SECOND MINESWEEPER

Grey River Argus, 10 September 1941, Page 8

SECOND MINESWEEPER

RIMU LAUNCHED AUCKLAND, Sept. 9. A fortnight after the launching ot ihe minesweeper Hinau, her sistershin Rimu wal sent down the slipway to-clay, after being christened with a bottle of New Zealand wine by Mrs Parry, wife of Commodore Parry, Chief’of the Naval Staff. Like that of the Hinau, it was a nerfect launch, the stout steel and wooden vessel sliding slowly into the Waifpmata where she was picked up bv a tu 0 ’ and towed to the fitting-out basin A sprig of rata was at the bow and as the ship gathered speed down the greased ways, the New Zealand Ensign the Union Jack, and the White ’ Ensign were broken out aboard, and there were ee ' s the large crowd, while the National Anthem was played. , Commodore Parry congratulated all associated with the construction and launching of the ship. R s‘^ I rr ’ n^ ul ° the fact that Auckland had a sub stantial shipbuilding industry in the past, he said that although steel had superseded wood there was no reason why larger ships of war, also con } mercial vessels when the war wao over, could not be built in the Dominion. Quoting the case of Ja P an > 7? added that the absence of iron should not be a bar, as there was plenty available in Australia. He hoped that New Zealand firms would take advantage of the opportunity.

WORK AT PORT CHALMERS. PA WELLINGTON, Sept. 9. Mr A. E. Dennis, Engineer and Technical Adviser to the Department of Industries and Commerce, has been appointed General Manager or Stevenson and Cook Ltd., engineers, of Port Chalmers, and will leave Wellington shortly to take up the position. The firm are contractors to the Government for building minesweepers. This will be the immediate and mam work Mr Dennis will direct, together with the planning and estab-; lishment of new modern works and 1 foundry. | While in the Government’s service, which he joined in 1938. Mr DennisJ was in charge of the dismembering] of the “Port Bowen”, with which went the rehabilitation of the idle Kakariri Freezing Works. Following its success with the “Port Bowen,” 1 the Government decided to take over and break up the “Mokoia,” at Port Chalmers, and Mr Dennis will continue to direct these related works and also supervise the recovery of steel plate from pipe lines of the abandoned section of the Waipori Hv-dro-electric Scheme, operated by the Dunedir City Council. Before ioining the Government service, Mr Dennis was with Cory, Wright and Salmon. Wellington. Mr G Gould. Engineer with the Patent Slip Company, Wellington, has been appointed works manager to Stevenson and Cook.