-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, Su/xXP0y3t6roYZDR2ypb9PSfbf5S6BYwWE5dot3seEpZx353d9SdABXyQc8vajr kvbU8yig+SVlB2f6bF34BQ== 0000950136-96-000944.txt : 19961028 0000950136-96-000944.hdr.sgml : 19961028 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000950136-96-000944 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: PRE 14A PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 1 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 19961227 FILED AS OF DATE: 19961025 SROS: NONE FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST/MA CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000817130 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: UNKNOWN SIC - 0000 [0000] IRS NUMBER: 133422754 STATE OF INCORPORATION: MA FISCAL YEAR END: 0831 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: PRE 14A SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-05214 FILM NUMBER: 96648068 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: TWO WORLD TRADE CNTR STREET 2: C/O DEAN WITTER INTERCAPITAL INC CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10048 BUSINESS PHONE: 2123922550 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: ALLSTATE MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19920703 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: WITTER DEAN TAX FREE INCOME TRUST DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19870817 PRE 14A 1 PRELIMINARY PROXY Registration File No.: 33-15283 Schedule 14A Information required in proxy statement. Schedule 14A Information Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.__) Filed by the Registrant [X] Filed by a Party other than the Registrant [ ] Check the appropriate box: [X] Preliminary Proxy Statement [ ] Preliminary Additional Materials [ ] Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e) (2)) [ ] Definitive Proxy Statement [ ] Definitive Additional Materials [ ] Soliciting Material Pursuant to Section 240.149-11(c) or Section 240.14a-12 ....Municipal Income Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter) ....Lou Anne McInnis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement) Payment of Filing Fee (check the appropriate box): [X] No fee required [ ] Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(j)(4) and 0-11. 1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies: ............................................................................... 2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: ............................................................................... 3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11: ............................................................................... Set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined. 4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: ............................................................................... 5) Fee previously paid: ............................................................................... [ ] Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by the registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. 1) Amount Previously Paid: ............................................................................... 2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.: ............................................................................... 3) Filing Party: ............................................................................... 4) Date Filed: ............................................................................... PRELIMINARY COPY -- TO BE FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ONLY MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD DECEMBER 27, 1996 The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST (the "Trust"), an unincorporated business trust organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, will be held in the Conference Center, Forty-Fourth Floor, 2 World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048, on December 27, 1996, at 2:00 p.m., New York City time, for the following purposes: 1. To elect two (2) Trustees to serve until the 1999 Annual Meeting or until their successors shall have been elected and qualified; 2. To approve or disapprove continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement between the Trust and Dean Witter InterCapital Inc.; 3. To ratify or reject the selection of Price Waterhouse LLP as the Trust's independent accountants for the fiscal year ending August 31, 1997; 4. Shareholder proposal to amend the Trust's Declaration of Trust to require each Trustee, within thirty days of election, to become a Shareholder of the Trust (Note: The Trustees unanimously recommend a vote AGAINST this proposal); and 5. To transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournments thereof. Shareholders of record as of the close of business on October 25, 1996 are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting. If you cannot be present in person, your management would greatly appreciate your filling in, signing and returning the enclosed proxy promptly in the envelope provided for that purpose. In the event that the necessary quorum to transact business or the vote required to approve or reject any proposal is not obtained at the Meeting, the persons named as proxies may propose one or more adjournments of the Meeting for a total of not more than 60 days in the aggregate to permit further solicitation of proxies. Any such adjournment will require the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Trust's shares present in person or by proxy at the Meeting. The persons named as proxies will vote in favor of such adjournment those proxies which they are entitled to vote in favor of the proposal to approve continuance of the Investment Advisory Agreement and will vote against such adjournment those proxies required to be voted against that proposal. SHELDON CURTIS, Secretary November 7, 1996 New York, New York IMPORTANT YOU CAN HELP AVOID THE NECESSITY AND EXPENSE OF SENDING FOLLOW-UP LETTERS TO ENSURE A QUORUM BY PROMPTLY RETURNING THE ENCLOSED PROXY. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO BE PRESENT IN PERSON, PLEASE FILL IN, SIGN AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY IN ORDER THAT THE NECESSARY QUORUM MAY BE REPRESENTED AT THE MEETING. THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE REQUIRES NO POSTAGE IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES. MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST TWO WORLD TRADE CENTER, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10048 --------------- PROXY STATEMENT --------------- ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS DECEMBER 27, 1996 This statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Trustees (the "Board") of MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST (the "Trust"), for use at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Trust to be held on December 27, 1996 (the "Meeting"), and at any adjournments thereof. If the enclosed form of proxy is properly executed and returned in time to be voted at the Meeting, the proxies named therein will vote the shares represented by the proxy in accordance with the instructions marked thereon. Unmarked proxies will be voted for each of the nominees for election as Trustee and in favor of Proposals 2, 3 and against Proposal 4. A proxy may be revoked at any time prior to its exercise by any of the following: written notice of revocation, execution and delivery of a later dated proxy to the Secretary of the Trust (if returned and received in time to be voted), or attendance and voting at the Meeting. Attendance at the Meeting will not in and of itself revoke a proxy. Shareholders of record as of the close of business on October 25, 1996, the record date for the determination of Shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting, are entitled to one vote for each share held and a fractional vote for a fractional share. On October 25, 1996, there were shares of beneficial interest outstanding, all with $.01 par value. No person was known to own as much as 5% of the outstanding shares of the Trust on that date. The Trustees and Officers of the Trust, together, owned less than 1% of the Trust's outstanding shares on that date. The percentage ownership of shares of the Trust changes from time to time depending on purchases and sales by shareholders and the total number of shares outstanding. The cost of soliciting proxies for the