PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
KEYSTONE AMERICA FUND FAMILY
CLASS A AND C SHARES
AGREEMENT effective this 1st day of January, 1997 by and between each
of the parties listed on Exhibit A attached hereto and made a part hereof, each
for itself and not jointly (each a "Fund"), and Evergreen Keystone Distributor,
Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Principal Underwriter").
It is hereby mutually agreed as follows:
1. The Fund hereby appoints Principal Underwriter a principal
underwriter of the Class A and Class C shares of beneficial interest of the Fund
("Shares") as an independent contractor upon the terms and conditions
hereinafter set forth. Except as the Fund may from time to time agree, Principal
Underwriter will act as agent for the Fund and not as principal.
2. Principal Underwriter will use its best efforts to find purchasers
for the Shares, to promote distribution of the Shares and may obtain orders from
brokers, dealers or other persons for sales of Shares to them. No such broker,
dealer or other person shall have any authority to act as agent for the Fund;
such broker, dealer or other person shall act only as principal in the sale of
Shares.
3. Sales of Shares by Principal Underwriter shall be at the applicable
public offering price determined in the manner set forth in the prospectus
and/or statement of additional information of the Fund current at the time of
the Fund's acceptance of the order for Shares; provided that Principal
Underwriter also shall have the right to sell Shares at net asset value, if such
sale is permissible under and consistent with applicable statutes, rules,
regulations and orders. All orders shall be subject to acceptance by the Fund,
and the Fund reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject any order
received. The Fund shall not be liable to anyone for failure to accept any
order.
4. On all sales of Shares, the Fund shall receive the current net asset
value, and Principal Underwriter shall be entitled to receive commission
payments for sales of the Class A and C Shares (as set forth on Exhibit B
attached hereto and made a part hereof) sold on or after December 11, 1996 and
as set forth in the then current prospectus and/or statement of additional
information of the Fund and to receive the sales charges, including contingent
deferred sales charges, as set forth in the then current prospectus and/or
statement of additional information of the Fund for Shares sold on or after
December 11, 1996. In accordance with the assignment made between Evergreen
Keystone Investment Services, Inc. ("XXXX") and Principal Underwriter dated
December 11, 1996, Principal Underwriter is to be entitled to receive commission
payments for sales of the Class A and C Shares sold on or after December 1, 1996
but before December 11, 1996 by XXXX as set forth in the then current prospectus
and/or statement of additional information of the Fund and to receive the sales
charges, including contingent deferred sales charges, as set forth in the then
current prospectus and/or statement of additional information of the Fund for
Shares sold on or after December 1, 1996 but before December 11, 1996. For
purposes of this Principal Underwriting Agreement, all Shares sold after
December 1, 1996 and for which the Principal Underwriter may receive commissions
and contingent deferred sales charges shall be deemed "Post-Acquisition Shares."
The determination of which shares of the Fund are Post-Acquisition Shares shall
be made in accordance with Schedule I attached to the Principal Underwriting
Agreement between each Fund which is a party to this Agreement and XXXX dated
December 11, 1996 and shall be the same as the "Post-distributor Shares" defined
therein, calculated as though the Distributor Last Sale Cut-Off Date, as such
term is defined in Schedule I, was November 30, 1996. Principal Underwriter may
reallow all or a part of such commissions and the sales charges to such brokers,
dealers or other persons as Principal Underwriter may determine.
5. The payment provisions of this Agreement shall be applicable to the
extent necessary to enable the Fund to comply with the obligation of the Fund to
pay Principal Underwriter in accordance with this Agreement in respect of Class
C Shares and shall remain in effect so long as any payments are required to be
made by the Fund pursuant to the irrevocable payment instruction under the
Master Sale Agreement between Principal Underwriter and Mutual Fund Funding
1994-1 dated as of December 6, 1996 (the "Master Sale Agreement").
6. Payment to the Fund for Shares shall be in New York or Boston
Clearing House funds received by Principal Underwriter within three (3) business
days after notice of acceptance of the purchase order and the amount of the
applicable public offering price has been given to the purchaser. If such
payment is not received within such ten-day period, the Fund reserves the right,
without further notice, forthwith to cancel its acceptance of any such order.
