The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1903-10-29
The Harvester Trust.

The harvester combine, known in the
business world as the international Har-
yester company, which is composed of the
Deering, Mccormick, Plano, Champion
and Milwaukee companies, and which, by
Its w claims, produces over 80 per cent.
Of the harvesters and mowers made in the
United States, occupies a neutral position.
1t has succeeded in escaping from the
tentacles of it's thirty-three fellows and
can now watch the ~thirty-three squeeze
the other concerns. Officials Of the har-
vester combine admit that they were
forced to open mines, build mills. huv
forests, operate sawmills and produce all
their w raw material before they could
issue a declaration of Independence to the
steel trust and Its fellows.
They were forced to form a trust" or
combine to saw themselves from the
grasp of the thirty-three trusts against
which the independent manufacturers are
now protesting to the president. They de-,
clare they have not and will not lift the
prices of harvesters and other imple-
ments. They declare they are safe and
that they cannot be forced to increase
prices no matter what action may be
taken by the thirty-three trusts that the
independents say are squeezing them.
Becoming Mere Errand Boys.
The great manufacturers Of wagons,
harvesters, plows, ETC., as well as the
small makers, declare that the thirty
three octopi have put up prices on every
bit of material used In the manufacture
OF these implements-forced up the prices
steadily and arbitrarily until, as they say,
the manufacturers have become mere
errand boys Tor these great combines
forced to do their bidding and to advance
prices to save themselves from loss, thu
throwing the burden on the agricultural
community.
The manufacturers who nave signed the
petition set forth that, aside from heavy
losses to themselves, the crops of the
| United States have been curtaiied by the
action of the trusts. They claim that In
preference to paying the increased prices
ordered by the thirty-three trusts. the
farmers are using old implements long out
of date, and that because of these crude
| methods the agricultural advance of the
United States is being - .ecked, the agri-
cultural supremacy of lne nation threat
ened and the proportion of increase In
agricultural products to the increase in
population failing off. Besides, the MANI
.Iactl.rers point out government reports
showing that the exports of agricultural.
Implements lave already shown a de
crease.
Popular Error About Trusts.
Pcpularly-especially in agricultural dis
tricts-allE the manufacturers of farm inn
p,ements are supposed to be In a trust,
and most farlners believe that they are
not only in a trust, but that they are a
secondary trust, controlled entirely by
the Steel trust. The manufacturers in
their petition explode this idea by declar-
| ing that the Steel trust threatens the life
of every metal using manufactures in
America n does untold injury to the
commercial progress of the country.
What President Roosevelt can do in the
way Of relieving them the manufacturers
| dc not state in their petition. They Sim
ply pray for relief and leave the remedy
to him, making no suggestions In the way
of anti-trust legislation, but expressing
confidence that some relief will be af-
forded by the government.