Cotmania. Vol. IX. 1933-4

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KITSON AND CO., LIMITED
Future Position

For many years the trade of this company has been to make locomotives, both of the heaviest types for main-line work, and lately, for industrial lines. The trade in the former direction has suffered to a most serious extent, as has been largely advertised in the technical and general Press; the reasons being not only the depression of world trade, which affects one of the special markets—namely the Colonies —and the attitude in India (for which country purchases have been made to a very large extent on the Continent), but also the amalgamation of the railways and the practice of large railway companies doing the whole of their work in shops that they have built specially for the purpose.
Resulting from this fact, the conditions have proved so adverse that this company has found it necessary to explore openings for other trades which might form the basis of satisfactory work and employment.
The search has been very long and costly, and while there is at the present moment a good prospect of lucrative work in the making of agricultural tractors and certain special types of metal presses, the resources of this, being a private limited company, and held mostly by members of two families, have been drawn upon to such an extent that the directors have decided to ask the Debenture holders to appoint a receiver in order to protect the position.
The Debentures are not held as a public issue, and the receiver who has been appointed is, it Is known, examining the possibility of continuing the company's business with a view to reconstruction, having in view not only the fact that certain locomotive trade is being revived, especially in regard to the specialities of this company, but also in view of the experience of the newer trades which have been recently developed.
The long history of this private company has been of interest, in that not only have large undertakings of general engineering type been carried out in earlier days, such as rolling mills and blowing engines, but the locomotives that have been made are to be found running, and running even at a great age, in practically all quarters of the world, except North America.
The intention is., therefore, to combine such a tradition with the later developments, and by this means continue the employment which has been constant within the walls of Airedale Foundry since the year 1838.

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{Kitson annotation}

Yorkshire Post Jan: 20 1934