Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-10-31
HARVESTER ?
COlI17}INE
THREE LOCAL plvl 5 Us OF IN.
i. TERNATIoNAL ce Z ANY TO
- BE MERGED
TO HAVE ONE MANAGER

Mccormick, Deering and Champion
Offices Affected "A May Look After
Present Agents by Subdividing the
a. Territory - Movement is General.
The three divisions OF the Interna-
tional Harvester company in this city
will be centralized under one manage
ment within a few days as a result of
the sweeping system of changes de-
cided upon by the officers of that or
ganization. Unofficial rumors havel
been in circulation for several days
regarding the proposed changes butt
nothing official has been received I'M
til today when copies of the Farm I'M
plement News, containing a statement
from c. S. Funk, manager of the Sc
curity department of the concern,
was received by the local agents, 1nE
which the details of the Capitalization
were briefly given. But one general
agent will be stationed in OttumWa
while now there are three. The terri
tories will be shortened, however, and
it is thought that the men will prac.
tically remain in the same capacities
with the company.
To Be One Manager Here.
The territories of the Ottumwa dis
trict Of the three divisions embrace
twenty-four counties and local officials
- i,,;o hot Iril a
much too large for one manager to-
handle with the five lines of goods.
Prior to the merger of the five big
companies there were four companies
here. the Mccormick, Deering, Cham
pion and Plano. After the merger the
Plano Office was closed, and since then
the three other Offices have been con-
Quoted as divisions of the internation-
al company under a separate manage
ment 1t has not been announced who
is to take charge of the local branch
of the merged divisions but it is
thought that the other general agents
will be given agencies when the pro-
posed division of the Ottumwa terri
tory is made
To Cut Down Force.
BY Capitalization the company ex-
poets to drop 1000 men and thereby
save approximately $5,000,000 year.
At present the working force of the
company is distributed as follows:
Mccormick division ........ 1000
Deering division .............. 1000
Warder, Bushnell & Glessner
Co. -. 1000
Milwaukee Harvester Co. .... 1000
I1Io,o d;1ysc;op mn
Total 10 900
The article which appeared today in
the Farm Implement News is as fol-
lows:
The Official Statement.
THE reports recently given out con-
cerning the changes to be made in the
selling system and general manage
ment of the International Harvester
Co., is confirmed by C. S. Funk man
ager of the security department in an
interview with a representative of the
Farm Implement News. Mr.. Funk
stated yesterday that the changes
were in line with the policy announc-
ed at the time the five companies were
merged, at which time it was stated
that the chief object of the consolida-
ton was to effect economy in manu-
.facture and distribution, enabling the
company to continue former prices,
which would not otherwise be pos
sible. In accordance with this plan
the company is now changing the old
method of selling by which in most
territories each of the five lines of
harvesting machinery had it's own or
ganization from general agent down,
and hereafter one general agent and
organization will handle the five lines
in each territory.
The Local Agencies.
"When asked in reference to the
company's plans concerning the local
agencies, Mr.. Funk said that separate
local agents will be retained for each
of the five lines, Mccormick, Deering
Champion, Milwaukee and Plano, and
that canvassers will be furnished tc
the local agents for each machine as
heretofore.
Continuing, Mr.. Funk said: The
company believes that this arrange
sment will be more satisfactory to the
local agents, besides effecting needed
economies in selling. The increase ir
the number of machines handled by
each general agent will necessitate q
reduction in the size of his territory
as it is the intention of the company tt
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