The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1883. An Apology.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1068, 8 October 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1883. An Apology.

At the meeting of shareholders ot the Ashburton Cheese and Butter Factory it will be remembered that a very serious charge was brought against the manager, Mr William Harding. One of the speakers stated that Mr Harding was in the habit of taking cream from the Factory for the purpose of making butter for his own use. As Mr Grigg pointed out, even had there been any justification for what was said by Mr Painter, a public meeting was certainly not the place to bring it forward. If there was a grievance to be redressed, the Directors were the proper people to see to it, and for this reason it should have been put before them. Nobody acquainted with Mr Harding would for an instant believe he could be capable of doing what the shareholder referred to charged him with, but it was not likely that the matter would be allowed to remain where it was. The following correspondence has taken place between the Manager of the Factory and Mr Painter, which we have been asked to publish, a request we gladly comply with:— Mr Painter, Sir,—l see by the papers that at the meeting of the shareholders on Tuesday last you charged me with defrauding the Company by taking the cream from the milk and diverting it to my own use. I demand an immediate and unqualified retractation of this most unfounded assertion ; and failing to receive this promptly I reserve to myself the right to take any further steps that may seem good to me in the matter. I also reserve the right to publish this or any other letter on the subject as you have publicly attacked my honesty in dealing with property committed to my charge by a public company. 'Awaiting your reply, I am—with as much respect as may be ’due to you—yours faithfully, WILLIAM HARDING, Manager of the Ashburton Cheese and Butter Factory Company, Limited. Mr Harding. Sir, —In answer to your letter demanding an immediate and unqualified retractation of the assertion I made use of at the meeting of shareholders, I beg to say I do retract all, I said about you at that meeting; and if you feel pained or injured by anything I said, I beg respectfully to apologise to you. I am sorry you have taken an extreme view of the matter as I had no wish to injure you in any way whatever; and I can assure you no one has greater respect for you or confidence in you as Manager of the Factory than I have. Trusting this will be satisfactory to you,. I remain yours respectfully, Thomas Painter. — Ashton, Oct. 5, 1883. After such an apology as this, Mr Harding can scarcely take any further steps to vindicate his character which, had been aspersed, but the stigma of having made a serious accusation upon insufficient grounds still remains on Mr Painter. The latter gentleman probably was not actnated by a feeling of animosity towards the manager of Factory, nor is it likely that he realised the full effect of the words he used. The Flemington farmers are naturally not over-pleased at the prospect of having to receive less for their milk in the future than they hare in the past, but if the cheese industry has not been thesuccess that was anticipated it. is certainly not the fault of Mr Harding. It is, however, satisfactory to have the very disagreeable episode sf last week’s meeting clearly explained, and we hope that it will be a lesson to Mr Painter and others who, like him, are too ready to accept interested gossip as evidence against the integrity of a responsible official.