The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1911-09-22
INTERNATIONAL
HARVESTER co.
ANSWERS TOWNSEND REPORT.

ANSWERS TOWNSEND REPORT
A report made five years ago on the
International Harvester Company by an
assistant United States district attorney
for North Dakota was recently receiv-
ed in evidence by the Stanley Committee,
at Washington, d. c., then investigating
the United States Steel Corporation.
The Townsend report was given to the
press and widely published by various
newspapers throughout the country. The
Harvester Company claims this report
contains many erroneous and misleading
statements, and on August 10th, 1911,
committed to the Stanley Committee
detailed and specific answer to these So
called false charges. The statements in
their answer are reputed to be based
on original documents and records and
upon the sworn testimony of reputable
witnesses.
We are interested principally so far as
the report has to do with Ohio county.
We have never read the official Town.
send report, but judging from extracts
from same contained in the daily press,
we are inclined to believe the Harves-
ter Company has just grievance. For
instance, the Townsend report makes it
appear that three types of binders and
mowers were totally abandoned The
types in question were Milwaukee, Plano
and Champion. We of course know this
lie not correct because there are Cham
pion, Plano and Milwaukee agents in
Ohio county. Machines of these types
were sold in Ohio county this season.
In another column of this issue will
be found biographical sketch of the
International Harvester Company Of
America as relating principally to the
Evansville Branch, and in this sketch
will be found a list of their agents in
this county, and a glance at this list
proves to us that the Milwaukee. Plano
and Champion machines have not been
abandoned.
The report also makes mention of the
binder Irvine situation. The Harvester Com
pany was formed in 1902, and that year
Irvine sold to dealers at lie. During the
past harvest sisal Irvine sold to dealers
in the neighborhood of 6 -2 and &c, and
to the best of our information it has
not been as high as lie since the year
the International was formed.
The Townsend report makes it APP
pear that International sells machines
cheaper abroad than at home, whereas
the Governments own Investigations,
published in the Daily Counselor and
Trade Reports of February, March and
April, 1909, show that the foreign prices
for a eft. binder are as follows:
In France $l737O. In Germany $4,000
In Denmark slG75O. In South Russia
sl6s.95. In Great Britain S135,l6.
The farmers of Ohio county all know
what they have to pay for a eft. binder
here and they all know it is considerable
less than the above prices. The Harves-
ter Company claim that materials have
Increased in cost more than 80 per cent
and that wages have increased more than
II per cent, but that they did not in
crease the price of binders and mowers
until three years ago, and then only
made an increase of about per cent
There are many other statements in
the Townsend report emphatically de-
MED in the Harvester Companys reply
and while it Is not our purpose to take
sides in the discussion yet we can not
help but agree with an editorial pub
ished in the Morning News Of Dallas,
Texas. August 18th. i9l1, from which
we quote in part;
at is difficult TO conceive that COM
nittee Of Congress could make so many
sgregious errors in its investigation Of
his corporation, and yet It is equally
iifficult to conceive that its attorney
would so fatty contradict its charges
bout matters that are easily susceptible
u the most direct proof.
IF the committee can disprove the
OF the Harvester corporations
It ought not to lose any time
D doing so; II 1t can not disprose them.
! ought to lose no time in apologizing
or having misled the country and libel
q the Harvester corporation. The idea
{ a congressional Committee having TO