Meeting, consisting principally of printing and mailing expenses, will be borne by the Trust. The solicitation of proxies will be by mail, which may be supplemented by solicitation by mail, telephone or otherwise through Trustees, officers and regular employees of the Trust, or Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. ("InterCapital" or the "Investment Adviser"), and employees of broker-dealers, including Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc. ("DWR"), without special compensation therefor. In addition, the Trust may employ William F. Doring and Co. as proxy solicitor, the cost of which is not expected to exceed $3,000 and will be borne by the Trust. The first mailing of this proxy statement is expected to be made on or about November 7, 1996. (1) ELECTION OF TRUSTEES The number of Trustees has currently been fixed by the Trustees, pursuant to the Trust's Declaration of Trust, at eight. At the Meeting, two nominees are to be elected to the Trust's Board of Trustees. There are currently eight Trustees, two of whom (Manuel H. Johnson and John L. Schroeder) are standing for election at this Meeting to serve until the 1999 Annual Meeting, in accordance with the Trust's Declaration of Trust, as amended. Six of the current eight Trustees (Michael Bozic, Edwin J. Garn, John R. Haire, Manuel H. Johnson, Michael E. Nugent and John L. Schroeder) are "Independent Trustees," that is, Trustees who are not 2 "interested persons" of the Trust, as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Act"). The nominees for election as Trustees have been proposed by the Trustees now serving or, in the case of the nominees for positions as Independent Trustees, by the Independent Trustees now serving. All of the Trustees have been elected by the Shareholders of the Trust. The nominees of the Board of Trustees for election as Trustees are listed below. It is the intention of the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy to vote the shares represented by them for the election of the following nominees: Manuel H. Johnson and John L. Schroeder. Should any of the nominees become unable or unwilling to accept nomination or election, the persons named in the proxy will exercise their voting power in favor of such person or persons as the Board may recommend. All of the nominees have consented to being named in this proxy statement and to serve if elected. The Trust knows no reason why any of said nominees would be unable or unwilling to accept nomination or election. Trustees will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at the Meeting. Pursuant to the provisions of the Declaration of Trust (Section 2.2, as amended), the nominees for election as Trustees are divided into three separate classes, each class having a term of three years. The term of office of one of the three classes will expire each year. The Board has determined that the nominees for election as Trustee shall be standing for election as Trustee in each of the three classes of Trustee as follows: Class I--Messrs. Bozic and Fiumefreddo; Class II--Messrs. Johnson and Schroeder; and Class III--Messrs. Garn, Haire, Nugent and Purcell. Each Nominee will, if elected, serve a term of up to approximately three years running for the period assigned to that class and terminating at the date of the Annual Meeting of Shareholders so designated by the Board of Trustees, or any adjournment thereof. As a consequence of this method of election, the replacement of a majority of the Board of Trustees could be delayed for up to two years. In accordance with the above, the Trustees in Class II are standing for election at this Meeting and, if elected, will serve until the 1999 Annual Meeting, or until their successors shall have been elected and qualified. The following information regarding each of the nominees for election as Trustee, and each of the other members of the Board, includes his principal occupations and employment for at least the last five years, his age, shares of the Trust owned, if any, as of October 25, 1996 (shown in parentheses), positions with the Trust, and directorships or trusteeships in other companies which file periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the 82 investment companies, including the Trust, for which InterCapital serves as investment manager or investment adviser (referred to herein collectively as the "Dean Witter Funds"), and the 14 investment companies for which InterCapital's wholly-owned subsidiary, Dean Witter Services Company Inc. ("DWSC"), serves as manager and TCW Funds Management, Inc., serves as investment adviser (referred to herein as the TCW/DW Funds"). The nominees for Trustee to be elected at this Meeting are: DR. MANUEL H. JOHNSON, Trustee since July, 1991; age 47; Senior Partner, Johnson Smick International, Inc., a consulting firm; Koch Professor of International Economics and Director of the Center for Global Market Studies at George Mason University Co-Chairman and a founder of the Group of Seven Council (G7C), an international economic commission; Director or Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds; Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds; Director of NASDAQ (since June, 1995); Director of Greenwich Capital Markets Inc. (broker-dealer); formerly Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (1986-1990) and Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury (1982-1986). JOHN L. SCHROEDER, Trustee since April, 1994; age 66; Retired; Director or Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds; Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds; Director of Citizens Utilities Company; formerly Executive Vice 3 President and Chief Investment Officer of The Home Insurance Company (August, 1991-September, 1995) and Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Axe-Houghton Management and the Axe-Houghton Funds (April, 1983-June, 1991). The Trustees who are not standing for reelection at this Meeting are: MICHAEL BOZIC, Trustee since April, 1994; age 55; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Levitz Furniture Corporation (since November, 1995); Director or Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds; formerly President and Chief Executive Officer of Hills Department Stores (May, 1991-July, 1995); formerly variously Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Operating Officer (1987-1991) of the Sears Merchandise Group of Sears, Roebuck and Co.; Director of Eaglemark Financial Services, Inc., the United Negro College Fund and Weirton Steel Corporation. CHARLES A. FIUMEFREDDO,* Trustee since July, 1991; age 63; Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director of InterCapital, Dean Witter Services Company Inc. ("DWSC") and Dean Witter Distributors Inc. ("Distributors"); Executive Vice President and Director of Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. ("DWR"); Chairman, Director or Trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Dean Witter Funds; Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds; Chairman and Director of Dean Witter Trust Company ("DWTC"); Director and/or officer of various Dean Witter, Discover & Co. ("DWDC") subsidiaries; formerly Executive Vice President and Director of DWDC (until February, 1993). EDWIN JACOB (JAKE) GARN, Trustee since January, 1993; age 64; Director or Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds; formerly United States Senator (R-Utah) (1974-1992) and Chairman, Senate Banking Committee (1980-1986); formerly Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah (1971-1974); formerly Astronaut, Space Shuttle Discovery (April 12-19, 1985); Vice Chairman, Huntsman Chemical Corporation (since January, 1993); Director of Franklin Quest (time management systems) and John Alden Financial Corp.; Member of the board of various civic and charitable organizations. JOHN R. HAIRE, Trustee since January, 1988; age 71; Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Committee of the Independent Directors or Trustees and Director or Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds; Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Committee of the Independent Trustees and Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds; formerly President, Council for Aid to Education (1978-1989) and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Anchor Corporation, an investment adviser (1964-1978); Director of Washington National Corporation (insurance). MICHAEL E. NUGENT, Trustee since July, 1991; age 60; General Partner, Triumph Capital, L.P., a private investment partnership; Director or Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds; Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds; formerly Vice President, Bankers Trust Company and BT Capital Corporation (1984-1988); Director of various business organizations. PHILIP J. PURCELL, * Trustee since April, 1994; ( shares); age 53; Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of DWDC, DWR and Novus Credit Services Inc.; Director of InterCapital, DWSC and Distributors; Director or Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds; Director and/or officer of various DWDC Subsidiaries. - ------------ * Messrs. Fiumefreddo and Purcell may be deemed "interested persons," of the Trust and its Investment Adviser as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Act, due to their affiliation with the Investment Adviser and/or its affiliated companies. 