Some 30 years ago Major Whitney, then Captain Whitney, started ammunition-making at Mount Eden, Auckland, in response to urgent overtures from the New Zealand Government. Difficulties that would have daunted a less courageous man were successfully overcome by Major Whitney, and in the course of a few years he had the satisfaction of seeing the ammunition industry firmly established at Auckland, and also at Melbourne, where extensive ammunition works and metal refining and rolling mills now supply the full requirements of the commonwealth military forces. Thanks to these two important manufactories, which are now carried on by Major Whitney's company - the Colonial Ammunition Company, Australasia is to-day entirely independent of outside sources of supply, both in regard to ammunition and the metal required for its manufacture. Major Whitney was a noted shot in his day. At Wellington, in 1886, firing his own ammunition, he easily defeated Lieutenant Vogel - said to be New Zealand's best rifle shot at the time - and also created a world's record.
The New Zealand Shipping Company (says the Press in an editorial reference to the proposal for the absorption of the company by the P. and O. Company) has had its ups and downs. There was a time, not so many years ago, when its shares, having first been written down from 10 to 8, were offered in the open market at 5s apiece. The company was founded by a number of merchants in Christchurch in 1873, and the fleet originally consisted entirely of sailing ships. During the first three years of its existence it despatched 150 ships from the United Kingdom to New Zealand, carrying 28,670 passengers. The first direct steamer, Stad Harlem sailed from London in 1879 with 600 emigrants for New Zealand. In 1882 the company's Mataura sailed from Port Chalmers on February 15 with 150 tons of frozen mutton. This was the first shipment of frozen produce from New Zealand. In 1883 the company inaugurated a direct line of steam communication between England and New Zealand. The British King began the Government mail contract, and sailed from London on January 26. At first it seemed as if the company had been too enterprising, and had started on this courageous undertaking before its time. It was after this that it came perilously near liquidation, but the late Sir Edwyn Dawes came to the rescue and succeeded in re-establishing it on a firm basis. The direct benefit conferred on New Zealand by the operations of the company it is impossible to estimate, and it is only within the last few years that the shareholders have reaped a reasonable return for their capital.
The following telegram was received by Mr R. S. Tonkinson, one of the members of the Dunedin syndicate which sent Captain P. V. Catling to the Auckland Islands to search for the gold that was lost in the wrecked ship General Grant: "Failed; exhaustive operations proved gone; consider removed by Daphne; terrible weather; good health; Dunedin about Friday.'' The telegram was despatched from Halfmoon Bay, Stewart Island, on Monday afternoon. So ends a venture which set forth with fair promise of success some months ago. Captain Catling was admitted to be the man to carry the venture to a successful issue if it could be done. - ODT, 5.7.1916.
