Mexico weekly ledger., 1911-09-07
INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER
COMPANY REPLIES.
The Facts Set Forth Regarding the
ATTACH Of the Unsigned and Mis-
leading Townsend Report.

During the last month there have
seen widely circulated certain state
rients regarding the International
Harvester Company. all Of which
have their origin in a report made
more than five years ago by Assist
ant District Attorney Townsend. af-
ter a brief and partial investigation.
The International Harvester Com
many has presented to the Stanley
Committee, at Washington, a COM
plete and vigorous answer, in which
it is pointed out that the arguments
and conclusions of the ~so-called
Townsend Report" are based upon
clearly statements of
well-known facts.
The Townsend Report claims
that a monopoly in harvesting ma
chinery has been created because
the international owns the patents
Il 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 ex-
pired, 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 substantial pat
ented improvements since ~iS91--twen,
ty years ago-whlle the life of a
patent, as is well-known, is only
seventeen years. That there are
nc such patents is known to every
manufacturer of haryesters, and is
emphasized by the fact that
other manufacturers, including the
Minnesota State Prison, have recent
y closely initiated the Information
ais models.
The Townsed Report charges that
Of all Of the different types Of har-
vesters purchased by the Interna-
tional. all except three the
"Deering," Mccormick" and "Os-
borne"-have been abandoned, and
that repairs are not furnished for
n others, This statement is no
toriously and absolutely untrue. Re-
pairs for the Minnie" Buckeye"
and keystone" although not man
ufaotured for nearly ten years, have
always been and are still furnished
by the International. Although the
Report states that the Champion"
Plano and milwaukee" binders
ard mowers have ceased to be man.
ufacturAd, the truth is that they
have Ieen since 1902 continuously
manufactured, and are still manufac-
tuned by the International and are
generally sold throughout the United
States. This is we'll known to the
farmers and dealers of the country.
The Reports charge Of a "binder
Irvine trust" is without any founda-
iiton whatsoever. The International
is not 0nly in constant and vigorous
competition with the Plymouth Cord
age Company and a half dozen or
more other smaller Irvine manufae-
%turers, bit also with avg state
penitentla'y Irvine mills,
Sine tho International was or
gained, builder twine prices have
steadily fallen, and the decrease be-
tween 1902 and 1911 amounts to 40
per cent.
The charge that the International
has suppressed competition in har=
veslers is likewise untrue. 1t has
had centinuol sly, and still has, the
vigorous competition Of the Johnston
| Walter A. Wood, Acme, and Adri-
ance-Platt Conn anies in the binder
trade, and seytrai others in the NOV
Ter trade. Recently two large manu-
~facturers have entered the trade,
while the Minnesota Prison factory
compels free iaDo1 and private capt
tai to compete with prison labor and
public funds in this manufacture OF
~harvesters and tv inc.
The Townsend Report repeats the
ever-recurring falsehood that binders
are sold OF a cheaper price abroad
than at home. The United States
Qovernn.ent's Investigation, in 1900
proved that while the American
farmer pays approximately S125.O'
for a e.foot binder, in France thii
same machine costs $173.7O; in Ger
many, 1908 90; in Sweden, $l6O.SO
and in Great Britain, s135,16.
In spite of the fact that material
haG increased in cost more than )
per cent, and wages more than l
per cent, the International did no
Increase its price of binders unit
three years ago. And then an IN
clease of only Z per cent was made
This, however, owing to some reduC
ItIons in material. has been largel
wiped out by an announced redu'
ton of 5 per cent for 1912, a
though the cost OF labor has az
,anced more than rs per cent.