4 The executive officers of the Trust are: Sheldon Curtis, Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel; Robert M. Scanlan, Vice President; Robert S. Giambrone, Vice President; Joseph J. McAlinden, Vice President; James F. Willison, Vice President; and Thomas F. Caloia, Treasurer. In addition, Joseph Arcieri, Gerard J. Lian and Katherine H. Stromberg are Vice Presidents of the Trust and Marilyn K. Cranney, Barry Fink, Lou Anne D. McInnis, Ruth Rossi and Carsten Otto serve as Assistant Secretaries. Mr. Curtis is 64 years old and is currently Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of InterCapital and DWSC and Assistant Secretary of DWR; he is also Senior Vice President, Assistant Secretary and Assistant General Counsel of Distributors and Senior Vice President and Secretary of DWTC. Mr. Scanlan is 60 years old and is currently President and Chief Operating Officer of InterCapital (since March, 1993) and DWSC; he is also Executive Vice President of Distributors and Executive Vice President and Director of DWTC. He was previously Executive Vice President of InterCapital (July, 1992-March, 1993) and prior thereto was Chairman of Harborview Group Inc. Mr. Giambrone is 42 years old and is currently Senior Vice President of InterCapital, DWSC, Distributors and DWTC (since August, 1995) and Director of DWTC (since April, 1996). He was formerly a partner of KPMG Peat Marwick, LLP. Mr. McAlinden is 53 years old and is currently Executive Vice President of InterCapital (since April, 1995) and Chief Investment Officer of InterCapital and Director of DWTC (since April, 1996). He was previously Senior Vice President of InterCapital (June, 1995-April, 1996). He was formerly a Managing Director at Dillon Read. Mr. Caloia is 50 years old and is currently First Vice President and Assistant Treasurer of InterCapital and DWSC. Mr. Willison is 53 years old and is currently Senior Vice President of InterCapital. Mr. Arcieri is 48 years old and is currently Vice President of InterCapital. Mr. Lian is 41 years old and is currently Vice President of InterCapital. He was formerly a Senior Municipal Analyst with the American Express Company (1984-1992). Ms. Stromberg is 48 years old and is currently Vice President of InterCapital (since April, 1992). She was formerly a portfolio manager with InterCapital (October, 1991-April, 1992) and Vice President of Kidder Peabody Asset Management (October, 1985-October, 1991). Other than Mr. Scanlan, Mr. Giambrone, Mr. McAlinden, Mr. Lian and Ms. Stromberg, each of the above officers has been an employee of InterCapital or DWR (formerly the corporate parent of InterCapital) for over five years. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, THE INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES, AND THE COMMITTEES The Board of Trustees consists of eight (8) trustees. These same individuals also serve as directors or trustees for all of the Dean Witter Funds, and are referred to in this section as Trustees. As of the date of this Proxy Statement, there are a total of 82 Dean Witter Funds, comprised of 122 portfolios. As of September 30, 1996, the Dean Witter Funds had total net assets of approximately $78 billion and more than five million shareholders. Six Trustees (75% of the total number) have no affiliation or business connection with InterCapital or any of its affiliated persons and do not own any stock or other securities issued by InterCapital's parent company, DWDC. These are the "disinterested" or "independent" Trustees. The other two Trustees (the "management Trustees") are affiliated with InterCapital. Four of the six independent Trustees are also Independent Trustees of the TCW/DW Funds. Law and regulation establish both general guidelines and specific duties for the Independent Trustees. The Dean Witter Funds seek as Independent Trustees individuals of distinction and experience in business and finance, government service or academia; these are people whose advice and counsel are in demand by others and for whom there is often competition. To accept a position on the Funds' Boards, such individuals may reject other attractive assignments because the Funds make substantial demands on their time. Indeed, by serving on the Funds' Boards, certain Trustees who would otherwise be qualified and in demand to serve on bank boards would be prohibited by law from doing so. 5 All of the Independent Trustees serve as members of the Audit Committee and the Committee of the Independent Trustees. Three of them also serve as members of the Derivatives Committee. The Committees hold some meetings at InterCapital's offices and some outside InterCapital. Management Trustees or officers do not attend these meetings unless they are invited for purposes of furnishing information or making a report. There are no nominating or compensation committees of the Trustees. The Committee of the Independent Trustees is charged with recommending to the full Board approval of management, advisory and administration contracts, Rule 12b-1 plans and distribution and underwriting agreements; continually reviewing Fund performance; checking on the pricing of portfolio securities, brokerage commissions, transfer agent costs and performance, and trading among Funds in the same complex; and approving fidelity bond and related insurance coverage and allocations, as well as other matters that arise from time to time. The Independent Trustees are required to select and nominate individuals to fill any Independent Trustee vacancy on the Board of any Fund that has a Rule 12b-1 plan of distribution. Most of the Dean Witter Funds have such a plan. The Audit Committee is charged with recommending to the full Board the engagement or discharge of the Fund's independent accountants; directing investigations into matters within the scope of the independent accountants' duties, including the power to retain outside specialists; reviewing with the independent accountants the audit plan and results of the auditing engagement; approving professional services provided by the independent accountants and other accounting firms prior to the performance of such services; reviewing the independence of the independent accountants; considering the range of audit and non-audit fees; reviewing the adequacy of the Fund's system of internal controls; and preparing and submitting Committee meeting minutes to the full Board. Finally, the Board of each Fund has formed a Derivatives Committee to establish parameters for and oversee the activities of the Fund with respect to derivative investments, if any, made by the Fund. