The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-05
HOW TRUST ACTS
Methods Of Harvester Combine
Being PrObed.
Dealers Tell How the Lines are
Drawn.
HOW GRIGGS FELL OUT
Would Not Submit to Dictation
of Trust.
Local Representative Given Time
to Consider Question.
HOW GRIGGS FELL OUT

The second step in Assistant Attor-
ney General Fred Jackson's campaign
against the International Harvester
company which he characterizes as
trust was made this morning when the
jnnlement dealers of Topeka were
placed on the witness stand in the dis
trict court and asked to tell what they
know of the working of the company
1t is charged that the Harvester
d, company has violated the trust laws
and that there is no competition in the
sale Of the more expensive imple-
ments used on the farm. A similar
case was fled in Reno county and the
defense is being conducted today by
Ex-Governor Stanley.
Rumors have existed for some time
that an action such as the one com
menced Yesterday would be instituted
and that Information was being gath
cred by the force at the attorney gen
erals office. These rumors We're per
sistantly denied by those who knew OF
the contemplated action ana When
the papers We're filed Tuesday the ac-
tiOn came as surprise to the attor-
neys for the international Harvester
company.
The testimony Of J. A. Lukens, who
is one of the dealers in Topeka nan
0l1ng goods LOf the IulCIIdt tlOlAett OoAlA-
pany was to the effect that the ma
chinery is placed in his hands as an
agent for the company and that set
tlement is made once during each year
and that any goods left on his hands
unsDld are credited to him at the price
they were listed to him when received.
He testified that there has been prac-
ticaTy no change in the price of the
machinery since the independent
plants We're consolidated, and If there
at oil F7l
the moving machines can De pur-
chased now about one dollar less Jnan
they could before the consultations OF
the manufa acturers-
The retail dealer may buy any one
of the seven moving machines hanQieQ
by the International company at the
same price providil lg that there IS no
other agent in the territory IN WAtch
they wish to dispose or their purcha-ses-
The machines are billed 10 the re
taller by the company at about $4V ana
are sold for S45, making him com
mission Of IS on each macnlne sofa.
The agency for repairs for the machine
is placed with the party who has the
agency for the machine and they can
not be purchased by an independent
dealer. There is a profit of about p
per cent on repairs and they are not
P. ". C5riggs of the firm of Griggs &
AIoneypenny, is one of the dealers who
is handling independent goods entirely
and he seems to have had several
brushes with the International Har-
vester company before he broke away
from them and handled independent
goods.
There are several reasons why [ am
not handling the trust goods, said MI
Griggs. L handled them for one sea-
son and before that time L had been
handling the machinery manufactured
by the Walter A. Wood company AT
the time signed contract with them
I had six of these machines IN STOCK
and they agreed to let me dispose OF
them providing that I would handle
their goods exclusively in the future
] signed their contract ana handleq
their goods for one year and then fell
out with them on account OF the terms
of their contract which they asked me
to sign.
They exacted among other things
that I should handle their machines
exclusively They insisted on taking
six months in which to pass on the
notes of farmers which we turned over
to them and their repair contract was
one that we did not care to sign In
all there were eight clauses which we
objected to and the agency was taken
awav from us. and since that time we
have handled nothing but machinery
manufactured by the Independent COM
panies.
Word comes to US through our
patrons that they are afraid to pur-
chase independent machinery from US
because they are told by the repre-
Eentatives of the so called com blne
that the Independent people will be
compelled to quit business and that
their machinery will be worthless as
they viii not be able to get repairs for
1t.
I'VE have had this to contend with
aver since the agency for the trust
goods was taken from us. I handled
the Buckeye machine for several years
and / considered it one of the best as
we'll as the highest priced machines
on the market but they became In
voIved and L have been informed that
the company was absorbed by the
trust.
LAS I understand the matter from
the dealings ] have had with the Inter
national Harvester company they en-
ploy no salesmen and the business of
a certain district is looked after by a
person who is designated as a block
man.. He visits the dealers in the
towns where the machines which are
handled by the com bine are doing
business and goes from one dealer to
another and settles the business be-
tween the dealer and the International
company He does not solicit business
nor attempt to make sales as each
dealer has the agency for a certain
machine which he can sell and no
other"
A. J. -Jetmore. manager for the In
ternational Harvester company. was
placed on the stand, but his evidence
was immaterial as he was not pre-
pared to answer the questions asked
by the states attorney. He took lis.
IF the questions asked by Mr.. Jackson
md promised to hand the information
nto the court as soon as it can be
compiled from the books of the com
3any.
The interests of the defense are being
ooked after by Earle w Evans of the
lrm Of Stanley. vermilBon & Evans d
Wichita though he has not asked sin
de question of the witnesses who have
estihed
"What IS there to this case p was asked