The Fund shall pay such issue taxes as may be required by law in connection with
the issue of the Shares.
7. Principal Underwriter shall not make in connection with any sale or
solicitation of a sale of the Shares any representations concerning the Shares
except those contained in the then current prospectus and/or statement of
additional information covering the Shares and in printed information approved
by the Fund as information supplemental to such prospectus and statement of
additional information. Copies of the then current prospectus and statement of
additional information will be supplied by the Fund to Principal Underwriter in
reasonable quantities upon request.
8. Principal Underwriter agrees to comply with the Business Conduct
Rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
9. The Fund appoints Principal Underwriter as its agent to accept
orders for redemptions and repurchases of Shares at values and in the manner
determined in accordance with the then current prospectus and/or statement of
additional information of the Fund.
10. The Fund agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Principal
Underwriter, its officers and Directors and each person, if any, who controls
the Principal Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act
of 1933 ("1933 Act"), against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and
expenses (including the cost of any legal fees incurred in connection therewith)
which the Principal Underwriter, its officers, Directors or any such controlling
person may incur under the 1933 Act, under any other statute, at common law or
otherwise, arising out of or based upon
a) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in the Fund's registration statement, pros pectus or statement of
additional information (including amendments and supplements thereto), or
b) any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required
to be stated in the Fund's registration statement, prospectus or statement of
additional information necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
provided, however, that insofar as losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
expenses arise out of or are based upon any such untrue statement or omission or
alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance and in conformity with
information furnished to the Fund by the Principal Underwriter for use in the
Fund's registration statement, prospectus or statement of additional
information, such indemnification is not applicable. In no case shall the Fund
indemnify the Principal Underwriter or its controlling person as to any amounts
incurred for any liability arising out of or based upon any action for which the
Principal Underwriter, its officers and Directors or any controlling person
would otherwise be subject to liability by reason of willful misfeasance, bad
faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of the
reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement.
11. The Principal Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the
Fund, its officers, Trustees and each person, if any, who controls the Fund
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act against any loss, claims,
damages, liabilities and expenses (including the cost of any legal fees incurred
in connection therewith) which the Fund, its officers, Trustees or any such
controlling person may incur under the 1933 Act, under any other statute, at
common law or otherwise arising out of the acquisition of any Shares by any
person which
a) may be based upon any wrongful act by the Principal Underwriter or
any of its employees or representatives, or
b) may be based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in the Fund's registration statement, prospectus or
statement of additional information (including amendments and supplements
thereto), or any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon information furnished or
confirmed in writing to the Fund by the Principal Underwriter.
12. The Fund agrees to execute such papers and to do such acts and
things as shall from time to time be reasonably requested by Principal
Underwriter for the purpose of qualifying the Shares for sale under the so-
called "blue sky" laws of any state or for registering Shares under the1933 Act
or the Fund under the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act"). Principal
Underwriter shall bear the expense of preparing, printing and distributing
advertising, sales literature, prospectuses and statements of additional
information. The Fund shall bear the expense of registering Shares under the
1933 Act and the Fund under the 1940 Act, qualifying Shares for sale under the
so-called "blue sky" laws of any state, the preparation and printing of
prospectuses, statements of additional information and reports required to be
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other authorities, the
preparation, printing and mailing of prospectuses and statements of additional
information to shareholders of the Fund and the direct expenses of the issue of
Shares.
13. To the extent required by the Fund's 12b-1 Plans, Principal
Underwriter shall provide to the Board of Trustees of the Fund in connection
with such 12b-1 Plans, not less than quarterly, a written report of the amounts
expended pursuant to such 12b-1 Plans and the purposes for which such
expenditures were made.
14. The term of this Agreement shall begin on the date hereof and,
unless sooner terminated or continued as provided below, shall expire on June
30, 1998. This Agreement shall continue in effect after such term if its
continuance is specifically approved by a majority of the Trustees of the Fund
and a majority of the 12b-1 Trustees referred to in the 12b-1 Plans of the Fund
("Rule 12b-1 Trustees") at least annually in accordance with the 1940 Act and
the rules and regulations thereunder.