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 1996, the Board of Trustees of the Trust held four meetings, and the Audit Committee, the Committee of the Independent Trustees and the Derivatives Committee of the Trust held one, ten and three meetings, respectively. No Trustee attended fewer than 75% of the meetings of the Board of Trustees, the Audit Committee, the Committee of the Independent Trustees or the Derivatives Committee held while he served in such positions. DUTIES OF CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE OF THE INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES AND AUDIT COMMITTEE The Chairman of the Committee of the Independent Trustees and the Audit Committee maintains an office at the Funds' headquarters in New York. He is responsible for keeping abreast of regulatory and industry developments and the Funds' operations and management. He screens and/or prepares written materials and identifies critical issues for the Independent Trustees to consider, develops agendas for Committee meetings, determines the type and amount of information that the Committees will need to form a judgment on various issues, and arranges to have that information furnished to Committee members. He also arranges for the services of independent experts and consults with them in advance of meetings to help refine reports and to focus on critical issues. Members of the Committees believe that the person who serves as Chairman of both Committees and guides their efforts is pivotal to the effective functioning of the Committees. The Chairman of the Committees also maintains continuous contact with the Funds' management, with independent counsel to the Independent Trustees and with the Funds' independent auditors. He arranges for a series of special meetings involving the annual review of investment advisory, management and other operating contracts of the Funds and, on behalf of the Committees, conducts negotiations with the Investment Adviser and other service providers. In effect, the Chairman of the Committees serves as a combination of chief executive and support staff of the Independent Trustees. 6 The Chairman of the Committee of the Independent Trustees and the Audit Committee is not employed by any other organization and devotes his time primarily to the services he performs as Committee Chairman and Independent Trustee of the Dean Witter Funds and as an Independent Trustee and, since July 1, 1996, as Chairman of the Committee of the Independent Trustees and the Audit Committee of the TCW/DW Funds. The current Committee Chairman has had more than 35 years experience as a senior executive in the investment company industry. ADVANTAGES OF HAVING SAME INDIVIDUALS AS INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES FOR ALL DEAN WITTER FUNDS The Independent Trustees and the Funds' management believe that having the same Independent Trustees for each of the Dean Witter Funds avoids the duplication of effort that would arise from having different groups of individuals serving as Independent Trustees for each of the Funds or even of sub-groups of Funds. They believe that having the same individuals serve as Independent Trustees of all the Funds tends to increase their knowledge and expertise regarding matters which affect the Fund complex generally and enhances their ability to negotiate on behalf of each Fund with the Fund's service providers. This arrangement also precludes the possibility of separate groups of Independent Trustees arriving at conflicting decisions regarding operations and management of the Funds and avoids the cost and confusion that would likely ensue. Finally, having the same Independent Trustees serve on all Fund Boards enhances the ability of each Fund to obtain, at modest cost to each separate Fund, the services of Independent Trustees, and a Chairman of their Committees, of the caliber, experience and business acumen of the individuals who serve as Independent Trustees of the Dean Witter Funds. SHARE OWNERSHIP BY TRUSTEES The Trustees have adopted a policy pursuant to which each Trustee and/or his or her spouse is required to invest at least $25,000 in any of the Funds in the Dean Witter Funds complex (and, if applicable, in the TCW/DW Funds complex) on whose boards the Trustee serves. In addition, the policy contemplates that the Trustees will, over time, increase their aggregate investment in the Funds above the $25,000 minimum requirement. The Trustees may allocate their investments among specific Funds in any manner they determine is appropriate based on their individual investment objectives. As of the date of this proxy statement, each Trustee is in compliance with the policy. Any future Trustee will be given a one year period following his or her election within which to comply with the foregoing. As of September 30, 1996, the total value of the investments by the Trustees and/or their spouses in shares of the Dean Witter Funds (and, if applicable, the TCW/DW Funds) was approximately $8.5 million. As of October 25, 1996, the aggregate number of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust owned by the Trust's officers and Trustees as a group was less than 1 percent of the Trust's shares of beneficial interest outstanding. COMPENSATION OF INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES The Trust pays each Independent Trustee an annual fee of $1,000 plus a per meeting fee of $50 for meetings of the Board of Trustees or committees of the Board of Trustees attended by the Trustee (the Trust pays the Chairman of the Audit Committee an annual fee of $750 and pays the Chairman of the Committee of the Independent Trustees an additional annual fee of $1,200). The Trust also reimburses such Trustees for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection with attending such meetings. Trustees and officers of the Trust who are or have been employed by the Investment Adviser or an affiliated company receive no compensation or expense reimbursement from the Trust. 7 The following table illustrates the compensation paid to the Trust's Independent Trustees by the Trust for the fiscal year ended August 31, 1996. TRUST COMPENSATION
AGGREGATE COMPENSATION NAME OF INDEPENDENT TRUSTEE FROM THE TRUST - --------------------------- -------------- Michael Bozic .............. 1,750 Edwin J. Garn .............. 1,800 John R. Haire .............. 3,913 Dr. Manuel H. Johnson ..... 1,750 Michael E. Nugent .......... 1,750 John L. Schroeder .......... 1,750
The following table illustrates the compensation paid to the Trust's Independent Trustees for the calendar year ended December 31, 1995 for services to the 79 Dean Witter Funds and, in the case of Messrs. Haire, Johnson, Nugent and Schroeder, the 11 TCW/DW Funds that were in operation at December 31, 1995. With respect to Messrs. Haire, Johnson, Nugent and Schroeder, the TCW/DW Funds are included solely because of a limited exchange privilege between those Funds and five Dean Witter Money Market Funds. Mr. Schroeder was elected as a Trustee of the TCW/DW Funds on April 20, 1995. COMPENSATION FROM DEAN WITTER FUNDS AND TCW/DW FUNDS
FOR SERVICE AS TOTAL FOR SERVICE AS CHAIRMAN OF COMPENSATION DIRECTOR OR FOR SERVICE AS COMMITTEE OF PAID FOR TRUSTEE AND TRUSTEE AND INDEPENDENT SERVICES TO 79 COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMITTEE MEMBER DIRECTORS/ DEAN WITTER OF 79 DEAN WITTER OF 11 TCW/DW TRUSTEES AND FUNDS AND 11 NAME OF INDEPENDENT TRUSTEE FUNDS FUNDS AUDIT COMMITTEE TCW/DW FUNDS - --------------------------- ----------------- ---------------- --------------- --------------- Michael Bozic .............. $126,050 -- -- $126,050 Edwin J. Garn .............. 136,450 -- -- 136,450 John R. Haire .............. 98,450 $82,038 $217,350(1) 397,838 Dr. Manuel H. Johnson ..... 136,450 82,038 -- 218,488 Michael E. Nugent .......... 124,200 75,038 -- 199,238 John L. Schroeder .......... 136,450 46,964 -- 183,414
- ------------ (1) For the 79 Dean Witter Funds in operation at December 31, 1995. As noted above, on July 1, 1996, Mr. Haire became Chairman of the Committee of the Independent Trustees and the Audit Committee of the TCW/DW Funds in addition to continuing to serve in such positions for the Dean Witter Funds. As of the date of this Proxy Statement, 57 of the Dean Witter Funds, including the Trust, have adopted a retirement program under which an Independent Trustee who retires after serving for at least five years (or such lesser period as may be determined by the Board) as an Independent Director or Trustee of any Dean Witter Fund that has adopted the retirement program (each such Fund referred to as an "Adopting Fund" and each such Trustee referred to as an "Eligible Trustee") is entitled to retirement payments upon reaching the eligible retirement age (normally, after attaining age 72). Annual payments are based upon length of service. Currently, upon retirement, each Eligible Trustee is entitled to receive from the Adopting Fund, commencing as of his or her retirement date and continuing for the remainder of his or her life, an annual retirement benefit (the "Regular Benefit") equal to 25.0% of his or her Eligible Compensation plus 0.4166666% of such Eligible 8 Compensation for each full month of service as an Independent Director or Trustee of any Adopting Fund in excess of five years up to a maximum of 50.0% after ten years of service. The foregoing percentages may be changed by the Board.(2) "Eligible Compensation" is one-fifth of the total compensation earned by such Eligible Trustee for service to the Adopting Fund in the five year period prior to the date of the Eligible Trustee's retirement. Benefits under the retirement program are not secured or funded by the Adopting Funds. The following table illustrates the retirement benefits accrued to the Trust's Independent Trustees by the Trust for the fiscal year ended August 31, 1996 and by the 57 Dean Witter Funds (including the Trust) as of December 31, 1995, and the estimated retirement benefits for the Trust's Independent Trustees from the Trust as of August 31, 1996 and from the 57 Dean Witter Funds as of December 31, 1995. RETIREMENT BENEFITS FROM THE TRUST AND ALL DEAN WITTER FUNDS
