The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-07
Report of Special Commissioner on
Missouri Custer Suit Is Document
That Tells Strik-
ing Story
HARVESTER COMPANY
OF NEW JERSEY THE REAL TRUST
Statement Tells How J. p. Morgan and Company
Throttled and Swallowed the
Weaker Manufacturers

OF other lines of harvesting machinery
In the United States.
Grabs More Concerns.
Soon after the organization of the so.
called harvester combine, the repor,
says, 1T acquired the D. M. Osborne
company and operated il ostensibly rs
an independent concern for two years.
Other companies acquired in 1908 are
the Columbia Corage company, the Mex.
lean Sisal company, the Illinois North
ern Railroad company, the Aultman
and the keystone company, the last
three being manufacturers OF harvest.
ing mac chinery
In 1904 ii acquired the Weber Wagon
company and patents OF the BellendorT
Axle company. and In 1905 the Kemp
OF the company In the United Stutea
amounted TO nearly 100000 600.
In Missouri the company does about 80
per cent OF all business In agricultural
tools. implements. vehicles and mechn-
cry; In the binder line, ninety per cent,
and in the mower line 7o per cent.
Attorneys for the company contended
that the organization was a Legitimate
transaction in the ordinary course Of
trade
The report points out that the COM
pany was organized to control the binder
and mower business, and that the COM
panies that entered the combine manu-
factured practically nothing except hur-
VestinS machinery
Commissioner View
In his conclusions the commissioner
says II find that the International Har-
vester company Is ii combination created
for the purpose OF restraining trade, les
sening competition, regulating. controlling
and fixing prices of agricultural imple-
Tnents, tools and machinery sold and Of
fercd for sale In Missouri.
THAT the Interna tional Harvester couI-
pany OF Missouri Is maintained by the
New Jersey corporation as separate
corporate entity for the sole purpose of
making sales OF its products. and for
that purpose II obtained a license To do
business In evasion of the laws which
preclude the International Harvester COM
pany of New Jersey from obtaining IL
cense and By means thereof has secured
n practical monopoly In mowers and
power to secure a further monopoly I'm
the sale Of agricultural toors. implements
and machinery In the state.
Must Pay Penalty.
1.-THE respondent. by becoming Nom"
Der OF such a combination in furtheriuH
the purposes thereof by the evasion. has
been guilty OF violation OF tho uIti
trust laws and has Incurred the penalty
Of the laws. ! fail to find any other sub
stantial basis on which license to do bus!-
ness in the state should be forfeited"
The suit was filed by Governor Hnd-
ley when he was attorney general, No
vember 12. 1907, His successor Attorney
General Major obtained much OF tho evil
dence, The action was an information
in quo waryanto which asked Ihut all
franchises and privileges OF the company
in Missouri be revoked and that its prop
crty be confscated or fine imposed.
Tho Harvester company will file cNccp-
tions 10 the report and the case Will ia
argued and submitted in the supreme
court at the October term for q final
decision