Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-05-22
RODbINGTHEFARMER
THE Harvester TRUST FOSTERED
BY PROTECTIVE TARIFF.
is Permitted to Rob the American
Farmer of Forty Million Dollars a
Year. Another PiratiCal Corpora
tion Organized in New Jersey to
Skin the Homo Consumer.

In August, 1902, the harvester trust
was resolved upon, ard under the name
OF the International Harvester Company
Incorporated at Trenton. Being thus
launched at those old familiar shipyards
of modern piracy, the New Jersey-Tren-
ton wards, the harvester trust, without
reserve or setback, has marauded agrl-
culture ever since. The round produc-
ton of the American farms, in figures. is
each wear $4 900,000,000. 1t is three
times the gross earnings OF all the rail-
roads. 1t is ioufod the output OF all
the mines--gold, silver, iron, copper,
coal. 1t is six times the whole capital
of all the national banks. To produce
that annual crop, the aggregate value OF
which is $4,000, 100000, the farmer
spends yearly 800 900, 900 for tools. im-
plements and machinery, and it was for
the conquest of those 500. .0OO, 900, and
to turn them to its own profitable favor.
that the harvester trust was conceived.
1t is not too much to say that, now, i'll
the third year OF its existence. the har-
'vester trust, from those 500, 1000, 600.
pockets a yearly profit Of over SAC, ,O0O,-
900, eighty per cent of which may be
counted az merest rapine, attained by
methods that would shame footpad,
and are wholly criminal in the eye of
the law.
There were perhaps ten American con-
Germs engaged in the manufacture and
sale of farm tools and machinery when
the harvester trust was formed, and Of
these the Deering, the Mccormick, the
Milwaukee, the Plano. and the Cham
pion companies were included therein.
The list carried the largest plants in the
country. There have been added to it
since, the "Mlnnie," the Aultman &
Miller. and the ID. M. Osborne COM
panies. As now framed, the harvester
trust controls over nine-tenths OF the
farm implement trade, and by methods
of extortion, construction and lawbreak-
ing, so dominates the market situation
as to compel what opposition is strug
Cling against it to do business at loss.
Having arranged with the railroad for
a ninedollar rebate per car, the har-
vester trust began establishing agencies.
Having the upper hand in mere trade
volume, the Harvester Company took
its pick of the would.be agents of the
country. Likewise its trade superiority
enabled it to put the following "exclu.
sion clause" into its contracts with
agents. "Said agent especially agrees
not to accept the agency for or be inter
ested IN the sale of any grain binder,
header, binder, husker and shred
der, reaper, mower, stacker. sweep.rake,
hay.lake, hay-tedder other than those
manufactured by the International Har-
vester Company"
The harvester trust-hatched to bleed
the farmer for forty million dollars Of
profit every year-wth its railroads and
its steamboats, and its ropewalks in
Manila, has invaded Europe, ASIA
Africa, Australia, and South America
with its products. There it is selling
them at wholesome per cent below
what is demanded Of the American agri-
culturalist. From this alien trade alone
the harvester trust cleans up rotund
yearly treasure Of twenty.one million
dollars. The export value Of American
farm tools and machinery increased,
during the year just closed, over four
million dollars beyond the figures of the
year before; and 1t is safe to submit.
since that export was disposed OF at
prices widely under the prices asked for
the same articles in America, that the
harvester trust enjoys fringe OF profit
from its home trade that in much of its
illicit extravaganza might better be
sheared away.-Alired Henry Lewis, in
the April Cosmopolitan.