FOR ALL FUNDS RETIREMENT ESTIMATED ANNUAL ------------------------------- BENEFITS BENEFITS UPON ESTIMATED ACCRUED AS RETIREMENT(3) CREDITED YEARS ESTIMATED EXPENSES ----------------------- OF SERVICE AT PERCENTAGE OF -------------------------- FROM RETIREMENT ELIGIBLE BY ALL THE FROM ALL NAME OF INDEPENDENT TRUSTEE (MAXIMUM 10) COMPENSATION BY THE TRUST ADOPTING FUNDS TRUST ADOPTING FUNDS - --------------------------- -------------- --------------- ------------ -------------- ------- -------------- Michael Bozic ............. 10 50.0% 377 $ 26,359 850 $ 51,550 Edwin J. Garn ............. 10 50.0 548 41,901 850 51,550 John R. Haire ............. 10 50.0 961 261,763 2,296 130,404 Dr. Manuel H. Johnson .... 10 50.0 229 16,748 850 51,550 Michael E. Nugent ......... 10 50.0 391 30,370 850 51,550 John L. Schroeder ......... 8 41.7 728 51,812 708 42,958
- ------------ (2) An Eligible Trustee may elect alternate payments of his or her retirement benefits based upon the combined life expectancy of such Eligible Trustee and his or her spouse on the date of such Eligible Trustee's retirement. The amount estimated to be payable under this method, through the remainder of the later of the lives of such Eligible Trustee and spouse, will be the actuarial equivalent of the Regular Benefit. In addition, the Eligible Trustee may elect that the surviving spouse's periodic payment of benefits will be equal to either 50% or 100% of the previous periodic amount, an election that, respectively, increases or decreases the previous periodic amount so that the resulting payments will be the actuarial equivalent of the Regular Benefit. (3) Based on current levels of compensation. Amount of annual benefits also varies depending on the Trustee's elections described in Footnote (2) above. (2) APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF CURRENTLY EFFECTIVE INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT The Trust's investments are managed by Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. (referred to herein as the "Investment Adviser" or "InterCapital"), pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement dated June 30, 1993 (referred to herein as the "Advisory Agreement") which took effect upon the distribution by Sears, Roebuck and Co. ("Sears") to its shareholders of all the common shares of DWDC (the parent company of InterCapital and DWR) then owned by Sears. The Advisory Agreement was approved by the Board of Trustees on October 30, 1992 and by the Shareholders of the Trust at a Special Meeting of Shareholders held on February 25, 1993. The present Advisory Agreement supersedes an earlier advisory agreement also approved by Shareholders on February 25, 1993 in connection with the assumption by InterCapital of the investment advisory activities previously performed by another investment adviser and which took effect on March 1, 1993. The terms of the Advisory Agreement are described below. The Advisory Agreement was last approved by the shareholders of the Trust as a routine matter at their Annual Meeting held on December 20, 1995. The Advisory Agreement's 9 most recent continuation until April 30, 1997 was approved by the Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, at a meeting of the Board held on April 17, 1996. In the event shareholders do not approve continuance of the Advisory Agreement by the required majority vote at the forthcoming meeting or any adjournment thereof, the Board of Trustees of the Trust will take such action as it deems to be in the best interest of the Trust and its shareholders, which may include calling a special meeting of shareholders to vote on a new investment advisory agreement. In considering whether or not to approve the Advisory Agreement, the Board of Trustees reviewed the terms of the agreement and considered all materials and information deemed relevant to its determination. Among other things, the Board considered the nature and scope of services to be rendered, the quality of the Adviser's services and personnel, and the appropriateness of the fees that are paid under the Advisory Agreement, taking into account other fees paid to affiliates of the Investment Adviser, pursuant to Administration and Transfer Agency Agreements (see below). Based upon its review, the Board of Trustees, including all of the Independent Trustees, determined that the approval of the Advisory Agreement was in the best interests of the Trust and its shareholders. The favorable vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust is required for the approval of the Advisory Agreement. Such a majority is defined in the Act as the lesser of: (a) 67% or more of the shares present at the Meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Trust are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding shares. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, INCLUDING ALL OF THE INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES, UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMEND THAT THE SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE THE ADVISORY AGREEMENT. THE ADVISORY AGREEMENT The Advisory Agreement provides that the Investment Adviser shall continuously manage the assets of the Trust in a manner consistent with the Trust's investment objectives. The Investment Adviser obtains and evaluates such information and advice relating to the economy, securities markets and specific securities as it considers necessary or useful to continuously manage the assets of the Trust in a manner consistent with its investment objectives and policies. In addition, the Investment Adviser pays the compensation of all personnel, including officers of the Trust, who are its employees. The Investment Adviser has authority to place orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities on behalf of the Trust without prior approval of its Trustees. The Trustees review the investment portfolio at their regular meetings. In return for its investment services and the expenses which the Investment Adviser assumes under the Advisory Agreement, the Trust pays the Investment Adviser compensation which is computed weekly and payable monthly and which is determined by applying the annual rate of 0.35% to the Trust's average weekly net assets not exceeding $250 million and 0.25% of the portion of average weekly net assets exceeding $250 million. Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, the Trust accrued to the Investment Adviser total compensation of $1,028,369 during the fiscal year ended August 31, 1996. The net assets of the Trust totalled $301,834,812 at August 31, 1996. