SHIPPING MANAGER.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1921, Page 2

SHIPPING MANAGER.

TH® NORTHERN COMPANY. MR- C. RANSON’S RETIREMENT. After managing the Northern Steamship Company for a period of 34 years, Mr. Charles Ranson has tendered his resignation on account of age and health, and will relinquish his office at the end of this month. At the meeting of directors held last week, the chairman Mr. C. Rhodes, said that they accepted Mr. Ranson’s resignation with the greatest regret. He had joined the company in its early days of small things and, had helped to build up an important and ireful fleet, valuable to the city and the coastal trade of the province, while paying constant dividends over his whole term of management. Every director had personal'evidence of the esteem and respect in which the officers, staff, and clients of the company held Mr. Ranson, and it must be a matter of pride to him to give up the reins of office knowing his absence was regretted by all. Other directors spoke in a similar strain. In reply Mr. Ranson thanked the for the generous way in which they had recognised his service financially, and expressed his deep regret at leaving the service of the company.

Mr, Ranson was born in Suffolk, England, over 70 years ago and came to New Zealand about 1876.. For five years he managed the auctioneering and shipping activities of the firm of Freeman R. Jackson, of Wanganui. After opening an agency for this firm at Hawera he came to Auckland as accountant for Hunter and Nolan, auctioneers, now known as the Loan and Mercantile Agency. In 1887, having wound-up the affairs of his firm, Mr. Ranson was on the eve of his departure from the Dominion, when Mr. McCosh Clark, one of the directors of the Northern Steamship Company, casually mentioned to him that the directors had decided to windup the company. Mr. Ranson expressed the opinion that he could set the business on its feet again. Mr. Clark immediately obtained recommendations of Mr. Ranson’s business ability from city merchants and appointed him manager the next morning. At this time there were eight vessels in the fleet and about 100 employees, and the shares of the company were unsaleable at Is 6d Mr. Ranson wrote the capital and the shares down, reducing the £ 1 shares to 14s 6d and the 12s 6d shares to 7s, and proceeded to reorganise the business. So great was his success that at the present time the company owns a fleet comprising 40 vessels and employs over 500 hands. The ships have all been bought under the direction of the manager, with the exception of the Clansman, which was in the fleet in 1887, and all have answered their purpose well. Mr. Ranson has been instrumental in opening up and establishing wharves and stores at all the ports from Opotiki to North Cape on the east coast, and from Wanganui to Cape Maria Van Diemen on the west coast. Five vessels have been lost in Mr. Ranson’s term of office—the Gairloch, off Taranaki, in 1903; the Kia Ora, between Kawhia and Raglan, in 1907; the Muritai, on the Hen and Chickens Island, in 1908; the Auxiliary scow Te Teko, on Slipper Island, in 19*20; and the Tasman, off Whakatane, in 1921. Captain R. C. Hammond, assistant manager, has been appointed manager from the end of this month.