WHALING SHIPS BRING BUSINESS TO WELLINGTON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18888, 14 October 1929, Page 8

WHALING SHIPS BRING BUSINESS TO WELLINGTON.

SKIPPER OF CHASER IS INJURED ON THE EVE OF DEPARTURE.

(Special to the “Star”) WELLINGTON, October 14. While the Kosmos and the whale chasers were preparing to depart on Saturday morning, Captain Sorensen, commander of one of the chasers, while superintending operations aboard his vessel, had his left thigh injured by an anchor falling on him, and was taken by ambulance to the Wellington hospital. It seemed a hard fate, as he was desperately anxious to accompany the expedition.

After treating him, the hospital authorities decided that, in view of the Kosmos carrying a capable surgeon, Dr Schreiner, they would be justified in letting the injured man be placed on board, and this was done. He went off m the ambulance very happy, despite the wound, that he was not going to be left behind in bed in the public hospital.

The whaler Sir James Clark Ross arrived almost as the Kosmos fleet cleared the heads, and the C. A. Larsen will arrive to-morrow.

The visit of the whalers means a good deal to Wellington financially. It is estimated that the stay of the Kosmos and her chasers involved a disbursement of between £9OOO and £IO,OOO, in addition to port charges and payment for 4000 tons of water and large quantities of stores. A goodly sum was spent in repairs of chasers and the provision of additional ventilators and other fittings to the Kosmos, Cable and Co. working day and night, and the services of eleven other engineering and foundry firms being required to get the jobs through in quick time.

The Kosmos was drawing 35ft of water fore and aft when she left. She w'ill call at Wellington on her return from the Ross Sea in March.

The view that the Antarctic whaling business is in danger of being overdone from the financial point of view is more or less confirmed by the master of the Kosmos. Whether the vast herds of w’hales are in danger of extermination from the wholesale killing operations now being carried on is another matter. Even the most experienced whalers are not prepared to express any definite opinions. Captain Thorstensen, of the Sir James Clarke Ross, who has had many years’ experience of whaling, is unable to say how many young a cow whale has in a year—whether one or whether it breeds only once in every two years. He believes, however, that the young whales develop in size very quickly. He has seen no diminution in the number of whales during successive voyages.

It is understood that Sir Douglas Mawson’s expedition in the Discovery will pursue investigations in the Australian sector of the Antarctic.

That the Norwegian Government is fully alive to the position is proved by the presence aboard the Sir James Clark Ross this voyage of Lieutenant Dansor, of the Norwegian Navy, who, in pursuance of the object of legislation passed in Norway, is charged with the duty of enforcing the regulations. He will act as inspector, and see that, so far as possible, young miniature whales or cow whales with calves are not killed. Moreover, Norway insists on every portion of the carcases being utilised. Lieutenant Dansor will not only see that the regulations are carried out in the fleet he is with, but in others as well if they are met. He will have the assistance of Captain W. W. Stuart, of the New Zealand Marine Department, who has been appointed administrative officer of the Ross Sea Dependency, and probably will sail in the C. A. Larsen.