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Trust is obligated to bear all of the costs and expenses of its operation, except those specifically assumed by the Investment Adviser, including, without limitation: charges and expenses of any registrar, custodian or depository appointed by the Trust for the safekeeping of its cash, portfolio securities or commodities and other property, and any stock transfer or dividend agent or agents appointed by the Trust; brokers' commissions chargeable to the Trust in connection with portfolio securities transactions to which the Trust is a party; all taxes, including securities or commodities issuance and transfer taxes, and fees payable by the Trust to Federal, state or other governmental agencies; costs and expenses of 10 engraving or printing of certificates representing shares of the Trust; all costs and expenses in connection with registration and maintenance of registration of the Trust and of its shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission and various states and other jurisdictions (including filing fees and legal fees and disbursements of counsel); the costs and expense of preparing, printing, including typesetting, and distributing prospectuses for such purposes; all expenses of shareholders' and Trustees' meetings and of preparing, printing and mailing proxy statements and reports to shareholders; fees and travel expenses of Trustees or members of any advisory board or committee who are not employees of the Trust's Administrator or Investment Adviser or any of their corporate affiliates; all expenses incident to the payment of any dividend or distribution program; charges and expenses of any outside pricing services; charges and expenses of legal counsel, including counsel to the Independent Trustees of the Trust, and independent accountants in connection with any matter relating to the Trust (not including compensation or expenses of attorneys employed by the Trust's Administrator or Investment Adviser); membership dues of industry associations; interest payable on Trust borrowings; fees and expenses incident to the listing of the Trust's shares on any stock exchange; postage; insurance premiums on property or personnel (including officers and Trustees) of the Trust which inure to its benefit; extraordinary expenses (including, but not limited to, legal claims, liabilities, litigation costs and any indemnification related thereto); and all other charges and costs of the Trust's operations unless otherwise explicitly provided in the Advisory Agreement. The Advisory Agreement had an initial term ending April 30, 1994 and provides that, after the initial period of effectiveness, it will continue in effect from year to year thereafter provided such continuance is approved at least annually by vote of a majority, as defined in the Act, of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or by the Trustees of the Trust, and, in either event, by the vote cast in person by a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" of any such party (as defined in the Act) at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory Agreement's most recent continuation until April 30, 1997 was approved by the Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, at a Meeting of the Trustees held on April 17, 1996, called for the purpose of approving the Advisory Agreement. The Advisory Agreement also provides that it may be terminated at any time by the Investment Adviser, the Trustees of the Trust or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, in each instance without the payment of any penalty, on thirty days' notice and will automatically terminate upon any assignment. INVESTMENT ADVISER Dean Witter InterCapital Inc. is the Trust's investment adviser. InterCapital maintains its offices at Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048. InterCapital, which was incorporated in July, 1992, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DWDC, a balanced financial services organization providing a broad range of nationally marketed credit and investment products. In an internal reorganization which took place in January, 1993, InterCapital assumed the investment advisory, management and administrative activities previously performed by the InterCapital Division of DWR. InterCapital's wholly-owned subsidiary, DWSC, serves as the Administrator of the Trust and receives from the Trust compensation which is computed weekly and payable monthly and which is determined by applying the following annual rates: 0.20% of the portion of average weekly net assets not exceeding $250 million; 0.15% of the portion of average weekly net assets exceeding $250 million and not exceeding $500 million; 0.12% of the portion of average weekly net assets exceeding $500 million and not exceeding $750 million; and 0.10% of the portion of average weekly net assets exceeding $750 million to the Trust's weekly net assets. Prior to December 31, 1993, InterCapital served as Administrator of the Trust and received compensation at the same annual rate. 11 On April 17, 1995, DWSC was reorganized in the State of Delaware, necessitating the entry into a new Administration Agreement by the Trust and DWSC on such date. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 1996, the Trust accrued to DWSC, pursuant to the Administration Agreement, total compensation of $591,884. The Principal Executive Officer and Directors of InterCapital, and their principal occupations, are: Philip J. Purcell, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of DWDC and DWR and Director of InterCapital, DWSC and Distributors; Richard M. DeMartini, President and Chief Operating Officer of Dean Witter Capital, Executive Vice President of DWDC and Director of DWTC, DWSC, DWR, Distributors and InterCapital; James F. Higgins, President and Chief Operating Officer of Dean Witter Financial, Executive Vice President of DWDC and Director of DWTC, DWSC, DWR, Distributors and InterCapital; Charles A. Fiumefreddo, Executive Vice President and Director of DWR, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and Director of InterCapital, DWSC and Distributors and Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of DWTC; Christine A. Edwards, Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of DWDC, Executive Vice President, Secretary, General Counsel and Director of DWR, Executive Vice President, Secretary, Chief Legal Officer and Director of Distributors and Director of InterCapital and DWSC; and Thomas C. Schneider, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of DWDC and Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Director of DWSC, DWR, Distributors and InterCapital. The business address of the foregoing Executive Officer and Directors is Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048. InterCapital and DWSC serve in various investment management, advisory, management and administrative capacities to investment companies and pension plans and other institutional and individual investors. The Appendix lists the investment companies for which InterCapital provides investment management or investment advisory services and which have similar investment objectives to that of the Trust and sets forth the fees payable to InterCapital by such companies, including the Trust, and their net assets as of October 25, 1996. DWDC has its offices at Two World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048. There are various lawsuits pending against DWDC involving material amounts which, in the opinion of its management, will be resolved with no material effect on the consolidated financial position of the company. During the fiscal year ended August 31, 1996, the Trust accrued to Dean Witter Trust Company, the Trust's Transfer Agent and an affiliate of the Investment Adviser, transfer agency fees of $161,329. AFFILIATED BROKER Because DWR and InterCapital are under the common control of DWDC, DWR is an affiliated broker of InterCapital. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 1996, the Trust paid no brokerage commissions to DWR. (3) RATIFICATION OR REJECTION OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS The Trustees have unanimously selected the firm of Price Waterhouse LLP as the Trust's independent accountants for the fiscal year ending August 31, 1997. Its selection is being submitted for ratification or rejection by Shareholders at the Meeting. Price Waterhouse LLP has been the independent accountants for the Trust since its inception, and has no direct or indirect financial interest in the Trust. A representative of Price Waterhouse LLP is expected to be present at the Meeting and will be available to make a statement, and to respond to appropriate questions of Shareholders. 