The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-07-29
HANSDROUGH ON
HARVESTER Fight
FORMER DAKOTA SENATOR Ex-
PLAINS PART IN SEEKING
MONOPOLY PROBE.

SShAAOE 1A1ASpfpuSn pL ENOEtH DdhVbds
whose name was brought out We'd
nesday in the steel trust investigation,
was asked In Minneapolis last night
for statement concerning his efforts
To have the harvester trust investi-
gated. He said:
| About four hours ago put q reso-
luton through the senate directing the
department of commerce and labor to
investigate the Industrial phases of the
harvester trust. In a. talk with Attor-
| ney General Bonaparte on the subject
short time afterward, he told me that
the department Of justice had just
completed an investigation and was
ready to proceed against the trust but
that he felt a delicacy In going on
while another department was consid-
ering the matter
Il was anxious that proceedings
should begin as soon as possible. With
this end In view / introduced Sec
ond resolution relieving the depart
ment OF commerce, and labor from the
work and explained my reasons to the
senate. A heated debate followed with
the result that my second resolution,
against my protest, was referred to
the committee on agriculture.
Senator Proctor chairman of the
committee, was seen at once and re-
quested that proper action be taken.
He addressed a letter to Secretary
Straus of the commerce department
asking him how soon he thought the
investigation under my first resolution
would be concluded. also called on
the secretary and explained matters
to him.
HE referred me to Herbert Knox
Smith head OF the bureau of corpora
tons. / told Mr.. Smith of the enbar-
RAISING position Mr.. Bonaparte was in,
but Mr.. Smith said he thought the
commerce department ought to pro-
coed with the Investigations Secre-
tary Straus replied to Senator Proc
tors letter and agreed with Mr..
Smith.
Fights Trusts Agents.
IT was STRICKEN with illness about
that time and when came out OF the |
hospitals, after two operations, 1 found
that nothing had been done. My cam
paign for reelection was on and I |
came home to look after it. / found |
the harvester trust in conjunction
with other monopolies, actively at |
work to defeat me. All their agents |
in the state and several from adjoin- |
ing states were on the ground and |
fighting me. I was defeated.
I'm April, 1909. after 1 went out Of |
the senate, I talked with Mr. Kenyon, |
in charge Of trust prosecutions. He was |
very earnest in his desire that proceed |
ings should begin. He said that he |
had just come into the department |
and that ii would be necessary for him |
to inquire carefully into the case. This |
he did to my certain knowledge. But 1
before he got through with the inquiry |
he was sent to the senate from Iowa. |
after / introduced my resolutions, |
some Of the harvester trust officials /
became very active in Washington and
elsewhere. Mr.. Mccormick, president
OF the trust, came to Washington and
remained there several weeks. George
w. Perkins, who organized the trust,
was also in washington on various oc-
casions.
III Mr.. Townsend, who investigated
the trust for the department of JUS
tice, says that 1t was organized in
violation OF law. would stake my
existence that he is right about II.
There is not a better lawyer In the
country nor one more faithful and
honest.
Townsend on Other Work.
when he was taken off the harves-
ter trust case and sent to Oregon in
charge of the government suit against
the Southern Pacific railroad for the
forfeiture of a big land grant, lost
hope Of ever seeing the farm imple-
ment nonopolists brought to Justice
The land case had been investigated
repeatedly by the government but
without definite results. 1t looked to
me at the time as II someone for some
reason was anxious to put Townsend
on side track. know, however,
that IL was much more popular In ad-
circles to inquire into the
Southern Pacific misdeeds than 1t was
TO interfere with the steel trust and
It's subsidiary monopolies. Besides no
one had any confidence in ever win
ning the land case against the strong
Pacific coast railroad. Anyway, 1t
was good enough goat
But the wise ones didn't know
Townsend as well as they do now He
won the land case and restored over
100000 worth OF property to the
''If Attorney General wickersham
wants a good man to help In the har4