of the Aberdeen Line in the Australian service, and wo now have under construction the two largest ships, in the P. and O. fleet, and at Newcastle a very interesting ship for service between New York and Bermuda for Furness, "Withy, and Company, I think it is a matter1 of congratulation to the staff and workpeople of / this-establishment. "In. giving you the toast, of the Kangatira, I trust "that she will be a useful - and'profitable addition to an important fleet operating a long way from this'country, and therefore yielding to us a contribution to the. invisible exports, which are.so badly needed in these. difficult" times."

"FROZEN CAPITAL."

' Sir Thomas "VVilf ora, r the High Commissioner, said that he had been impressed during his visit with the enterprise of the firm. Victors-Arm-strongs .was'a'firm that was prepared to move forward and take a ■ chance. It was a firm with confidence, and he believed that if there was one thing to-day that militated against the reIturn to prosperity of this great country it was the want of confidence. "You have got millions of frozen capital in this country lying in your banks earning practically no interest, because you Haven't got confidence, and if the sun of confidence could thaw that frozen capital and. make it flow into the channels of industry ■ and . commerce what a change'there would be amongst you. 'But hero you have got a modern--firm with, modern methods. Too long science has been divorced from industry, but here this morning science is married to industry, and in the consummation of .that marriage you see the progress whiclu has brought this firm to its present' high state of efficiency, standing,. and • character; which must be the . admiration of- c very true Britisher.; , -..■■. .

SIR THOMAS'S ADVICE,

. "It is necessary for cv.cry, industry that desires to make progress in this country. and to advance .to advertise. I have been.tp 32. countries,in. my life, and have seen many shipyards—in Japan, Italy, Germany, Great' Britain, and different countries, and I want, to say!that I think for versatility, upto- rdateness, arid for the multiplicity of designs and extraordinary adventurous methods Vickers-Armstrpngs is certainly''entitled to take a: very high rank indeed. You know quite well that Britain to-day, as the constructional, engineers of the world, is 'facile princeps,' but. unfortunately you don't boost yourselves enough. It is absolutely first, and there is none to challenge it. The only argument that can be used against the construction of the British engine to-day is- the very one used by ypur chairman in his speech, when he said: 'I hope the ship that. we have launched to-day won't last as long as the last one did.' I would like?to say to this firm, 'Get ready for this passenger ship and freight ship trade.'' It is a big one. It is going to increase by leaps and bounds. The application of science to agriculture in our country, the providing of more freight for cargo steamers has become an accomplished fact. No matter what line of produce you look at—our apples, jumping from 260,000 cases six years ago to 1,500,-

000 this year; our lamb,, to-day there are 2,200,000 carcasses on the water on the way to this country from; the-Ar-gentine, Australia, and New. Zealand, and of these 1,600,000 are New Zealand."

A PROUD RECORD.

. Sir Thomas concluded by. referring to • the ■ Union Steam. Ship Company. "What company as old as the Union Company," he asked, "has: got in.its articles of association the establishment and maintenance of aircraft? In the articles of association of the Union Company: they: foresaw the possibilities of aircraft, and provided for it. The enterprise of the Takapuna referred to by your chairman dates back to 1883. The first ocean-going vessels of mild steel and bilge keels were exemplified in the Botomahana in the year 1879. The first vessel ever furnished throughout with incandescent light was provided by the Manapouri in 1882. The first turbine-driven vessel was found in the Lungana in 1904. The first passenger vessel using oil fuel under British Board of Trade certificate was the Niagara in 1913, and then the first large- passenger ship using motor engines was the Aorangi, m 1924. There is a company which in our faroff land is part of the institutions ol our land. The Bangatira in.ojiv language means 'Big Chief.' The ship that it sails alongside is the Wahine. The Wahine is the wife of the Bangatira or the Big, Chief, so the;Bangatira and the Wahine will still alternatively sail from Lyttelton to Wellington in. days to '■ come, and will keep up what I beilieve to be from my travels as fine a ferry service as can be. shown in any part of the world." .