The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-11-19
a GIGANTIC MONOPOLY.
implement Trust Has Farmers BY the
Throat.

Chicago, H., Nov 1S.-Farmlng im-
plement dealers and country store.
keepers throughout the west are up
in arms against the recent action OF
the International Harvester company
iD atfempting to prevent the sale OF
farm implements except those Of its
own manufacture This action is the
elimination of a series OF steps which
have been taken since the Interna.
ticnal Harvester company, otherwise
known as the Farm Machinery Trust,
was promoted by J p Morgan & Co,
Some three years ago.
Until the formation Of the trust the
farmers rene eted by the keen competi-
ton between the implement manufac-
turing con paaies, which kept down
prices. but now MI this Is being chang
cd. and tho situation confronts the
farmers and the country dealers of
either accepting the terms imposed
by the trust or making an effort to
+ combine and fight
The same problem vas presented TO
farmers bv the Grain Elevator trust
when they were confronted with q
choice OF eithor selling their grain az
whatever price the Elevator trust
chose to oder or Of finding sonc other
way to get It to market, and the other
WY was eneotually closed by tn
grain elevator pecple standing in with
tho railroad men and discriminating
against Individual farmers shipments.
This situation became so oppressive
that the farmers ccmbinec among
themselves to build their own grain
elevators, and then when the railroad
refused side track privileges aud i9ca.
tions along the tracks the farmers
went to the legislatures of the Gran
ger states and compelled legislation
which gave them at least ncmInally
equal rights with the railroads.
The Fam Machinery trust was
formed by a combination of the Deer
ing Harvester company the Plane
Manufacturing company the Warder
Bushnell and Glessner company, ths
Milwaukee Harvester company, an'
the well known Mccormick company
, Of Chicago. These were capitalize
under the auspices Of J. P Morgan q
, Co, at $12OO01,000 a New Jetse,
Charter was taken in the name of The
International Harvester company.
There were one western and thre'
eastern concerns that refused to ente
the trust. and one of these coIcern
had large amount Of paper from dii
ferent farmers discounted 10y III
banks
Through its ramifcations ana hanl
p ing connections the Farm Machiner
trust obtained control Of this pape
indorsed by its principal competitor
a ana insisted on immediate paymen
l- and as a result the independent cor
! Germ had the choice of going into
@ receivers hands or of accepting tl
$ terms offered and selling out to III
e trust. Although perfectly solvent an
$ having almost $4,000 600 OF asset
E more than its liabilities. 1t could n,
l. raise the cash required to pay all Il
# floating lebt at once and 80 was force
IT to accede TO tho trust proposition an
sell out Two smaller competitor
S were tho neasily bought out
rs Then having put Itself in the pc.
IT tion where It was the only concern
10 the United states which manufactur,
all kinds Of farm implements, the !
le teraational Harvester company m
T. pared q contract which il accepted
ir the implement dealers and storelee
s. ers, will drive every other impleme
ig manufacturer out Of business and v
~ give the International Harvester co
IA pany q monopoly Of The hundreds
millions Of dcllars spent on farm n