12 The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares represented and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting is required for ratification of the selection of Price Waterhouse LLP as the independent accountants for the Trust. THE TRUSTEES UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMEND THAT SHAREHOLDERS RATIFY THE SELECTION OF PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP AS THE INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS FOR THE TRUST. (4) SHAREHOLDER PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE TRUST'S DECLARATION OF TRUST TO REQUIRE EACH TRUSTEE, WITHIN THIRTY DAYS OF ELECTION, TO BECOME A SHAREHOLDER OF THE TRUST The Trust has been informed by Carol W. Mullett, 1420 Fern Court, Vero Beach, Florida, 32963-4009, a shareholder of record who owned approximately shares at October 25, 1996 (the "Proponent"), that she intends to submit the following proposal (the "Shareholder Proposal") at the meeting: RESOLVED, that the Declaration of Trust be amended to require that each Trustee, within thirty days of election, become a shareholder of the Trust. The Proponent has requested that the following statement be included in support of her proposal: It seems obvious that the Trustees could best understand and represent the interests of shareholders if they were shareholders themselves. Shareholders seem to agree --last year a similar proposal was APPROVED by a margin of over SIX TO ONE (11,902,553 in favor; 1,900,667 against). You might ask how a proposal can win by such a huge margin and still lose? Because it narrowly failed to obtain quorum. Ironically, the proposal would have passed if a few more shareholders had voted against it. According to the last proxy, eight of our ten Trustees DO NOT OWN A SINGLE SHARE of our Trust. You will read below a litany of excuses and explanations seeking to convince you that we are better off because our Trustees are not shareholders. For amusement you may want to count the number of times they urge you to vote AGAINST (always in capital letters) my proposal: answer --five. Then you may want to ask yourselves why the Trustees are so concerned that they may have to join us as shareholders. I hope you will support this proposal and encourage the Trustees to become shareholders. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE AGAINST THE SHAREHOLDER PROPOSAL. RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES As the Proponent's statement in support of her proposal indicates, she requested that a similar proposal be included in the proxy statement relating to last year's annual meeting. At that time the Trustees determined to oppose the proposal and took the position that a share ownership requirement for Trustees was not necessarily in the best interests of shareholders. For the reasons stated below, the Trustees continue to adhere to this view. However, to address any expectation of shareholders that the Trustees own shares of Funds in the Dean Witter complex, the Trustees have adopted a share ownership policy as described below. The Share Ownership Policy The Trustees are aware that there may be an expectation among shareholders that the Trustees own shares of the Funds in the Dean Witter complex. To address shareholder concerns in this regard, the Trustees, on July 23, 1996, adopted a policy pursuant to which each Trustee, and/or his or her spouse, is required to invest at least $25,000 in any of the Funds in the Dean Witter complex (and, if applicable, in the TCW/DW Funds) on whose boards the Trustee serves. In addition, the policy contemplates that the Trustees will, over time, increase their aggregate investment in the Funds above the $25,000 minimum requirement. The Trustees may 13 allocate their investments among specific Funds in any manner they determine is appropriate based on their individual investment objectives. Any future Trustee will be given a one year period within which to comply with the foregoing policy. As of the date of this proxy statement, each Trustee is in compliance with the policy. As of September 30, 1996, the total value of shares of the Dean Witter Funds (and, if applicable, the TCW/DW Funds) owned by the Trustees and/or their spouses was approximately $8.5 million. Reasons for Opposing the Shareholder Proposal As they stated in last year's proxy statement, the Trustees believe it is not necessary to own shares of the Trust to act in the best interests of shareholders and that they can carry out their duties and functions diligently and effectively without owning shares of the Trust. In addition, the Trust's objectives and policies may not be appropriate for a Trustee's individual financial circumstances and the Trust could be inhibited in its ability to attract Trustees if the available pool is limited to those whose personal financial needs are met by the Trust's objectives and policies. The Trustees continue to believe that any policy requiring the Trustees to own shares of a specific Fund for which they serve as Trustees, without regard to their own respective investment objectives, could logically be extended to all the Funds in the Dean Witter complex. The Trustees believe that such a complex-wide share ownership requirement would be impractical and undesirable because it could make it more difficult to maintain the same board of directors for all the Funds given the large number of Funds in the complex. The Trustees believe that having the same Trustees for each of the Dean Witter Funds is in the best interests of all the Funds' shareholders for several reasons. First, a common board enhances the ability of each Fund to obtain, at modest cost to each separate Fund, the services of high caliber Trustees. In addition, having a common board avoids the duplication of effort that would arise from having different groups of individuals serving as Trustees for each of the Funds and avoids the cost and confusion that may arise from different conclusions being reached by different boards on the same operations and management issues. Finally, serving as Trustees of all Funds tends to increase a Trustee's knowledge and expertise regarding matters which affect all the Funds in the complex and enhances the ability to negotiate on behalf of each Fund with the Funds' service providers. For the reasons stated below and in light of the fact that they have adopted the share ownership policy described above, the Trustees unanimously recommend that shareholders vote AGAINST the Shareholder Proposal. The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares represented and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting is required for the approval of the Shareholder Proposal. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION In the event that the necessary quorum to transact business or the vote required to approve or reject any proposal is not obtained at the Meeting, the persons named as proxies may propose one or more adjournments of the Meeting for a total of not more than 60 days in the aggregate to permit further solicitation of proxies. Any such adjournment will require the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Trust's shares present in person or by proxy at the Meeting. The persons named as proxies will vote in favor of such adjournment those proxies which they are entitled to vote in favor of Proposal Two and will vote against any such adjournment those proxies required to be voted against that proposal. Abstentions and, if applicable, broker "non-votes" will not count as votes in favor of any of the proposals, and broker "non-votes" will not be deemed to be present at the meeting for purposes of determining whether a particular proposal to be voted upon has been approved. Broker "non-votes" are shares held in street name for which the broker indicates that instructions have not been received from the beneficial owners or other persons entitled to vote and for which the broker does not have discretionary voting authority. 14 SHAREHOLDERS PROPOSALS Proposals of security holders intended to be presented at the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders must be received no later than July 11, 1997, for inclusion in the proxy statement for that meeting. The mere submission of a proposal does not guarantee its inclusion in the proxy materials or its presentation at the meeting. Certain rules under the federal securities laws must be met. REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS The Trust's most recent Annual Report, for the fiscal year ended August 31, 1996, has previously been sent to Shareholders and is available without charge upon request from Adrienne Ryan-Pinto at Dean Witter Trust Company, Harborside Financial Center, Plaza Two, Jersey City, New Jersey 07311 (telephone 1-800-869-NEWS) (toll-free). OTHER BUSINESS The management knows of no other matters which may be presented at the Meeting. However, if any matters not now known properly come before the Meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the enclosed form of proxy, or their substitutes, to vote all shares that they are entitled to vote on any such matter, utilizing such proxy in accordance with their best judgment on such matters. By Order of the Board of Trustees SHELDON CURTIS Secretary 15 APPENDIX InterCapital serves as investment manager or investment adviser to the Trust and the other investment companies listed below which have similar investment objectives to that of the Trust, with the net assets shown as of October 25, 1996.
