The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1911-09-08
International Harvester Company Replies.

international Harvester Company Replies.
During the last month there have
been widely circulated certain state
ments regarding the International Har
vester Company, all of which have
their their origin in report made more
than five years ago by Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Townsend, after brief
and partial investigation.
The International Harvester Com
pany has presented to the Stanley
Committee, at Washington, a complete
and vigorous answer, in which it is
pointed out that the arguments and
conclusions of the so-called Townsend
Report" are based upon clearly errone-
GUS statements of well-known facts.
The Townsend Report" claims that
a monopoly in harvesting machinery
has been created because the Internal
ional owns the patents on all the best
types of knotters.
The truth is that there has been no
patent whatever on the essential parts
of any type of knotter since 1896, when
the Appleby patent expired. Neither
are there now any patents upon any
essential part of the grain binder. The
many basic patents had all expired in
1896, and there have been no substan-
tlal patented improvements since 1891
twenty years ago-while the life of a
patent, as is wellknown, is only seven
teen years. That there are no such
patents is known to every manufacture
er of harvesters. and is now emphas-
lied by the fact that other manufac-
turers, including the Minnesota State
Prison, have recently closely initiated
the lnternational's models.
The Townsend Report charges that
of all of the different types of harves-
tiers purchased by the international, all
except three the "Deering," NC
Cormick, and "Osborne"-have been
abandoned, and that repairs are not
furnished for any other. This state
ment is VIGOROUSLY and absolutely un-
true. Repairs for the Minnie, +"
Buckeye" and keystone, although
not manufactured for nearly ten years,
have always been and are still furnish
ed by the International. Although the
Report states that the champion, "
''Plano" and Milwaukee" binders and
mowers have ceased to be manufacture
ed, the truth is that they have been
since 1902 continuously manufactured,
and are still manufactured by the In
ternatiOnal and are generally sold
throughout the Uuited States. This is
well-known to the farmers and dealers
of the country.
The Reports charge of a binder
Irvine trust is without any foundation
whatsoever. The International is not
only in constant and vigorous competi-
ton with the Plymouth Cordage Com
pany and a half dozen or more other
smaller Irvine manufacturers, but also
with seven state pemtentiary Irvine
mills.
Since the International was organiz-
ed, binder Irvine prices have steadily
fallen, and the decrease between 1902
and 1911 amounts to 40 per cent.
The charge that the international
has suppressed competition in harves-
ters is likewise untrue. 1t has had
continuously, and still has, the vigorous
competition of the Johnston, WalterA.
Wood, Acme, and Adriance-P latt Com
panies in the binder trade, and several
other in the mower trade. Recently
two large manufacturers have entered
the trade, while the Minnesota Prison
factory compelS free labor and private
capital to compete with prison labor
and public funds in the manufacture of
harvesters and Irvine.
The Townsend Report repeats the
overcoming falsehood that binders
are sold at cheaper price abroad than
at home. The United States Govern
ment's investigation, in 1909, proved
that while the American farmer pays
approximately $125 90 for a 6-foot bind
er, in France this same machine costs
$173.7O; in Germany, $2O3 90; in Swed-
en-, $l60.80; and in Great Britain, $135.-
16.
In spite of the fact that materials
had increased in cost more than 80 per
cent, and wages more than II per cent,
the international did not increase its
price of binders until three years ago.
And then an increase of only per cent
was made. This, however, owing to
some reductions in material, has been
largely wiped out by an announced re-
duction of per cent for 1922, although
the cost of labor has advanced more
than 26 per cent.