The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-02-18
INFORMAL MEETING OF BIG
DITCH COMPANY.
SUBSCRIBE FOR new STOCK
Trustees Take Effective Way of Gain
ing knowledge as to Share
holders Wishes.
From Saturdays Daily Gazette.

From Saturdays Daily Gazette. X
While it may be a little premature
to make any definite statement in
regard to the matter, it is believed
that present indications are favorable
to the proposition to enlarge the canal
of the Big Ditch company so as to
give it a capacity for supplying water
for %irrigating the large area of land
southeast OF the city.
A meeting of the trustees of the
company was held in the court house
yesterday afternoon and by invitation
of the trustees was attended by those
wishing. to secure additional shares in
the company in order that the board
might be able to form some idea as
to the ACCESSIBILITY of calling a stock
holders meeting. The invitation was
largely accepted and after some pre-
liminary talking and discussion by
those who did not seem to understand
the object of the meeting action was
finally taken along the lines desired
by the trustees. The additional shares
subscribed for according to Secretary
Hastings figures number 2,067. AS
each share is representative of one
inch of water, the figures given mean
the addition of that many inches of
water to the present amount carried
by the ditch.
Only for Users.
President Mccormick, who presid-
ed during a portion Of the meeting,
told the subscribers that none of the
stock would be sold to spectators or
parties owning NJ land under the
ditch; that every share subscribed
would have to go to owners of land
and users of water.
The discussion which preceded the
subscribing of stock divulged that the
present value Of shares in the ditch
is about $11.5O and it seemed to be
generally understood that the new
subscribers would be expected to pay
on that basis for all shares taken by
them.
According to the constitution and
bylaws of the company it will require
a two-thirds vote of all the stockhold-
ers to order an enlargement of the
ditch, n it was for the purpose of
ascertaining the probable number of
new shares that would be taken that
the presence of intending subscribers
was requested.
The number of shares subscribed
for will govern the action of the board
IN calling a meeting of stockholders,
should the trustees conclude that the
increased subscription is not large
enough to justify the expense of IN
larging the canal or that the old sub
scrlbers are satisfied with the mount
OF water they are now receiving, they
will not call the meeting.
For and Against.
The matter of charging the canal
has been before the stockholders ever
since their meeting of last fall and
has been generally discussed by them.
some are in favor of the proposition,
n some are not. 1t is said that while
some of the shareholders would like
to have more water than they are now
receiving they still oppose the en-
largement on the ground that to give
water to men below the city would
nave a tendency to decrease the value
OF their W land and rather than in
u the risk Of such an eventuality
are content to get along with what
they nave. Others take a more lib
eral view of the situation and say that
the profits which would inure to the
company from the larger sale of water
wenla go to the stockholders and con-
sequently they would be. benefited
by the proposed enlargement, while
at the same time making their land
proportionately more valuable. They
say the company has %undisputed right
OF way and any below the city desir.
u OF securing water for irrigatine
purposes must come to the COMPANY
as it holds the key to the position so
Tar as the lands in that direction are
concerned.
Bring YOU shoe repairing to Post