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♦To the Editor of the St, Fancras 4* Ublhofti Journal.Sib,—My attention has only just been called to a report of the first annual meeting of the West London Provincial and Permanent Building Society in your issue of August 3rd, in which my name appears as asking a question relative to the change of auditor. Apologising for troubling yoii so long after date, may I trespass upon your valuable space to reply to that clever, but, I must add, one-sided epitome of the-proceedings. It must surely have been written by one of the Board of Directors. In asking the question, I was very careful not to doubt the capability of any other gentleman to fulfil the duty of an auditor, but that as Mr Henderson (a thoroughly qualified and competent man) had been duly elected by the members present at the first starting of the society, it “was a great injustice to him, and most unsatisfactory to myself, and, in my opinion, an illegal act to oust him from the post. The question was so far a poser that our excellent manager, Mr Holcombe, was obliged to come to the rescue, and do the dirty work of the Chairman, making a most lame and unsatisfactory reply to my query, stating that it was incompatible with Mr Henderson’s position as agent to hold the office of auditor—that all London would laugh at such an idea, c., c.While putting tlie question, judging from the numerous “ hear, hears ” from different parts of the room, my opinion of the injustice done to Mr Henderson, and my protest against the proceeding, on behalf of the members generally, was Shared by many others beside myself. Unfortunately, Mr Henderson, smarting under the flagrant injustice done to him, followed with a most unjudicious and unwise speech, condemning the qualifications of almost all the Board of Directors as to their fitness to audit the accounts, and raising a very hornet’s nest about his ears, quite undoing what impression my few remarks had made upon the meeting. Although, as a matter of course, several members of the Board rose up in indignation at the slur cast upon their merits, my question remains still unanswered, at least, to my satisfaction, in spite of their remarks, some in' a gentlemanly tone (some quite the reverse); one^gentlerhan, in particular, indulging in a singularly coarse and vulgar style of language (perhaps it comes natural to him), R. Lovell, Esq., I believe, is his name, who informed Mr Henderson that he must not consider himself the only cock-salmon in the market—very gentlemanly I And now, sir, in conclusion, permit me to say that I consider Mr Henderson a most ill-used man; as so far from its being impossible for him to hold dual offices, it is only a similar case to the directors appointing surveyors irom their own body, acting as directors and surveyors both, and one of them also being appointed auditor on the part of the directors, while Mr Henderson was appointed auditor on the part of the members, and accepted as such by the directors, who, I believe, voted for him almost to a man, knowing that he was to act as agent also ; and it was some few months before the question was raised as to his beingable to hold the two offices. Mr Holcombe might have refrained, however, from telling the meeting that they selected the gentleman in Mr Henderson’s place who had the next greatest number of votes at the preliminary meeting. If I recollect right, only two were nominated.I am, sir, your obedient servant,C. Fulkes.* *7, Grafton-place, Euston-square.—.— .rTTTTTl TIAT TA-H
Newspaper Details
London St Pancras and Holborn Journal
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Aug 17, 1872
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Diana F.
GB 22 Jun 2023
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