NET ASSETS AS OF CURRENT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT OR 10/25/96 ADVISORY FEE RATE(S) ------------------ ---------------------------------- 1. DEAN WITTER CALIFORNIA TAX-FREE INCOME FUND* ....... $ 0.55% on assets up to $500 million, scaled down at various asset levels to 0.45% on assets over $1.25 billion 2. DEAN WITTER LIMITED TERM MUNICIPAL TRUST* .......... $ 0.50% 3. DEAN WITTER MULTI-STATE MUNICIPAL SERIES TRUST* .... $ 0.35%(1) 4. DEAN WITTER NATIONAL MUNICIPAL TRUST* ............... $ 0.35%(2) 5. DEAN WITTER NEW YORK TAX-FREE INCOME FUND* ......... $ 0.55% on assets up to $500 million and 0.525% on assets over $500 million 6. DEAN WITTER TAX-EXEMPT SECURITIES TRUST* ............ $ 0.50% on assets up to $500 million, scaled down at various asset levels to 0.325% on assets over $1.25 billion 7. INTERCAPITAL CALIFORNIA INSURED MUNICIPAL INCOME $ 0.35% TRUST** ............................................. 8. INTERCAPITAL CALIFORNIA QUALITY MUNICIPAL $ 0.35% SECURITIES** ........................................ 9. INTERCAPITAL INSURED CALIFORNIA MUNICIPAL $ 0.35% SECURITIES** ........................................ 10. INTERCAPITAL INSURED MUNICIPAL BOND TRUST** ....... $ 0.35% 11. INTERCAPITAL INSURED MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST** ..... $ 0.35% 12. INTERCAPITAL INSURED MUNICIPAL SECURITIES** ....... $ 0.35% 13. INTERCAPITAL INSURED MUNICIPAL TRUST** ............. $ 0.35% 14. INTERCAPITAL NEW YORK QUALITY MUNICIPAL $ 0.35% SECURITIES** ....................................... 15. INTERCAPITAL QUALITY MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST** ..... $ 0.35% 16. INTERCAPITAL QUALITY MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TRUST** . $ 0.35% 17. INTERCAPITAL QUALITY MUNICIPAL SECURITIES** ....... $ 0.35% 18. MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST** ........................... $ 0.35% on assets up to $250 million and 0.25% on assets over $250 million 19. MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST II** ........................ $ 0.40% on assets up to $250 million and 0.30% on assets over $250 million A-1 NET ASSETS AS OF CURRENT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT OR 10/25/96 ADVISORY FEE RATE(S) ------------------ ---------------------------------- 20. MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST III** ....................... $ 0.40% on assets up to $250 million and 0.30% on assets over $250 million 21. MUNICIPAL INCOME OPPORTUNITIES TRUST** ............. $ 0.50% 22. MUNICIPAL INCOME OPPORTUNITIES TRUST II** ......... $ 0.50% 23. MUNICIPAL INCOME OPPORTUNITIES TRUST III** ........ $ 0.50% 24. MUNICIPAL PREMIUM INCOME TRUST** ................... $ 0.40% 25. DEAN WITTER SELECT MUNICIPAL REINVESTMENT FUND*** . $ 0.50% 26. DEAN WITTER HAWAII MUNICIPAL TRUST* ................ $ 0.35%(3)
- ------------ * Open-end investment company ** Closed-end investment company *** Open-end investment company offered only to the holders of units of certain unit investment trusts (UITs) in connection with the reinvestment of UIT distributions (1) InterCapital has undertaken, until December 31, 1996, to assume all operating expenses (except for any 12b-1 and brokerage fees) of the Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Ohio Series of Dean Witter Multi-State Municipal Series Trust and to waive the compensation provided for in its investment management agreement with that company in respect to the aforementioned Series to the extent that such expenses and compensation on an annualized basis exceed 0.50% of the average daily net assets of the pertinent Series. (2) InterCapital has undertaken, until December 31, 1996, to assume all operating expenses (except for any 12b-1 and brokerage fees) of Dean Witter National Municipal Trust and to waive the compensation provided for in its investment management agreement with that company to the extent that such expenses and compensation on an annualized basis exceed 0.50% of the average daily net assets of that company. (3) InterCapital has undertaken, until December 31, 1996, to assume all operating expenses (except for any 12b-1 and brokerage fees) of Dean Witter Hawaii Municipal Trust and to waive the compensation provided for in its investment management agreement with that company. A-2 MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS--DECEMBER 27, 1996 PROXY The undersigned hereby appoints SHELDON CURTIS, ROBERT M. SCANLAN, BARRY FINK, or any of them, proxies, each with the power of substitution, to vote on behalf of the undersigned at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of MUNICIPAL INCOME TRUST on December 27, 1996 at 2:00 P.M., New York City time, and at any adjournment thereof, on the proposals set forth in the Notice of Meeting dated November 7, 1996 as follows: THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED BY THE TRUSTEES. IF NO SPECIFICATION IS MADE ON THE REVERSE SIDE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR ALL NOMINEES FOR TRUSTEE AND FOR PROPOSALS 2 AND 3 AND AGAINST PROPOSAL 4. IMPORTANT: PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE PROXY CARD IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE SO THAT YOUR VOTE ON ALL MATTERS MAY BE COUNTED. (Continued, and to be dated and signed on reverse side.) PLEASE MARK BOXES [ ] OR [X] IN BLUE OR BLACK INK. 1. ELECTION OF TRUSTEES: [ ] FOR ALL NOMINEES [ ] WITHHOLD AUTHORITY (except as marked to (to vote for all the contrary below) nominees listed below) Manuel H. Johnson, John L. Schroeder (INSTRUCTION: To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee write that nominee's name on the space provided below.) - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. APPROVAL OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY 3. RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT AGREEMENT OF PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP AS INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS: FOR [ ] AGAINST [ ] ABSTAIN [ ] FOR [ ] AGAINST [ ] ABSTAIN [ ] 4. SHAREHOLDER PROPOSAL: FOR [ ] AGAINST [ ] ABSTAIN [ ] (NOTE: THE TRUSTEES RECOMMEND A VOTE AGAINST THIS PROPOSAL) 121 and in their discretion in the transaction of any other business which may properly come before the meeting. Please sign personally. If the shares are registered in more than one name, each joint owner or each fiduciary should sign personally. Only authorized officers should sign for corporations. Dated --------------------------------- --------------------------------- Signature --------------------------------- Signature -----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----