A shareholder meeting is to be held February 28 to consider the proposal, with advice being sought from the Australian Tax Office and also independent advisor Graham Samuel. Additionally, the Australian Stock Exchange is to advise whether it considers Soul Pattinson should be able to vote its holding in Brickworks, with this decision expected to determine the outcome. Brickworks shareholders have achieved a total return of 12.9 per cent per annum since 1969, when the deal with Soul Pattinson was entered into, while $1000 invested in Brickworks then would be worth $206,680 today, shareholders were told yesterday. The cross holding was entered into to increase diversity of earnings, to ensure any takeover bid would need to be in the interests of shareholders and to deliver strong returns, shareholders were told on Tuesday. ''On each of these fronts, the sentiment expressed by the directors in 1969 remains equally true today,'' Mr Millner told shareholders.