This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without payment of any
penalty, by vote of a majority of any Rule 12b-1 Trustees or by a vote of a
majority of the Fund's outstanding Shares on not more than sixty (60) days
written notice to any other party to the Agreement; and shall terminate
automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).
15. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
16. The Fund is a Massachusetts business trust established under a
Declaration of Trust, as it may be amended from time to time. The
obligations of the Fund are not personally binding upon, nor shall recourse
be had against, the private property of any of the Trustees, shareholders,
officers, employees or agents of the Fund, but only the property of the
Fund shall be bound.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to
be executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized at
Boston, Massachusetts, on the day and year first written above.
KEYSTONE BALANCED FUND II
KEYSTONE CAPITAL PRESERVATION AND INCOME FUND
KEYSTONE FUND FOR TOTAL RETURN
KEYSTONE FUND OF THE AMERICAS
KEYSTONE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND
KEYSTONE GLOBAL RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT FUND
KEYSTONE GOVERNMENT SECURITIES FUND
KEYSTONE INTERMEDIATE TERM BOND FUND
KEYSTONE LIQUID TRUST
KEYSTONE OMEGA FUND
KEYSTONE SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND II
KEYSTONE STATE TAX FREE FUND
FLORIDA TAX FREE FUND
MASSACHUSETTS TAX FREE FUND
NEW YORK TAX FREE FUND
PENNSYLVANIA TAX FREE FUND
KEYSTONE STATE TAX FREE FUND SERIES II
CALIFORNIA TAX FREE FUND
MISSOURI TAX FREE FUND
KEYSTONE STRATEGIC INCOME FUND
KEYSTONE TAX FREE INCOME FUND
KEYSTONE WORLD BOND FUND
each for itself and not jointly
By: /s/
-----------------------------
EVERGREEN KEYSTONE DISTRIBUTOR, INC.
By: /s/
------------------------------
EXHIBIT A
TO
PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
KEYSTONE AMERICA FUND FAMILY
AND
EVERGREEN KEYSTONE DISTIBUTOR, INC.
DATED JANUARY 1, 1997
KEYSTONE BALANCED FUND II
KEYSTONE CAPITAL PRESERVATION AND INCOME FUND
KEYSTONE FUND FOR TOTAL RETURN
KEYSTONE FUND OF THE AMERICAS
KEYSTONE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND
KEYSTONE GLOBAL RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT FUND
KEYSTONE GOVERNMENT SECURITIES FUND
KEYSTONE INTERMEDIATE TERM BOND FUND
KEYSTONE LIQUID TRUST
KEYSTONE OMEGA FUND
KEYSTONE SMALL COMPANY GROWTH FUND II
KEYSTONE STATE TAX FREE FUND
FLORIDA TAX FREE FUND
MASSACHUSETTS TAX FREE FUND
NEW YORK TAX FREE FUND
PENNSYLVANIA TAX FREE FUND
KEYSTONE STATE TAX FREE FUND SERIES II
CALIFORNIA TAX FREE FUND
MISSOURI TAX FREE FUND
KEYSTONE STRATEGIC INCOME FUND
KEYSTONE TAX FREE INCOME FUND
KEYSTONE WORLD BOND FUND
EXHIBIT B
TO
PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
KEYSTONE AMERICA FUND FAMILY
AND
EVERGREEN KEYSTONE DISTRIBUTOR, INC.
DATED JANUARY 1, 1997
SCHEDULE OF COMMISSIONS
CLASS A Shares Up to 0.25% annually of the average
daily net asset value of Class a shares of a Fund
Class C Shares Up to 1.00% annually of the average daily net
asset value of Class C shares of a Fund,
consisting of commissions as the annual rate of
o.75% of the average daily net asset value of a
Fund and service fees of 0.25% of the average
daily net asset value of a Fund
