MR J. A. HENDERSON IN EXPLANATION.

Bruce Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 714, 2 July 1875, Page 5

MR J. A. HENDERSON IN EXPLANATION.

(To the Editor of the Bruce Herald.) Sir,— ln your issue of 29th June appears a sub-leader, commenting on certain statements made at a meeting of the Bruce Coal Company (Limited), your report of which meeting appears in the same paper. In this subleader and report it is stated that I held the post of Secretary and Treasurer of the Bruce Coal Company for about nine months, and that during that period no proper books were kept); that as soon as the Directors of the Company discovered that I was not doing my duty they called on me to resign, and appointed another in my place. They also are said to have asked me to furnish them with a detailed statement of accounts, and it is asserted that I refused to do so. Now, Mr Editor, wouH it not have been wise on your part to have ascertained the correctness of these statements before giving them so much publicity? It certainly would have been more prudent. The facts are as follows :— I held the post of Legal Manager for the Bruce Coal Company (Limited) about nine months ; at the end of that period, my other business engagements requiring my full attention, I called a meeting of the Directors, by circular, to receive my resignation, the purpose of the meeting being stated in the circulars. Not one of the Directors had any previous notice of my intention. Now, regardless of the truth of the above statements, which every director who is an honest man will substantiate, the Chairman of the meeting held on the 25th inst. says, in speaking of me, — " When the Directors found it necessary to call on him to resign," &c, and, "All they could do was to appoint another Secretary and Treasurer when they found that the man appointed by the shareholders did not do his duty." I am not surprised to hear a statement so devoid of truth from such a quarter : from the gentleman who makes these statements I have nothing to expect but venom ; but I really am surprised that those who knew this statement to be false, namely, the Directors, should allow this statement to paas unchallenged, and acquiesce it it by their silence. One Director, however, in general terms remarked that had I been present at the meeting .1 should no doubt have repudiated many of the statements that had been made. I thank him for this ; it is the only trace I can discover in the whole evening's proceedings of any desire to do justice to one who through absence was unable to defend himself. I am said to have refused to furnish the Directors with a detailed statement of my accounts. I should like to know when and where I refused to do so. I was never asked ; and I think the present Manager will bear me out in this denial. When I resigned, and as soon as Mr Marshall was appointed in my place, I handed over the books of the Company, and accounted to him for all moneys I had received and paid during the time I held office. I understood at the time that he was satisfied with the correctness of my balance, and I had no notice from the Directors that they required anything more of me. Tet the Chairman asserts that " The Secretary and Treasurer appointed by the shareholders at their first meeting did not render an account when he gave up his office." He also says "The accounts and minutes were left in the hands of the Secretary and Treasure^ and if he refused to produce them they could not make him." The accounts and minutes for the term I held 'office were handed over by me to my successor three months ago, and Mr Marshall, at the same meeting as above assertion was made, acknowledges having them in his possession. At the time of my resignation the Directors owed me for salary a sum which was nearly balanced by an account I owed them for coals. I naturally wished to balance these accounts and receive the amount due to me, but. finding that this would; not suit them, I paid my account and waited their convenience to receive mine. . . , \ It may. very naturally be asked why the ; -books of the Cpmpauy were kept by me inj such a Way that it would not be easy, for" another person to rajake up q. derailed statement of accQunts-=in other words, why I kept no cash-book, A resolution of Directors

on- 23rd May, 1874, authorised me to procure .all books necessary to be kept v 1 ordered a set : of books from Dunedin, but no cash-book was sent along with them, and n when I asked for authority to order . one : locally, Mr John L., Gillies, then; a Director, /objected > on| the^ ground of ; expense, explaining to. the others! that; the bank-book alone was quite sufficient, and. referring to , another mining, $ company! with . which he was connected, the manager of which .kept no other cash-book; thanj the bank-book. Yet Mr (Billies, as- Chairman ;of Friday's meeting,.. stated,, that the Directors were not aware -that- there was no cashrbook kept,. .~ „r ; , v . „. ''. . ..; . ; .... ,.; .: ,■;■:.;•••:■;••■•' Though I kept no, cash-book but the: bank book, and. j you, have heard rihe reason^,;-! am prepared to make up a detailed statement of accounts for the period .during which I held office, on beingr requested to do so,- though the directors should have asked for this long ere now if, .^hey desired, me to make it upj although by taking over books and cash,, which they did three months 'ago, they relieved me of all responsibility. With r,egard to my being, absent from the above imeeting, I had no right to be there, not being a shareholder, and not having been asked by any one holding authority to do so.! Mr Mackay stated that he invited me to .be present. I remember being asked by him whether I was going or not, and replying that I had no right to. go,, not being a shareholder.. Hadl gone at the invitation of Mr Mackay I should have rendered myself liable to: be turned out. ; Hoping, Mr Editor, that you will give this full publicity, as you did the false statements it refutes, . . ' , lam Ac, J. A. Henderson. ■ N.B. — I write this contrary to the opinion of my legal adviser (who advises much stronger measures), in order that the public may nave the earliest opportunity of hearing ing a true statement of affairs.