Bid to expose S.A. links fails

Press, 25 February 1986, Page 2

Bid to expose S.A. links fails

Another attempt by Hart: Aotearoa to have Quill Humphreys, Ltd, detail the nature and extent of its business dealings in South Africa has failed. The attempt was made at yesterday’s extraordinary general meeting of the company — the third such meeting to be called by Hart: Aotearoa shareholders since the annual meeting in November last year. One hundred shareholders can call for an extraordinary general meeting, which must be held by the company within 40 days. The resolution at yesterday’s meeting called for an amendment to the company’s articles of association, requiring a report on the nature and extent of the company’s dealings in South Africa at every annual meeting, or other general meeting. The resolution, put after four people addressed the 60 attending the meeting, was lost. Another speaker rose to his feet to discuss the resolution, but the chairman, Mr Frank Crothall, said that discussion had finished and asked for voting papers to be collected.

Those who did speak asked Quill Humphreys to sever trading links with South Africa and criticised the company for continuing to trade with the country “as long as the bucks keep rolling in.” Mr B. J. Vieceli, the managing director of Quill Humphreys, said that a

maximum of 1,858,245 votes could have been cast at yesterday’s meeting and that about 10,000 to 12,000 had been represented by those attending the meeting.

Quill • Humphreys’ contract with Stellenbosch Wines has about 14 months to run. The company will consider a few months before it is due to end whether to renew the South African contract. Mr Crothall said after the meeting that the antiapartheid shareholders were calling the 40-day meetings just to cause disruption. He expected to call for another meeting within 40 days “by the end of today." A Hart: Aotearoa spokesperson said yesterday afternoon that another meeting had been called for.