The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-12
SWIFT GOES AFTER
HARVESTER COMP ANY
Has Exacted S3,Oo0.OOO Re-
bates from Roads
WANTS MONEY RETURNED
As a stockhoIder Mr.. Swift Demands
an Accounting From the Com
pany and Wants Rebate
System to Cease.
WANTS MONEY RETURNED

Chicago. July 11.--Another attack was
made this afternoon upon the Interna-
tonal Harvester company by Rodney B.
Swift, formerly head of the experimental
department of the Mccormick branch of
the harvester company. Swift's connec-
tion with the company was severed some
months ago. and suit commenced against
him by the officials of the company, who
alleged that he had defrauded them in
the sale of the patent. In his bin filed
this afternoon, Swift, as a stockholder,
demands an accounting from the COM
pany, demands that the court force tne
company to cease taking rebates from
railroad companies, and also compel the
company to return to the railroad mo-
neys said by Swift to have been ille-
gally extracted from the roads in the
past. The following railroads are also
made parties to the suit
Chicago, West Pullman and Southern;
Illinois Northern; Chicago, Milwaukee
and st. Paul, Chicago and Northwestern,
Illinois Central. Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy, Atchison. Topeka and Santa Fe,
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific. Chica-
go and Alton, Chicago Great Western,
|. Wisconsin Central
OF the railroads made defendant in the
suit, two, the Chicago, West Pullman
and Southern, and Illinois Northern,
are described in the ill filed by Swift
as being the means by which tribute was
extracted from the larger roads in favor
OF the, harvester company.
More Than $4,000, 900.
The two roads, Swift asserts. consist
merely of switch tracks. Swift declares
that up to September 30. 1902, the Nc
Cormick branch of the harvester COM
pany alone forced the railroads to pay
1t through rebates and the operation OF
the Illinois Northern railroad. a sum in
excess of $3,0OO,0O0 Up to the same date
the money received in rebates by the
Plano branch of the harvester company
through the agency of the Chicago, West
Pullman and Southern railroad, amounted
to $500.000.
Since September 30 1902, it is declared
that all the other railway companies have
been making payments of rebates to the
International Harvester company under
the guise of an alleged division of freight
rates with the Illinois Northern COM
pany. Swift asserts that the alleged IL
legal rebates made to the international
company since 1902 amount to more than
81, 100000. Swift goes into details of the
organization of the International Harves
ter company, declaring shortly after its
formation an arrangement was made be-
tween President Cyrus II. Mccormick.
Charles Deering. George w. Perkins and
William C. Lane to the effect that all Of
the stock of the international company
should be put In charge of the first named
three men as trustees for voting pur-
poses until 1912. Swift demands that the
voting agreement be terminated by the
court
Business Very Profitable.
1t is further declared In the bill that
the business of the International Har-
vester company is of an extremely profit
able character He asserts that harvest
ing machines can be produced and de-
livered by the company for $c1; the COM
rany receives sos for them from their
agents, who in turn sell them for $125
1t is stated that the company has by its
officers taken the position that the only
persons having the right to examine the
books of the company are the trustees
of the stock-Perkins, Mccormick and
Deering. Swift says that all his demands
for an examination of the company's
books have been refused.
1t is further declared that the unlawful
course of the directors of the corpora
ton has damaged the Harvester company
to the extent of s5GO.000. which amount
Swift demands the directors repay to the
company.
The injunction demanded by Swift asks
that the court prevent purchase by the
company Of any manufacturing plants
when the purpose of the purchase is in
whole or In part the suppression Of COM
petition: use of any money or property by
the International Harvester company for
the defeat of the enactment Of any law
by any legislative body In the United
States or elsewhere. or for corruptly In
fuencing or the work of taxing bodies:
combination with the Plymouth Cordage
company for monopolv Of the binder twine
trade Of the United States
No time has vet been set for the hearing
of the case In court.