The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-07-17
FARMERS SWINOLED
OUT OF MILLIONS BY THE BIG
HARVEST TRUST,

Which Was Organized Several Years
Age by J. P. Morgan, the Wall
Street Msgnate.
The story of the Harvest Trust,
the strong friend and ally of the
Republican party, was again recently
eold in the United States. To deaf
ears on the Republican side of the
Senate, Senator Stone, of Missouri,
narrated, step by step, the organiza-
tion OF one of the most Infamous in
dustrial combinations in the world.
The harvester trust has done to the
AGRICULTURAL implement business what
the Standard Oil company has done
to the oil business Only it has per-
formed more work in the dark than
Standard Oil.
The Rockefeller of the harvester
trust is ]. Pierpont Morgan. although
80 per cent of the farmers are not
aware Of it. The firm Of j. P. Nor
gan & Co., through George w. Perk-
ins, organized the international Har-
yester Company of New Jersey in
1902. This merger swallowed all
the properties of the Mccormick
Harvesting Machine Company, the
Deering Harvesting Machine Compa-
ny, the Champion, the Plano, and
the Milwaukee Harvesting Machine
Company, representing 80 per cent
of the business of the country. 9th
er smaller concerns have since been
forced to sell.
Then came the organization OF the
International Harvester Company OF
America, under the laws Of Wiscon-
sin. Cyrus H. Mccormick is presi-
dent, and Morgan's man, Perkins,
is director, of both companies. The
New Jersey corporation is the man
ufacturing concern and the America
is its selling agent. The new cor
poration continues to manufacture
the machines of the various former
companies, preserving their separate
makes and Identities, and sells them
at uniform price. There is now no
competition as to the prices on these
machines, which are advanced regu-
larly and Systematically. When a
small concern attempts to under sell
The trust, it is swallowed.
Promoter Perkins, on the witness
stand in New York, admitted that
the trust had purchased the D. NJ.
Osborne Company's business because
that concern cut the prices OF har-
yesters and mowers abroad and at
home.
Arkansas has banished the har-
yester trust from its State. A COM
missioner appointed Ly the supreme
court of Kansas has investigated
the international Harvester Company
of America, and in his report finds
the concern is trust and monopo-
ly doing business in violation OF the
laws of the State. An custer suit
is being vigorously pressed against
the harvester trust in Missouri by
Attorney General Elliott w. MAJOR
The legal department of the fed
eral government refuses steadfastly
to become interested in the wealth
of damaging evidence that has been
taken against the harvester trust
The harvester trust assists in keep
ing the Republican party in power
and in return payment receives eX-
cessive protection, immunity from
prosecution, and the privilege of ex'
torting most any price it wishes from
the American farmer. The trust no"
controls IS per cent of the imple'
ment business. 1t was shown in the
senate that the trust was eXtortlrg
unreasonably high prices. An amend
ment placing agricultural implements
on the free list was submitted and
defeated by the Aldrichities.
The wickedness of the harvester
trust is long. long story. Although
in 1907 it cleared SS,O00,O0O II
profits, at the beginning of lsos
it advanced prices to the whole
saler S per cent. For example, o
foot binder was boosted from S9s
to s1O7.5O. Based on the sales o.
s46,ooo,OO0 in 1906, the 5 per cent
increase would aggregate approXl
mately two and one-half millior
dollars.
Butsfo secure a good idea of Mr.
Morgaas creation read part OF q
speech made in the Senate on Janu
ary 22,f19OS, by Senator Hans
brough of North Dakota:
AT the time this monopoly was
created the average price OF self
binoer to a farmer in my part o.
the country was from $50 to $1O3
Today the same machine cost:
Sl45.
"That it not all The trust ha:
obtained a control over blndlns
twine, and over several manufactur
ing establishments devoted to the
making of gasoline engines, cream
separators and manure spreaders
rrbav h,va also secured a monopoly