The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-02
FEW STOCKHOLDERS
 ATTEND MEESINGS
 OF BIG COMP PANIES

New York, June 2.-A very large majority of the stockholders of most of the important corporations whose shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange appear to regard an- nual stockholders meetings as held for no other purpose than formal compliance with the law of the state in which the company is incorporated. 1t is seldom that an annual meeting will draw a dozen stockholders, un- less there happens to be such dissat- isfaction with the management Of the corporation that a thorough going change in its affairs Is desired. Then. instead Of endorsing proxies in favor of the existing management, every shareholder who can possibly attend the meeting will be on hand to ask questions make Suggestions and free ly criticise whatever acts of the off, cials or directors fadled to please him him.
 Meetings of this Kind are co1npara- lively rare, which speaks we'll for the integrity of the average corporation management; but no matter how well managed g corporation may be it is hard to understand why stockholders show such lack of interest.
 An illustration of this lack of inter- est was furnished by the Amalgamat- ed Copper annual meeting, at which not a. single stoc1holder was present. The meeting was held in Jersey City, a five minutes Journey from Wall street. The annual report of the com pany, which was recently issued. did not please the stockholders but none of them seemed to think it worth while to attend the meeting to seek more light on the poor showing. Most of them were represented by proxy, and the entirely perfunctory meeting was conducted by the secretary of the company and one of it's high priced counse1s.
 During Hray. $17s. boOooO railroad. public utility and industrial financing was dones this being the second 1arg- est monthly record so far this year. AS compared with May of last year the showing was about $2d. .00o 600 larg- CT. The total financing for the five months of the year. however, is ap- proximateIy S114, 0oO, 900 behind the cor responding period Of last year, and $27l. 100000 below 1912
 The action of LaBelIe Iron siWorks directors in passing the common d1yi- dend may be regarded as another sign Of apprehension among steel men Of a continuance of the present depression in the steel business. The IzaBelIe Co. showed a surplus after deprecia.- tion, interest and dividends last year of more than $500. 600. The conpany's year corresponds wdth the calendar period, and it is evident that the first months business has been such as to cause uneasiness.
 The LaBelle Co. is ranked among the strongest Of the smaller independ- ents and has paid per cent annually on it's common stock since January. 1918. and per cent. on it's preferred for years. The stock is not listed on the New york exchange. but is traded in in fair volume on the Pittsburgh exchange.
 re Afch5sorss re+ oney-a4f,,~- i,,oo,,.es in May and June should break even with that of last year it may be esti- mated that earnings on $195,6oO0, 900 common stock for the year ending June 30 next will be equivalent to about 7.6 per cent. Esa1ninsB in the last two months have compared much more favorabIy with those of last year than the results Of the earlier months, and an even break in May and June is the hope of the officials.
 Bond conversions this year have been comparatively small From July 1 Hast to date only about $4, 76s, 800 bonds were converted, as compared with $2o.707,OoO in the previous fiscal year