Henderson daily dispatch., 1936-07-31
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panies in which your money is in
vested Why are we SO far behind the
British investors in this respect? In
England, stockholders turn out in
such numbers that annual meetings
have to be held in large public halls.
Sc far as attendance is concerned.
some Of the stockholders meetings
in the United States could be held in
rumble-seat Of a small roadster. 7
believe in going to meetings: Go to
church meetings as your duty to
God; go to stockholders meetings as
your duty both to yourself and YOUR
fellow-men.
Find out, for each company of
which you are part-owner, wheth-
er there are separate, ami perhaps
warning factions When you open
your envelope remember that the en-
closed proxy may be more important
to you than the dividend check. The
latter merely reflects the past. It is
water over the dam. The proxy. how
ever, if rightly used, may boost div
bends for many years to come "By
their fruits we shall know them. Your
decision in handling the proxy may
| decide whether you are going to get
melons or lemons.
If you are not satisfied with what
is going on in any company which
you own in part through your stock
| holdings, voice your views where
such expression will really count. It
does no good to bleat to your family
and friends. The thing to do is TO
write a letter to the management. You
can enclose this with return of proxy.
1t is no use to scribble on the proxy
itself Such writing On a proxy has
no legal standing or practical in
fluence. Your hope of accomplish
ing something is through a concise,
specific, dignified, but forceful let
ter addressed to the man agement.
Such letters get a great deal Of at
tention and consideration if they
come sufficient in number. You
would be surprised.
1t you are not willing to take the
above steps, the least you can do is
to sign no proxies at all. It is beyond
my comprehension how some folks
in utter blindness slap their sigma
ture on proxies which may help to
seal their own fate and that of thou
sands of other stockholders.
One of the most valuable lessons
which l learned as boy was to keep
my signature out of questionable
places. A dotted line should always
regarded as a signal for caution
when you have proxy before you,
putting your name on the line may
be putting your head on the block!
Stockholders Revival Needle!
Prin1 ri1U Uyh a hue H.
at this moment is not so much a
change in executive or directors, or
in the administration at Washington.
Today's deepest need is fc rbetter
stockholders more alert, active, re-
sponsible stockholders. It is not a
lack of intelligence.
Investors have plenty of brains if
they would only use them. They are
smart enough in their chosen occu-
pations But when it comes to III
telligent use of proxies, both intel
lect and energy are all gone. If the
small investors own private fortune
were the only things at stake, would
be less disturbed. This matter, how
ever, has gone beyond the personal
prosperity of any one individual or
group.
Our country depends, for bread
and butter, on business. The vecy
lives and homes of our people have
become incorporated. Shall they be
left wholly at the mercy of self-seek-
ing politicians and lazy executives?
| Or will the real masters, the multi
tudes of small stockholders, come
out Of their coma, quit their futile
scolding and show some true action?
We hear lot of talk against dunn
my directors. These are no worse
! than dumb stockholders. There is