The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-02-15
OFFICIAL PAPER OF CITY
AND COUNTY.
F. A. WardweH. C. Thosupson.
wARDwEI.1. Z THOMPSON.
THE HARVESTER TRUST.
Philadelphia, JAM, 2lst, 1907.
Hon. H. G. Hansbrough,
United States Senate,
Washington d. G.

Dear Sir:
Your favor of the 18th received to
gether with a copy of Harvester Trust
resolution-the first anthenic copy
which I have seen. This move on your
part cannot but be productive of good
results If Commissioner Garfield or
those in authority will act upon it as
the facts OF the case warrant.
What you say regarding your exper-
fence in connection with the Harvester
Trust and your personal observation of
it's operation leads me to offer some fur
ther facts which may be of service in
arriving at correct understanding of
the situation.
am familiar with the conditions as
they existed before the formation of the
Trust and have been close student of
the conditions since that time. / was
called to New York City by the Trust
managers the day after the Trust was
formed in l902.and L then and there
heard from their own lips the plausible
explanations and fair promises of better
things for the dealers and farmers. SO
strong was the statement issued at that
time by the Trust managers that the
fears of the trade were largely allayed
and for period of more than a year,
during the formative period of the
Trusts organization little alarm was
voiced. Then the Trust assumed a more
aggressive and domineering attitude,
The iron rod of Trust dictation was
brought into play and the. trade began
to realize the deadly significance of the
combination.
If the Sherman Anti Trust law applies
to any combination it applies to the
Harvester Trust The Sherman law
prohibits and penalties combinations
or conspiractes tending to the restraint
OF trade or free competition when doing
an interstate business. Going through
the shadow of the substance, as Frank
s. Monnett, Ex-Attorney General of
Ohio says, ''this hits the Harvester
Trust nail square on the head.''
Here it is in nut shell. Before the
combination the dealers bought haryes-
ting machinery from twelve companies
in competition. The Harvester Trust
took at one swoop five of the largest of
these companies out of the competitive
field gathered in three more a little
later, and then when the Keystone Co.
I began to cut a figure in the harvesting
machine. business, removed it also by
absorption.
So this Trust captured nine compan-
les and claimed in it's advertisements to
be controlling and doing 900 Of the
harvesting machine business. Has this
/ combination tended to restrict free COM
petition. s.y
"A brief history Of the Harvester Trust
may be in place. It ingenious devices
and subterfuges remind one forcibly Of
Standard Oil methods. I.
The Harvester Trust is in the shape
sof two corporations. The "Internation-
.al Harvester CO.. is one and the .sInter-
national Harvester CO. Of America, is
the other. This similarity of names has
server TO. confuse farmers, the trade,
[ county attorneys, legislators, attorneys-
general, courts, tax assessors, secretar-
.ies q state, newspapers and nearly
every body that tackles the subject.
h The Intern national Harvester Co. Is
= -.