The Topeka state journal., 1911-08-12
Harvester Trust Attorney Re.
plies to Townsend Report.
He Deals With Government
Allegations One by One.
GROSSLY INACCURATE
Or Entirely Untrue He Brands
Nearly Every Statement.
Argument Filed With the Steel
Trust Committee.

Washington. Aug. 12.-That the
arguments and conclusions of the So
called Townsend report are based on
clearly erroneous statements is the
opening assertion in a reply by Edgar
Bancroft. counsel for the Internation-
al Harvester company, filed today with
the house steel trust investigating
committee, in answer to charges made
by Burdette D. Townsend, special
agent of the department of justice. in
1908. The Townsend report was filed
with the committee a short time ago.
Nearly every important statement
relating to the purpose of the investi-
cation" the reply continues, sis either
grossly inaccurate or entirely untrue.
The general inaccuracy of the report
is shown by its misStatement even of
the names of the president and chair
man of the board of the International
Harvester company and of the names
of the voting trustees-although they
were all widely known and a matter
of public record for four years prior
to the making of the report.
The fundamental charge of COM
mission to create a monopoly is based
IN the report on the charge that the
knotter in the self binder is protected
by patents and that the International
owns the patents on all the best types
of knotters.
1.-THE truth is there is no patent
whatever on the essential part of any
type of knotter and there has not been
any such patent in force since 1896.
when the Appleby patent expired. This
fact not only appears on the records
OF the patent office, but is known to
every manufacturer of self binders
and to every principal dealer in them.
Neither are there any existing
patents upon any essential part of the
grain binding machine. The MANY
basic patents had all expired in 1896;
and there have been no substantial
patented improvements since 1890
twenty years ago-while the life of a
patent. as is well known, is only IT
years"
As to Repairs.
The statement of the Townsend re-
port that of the nine different types
of grain binders purchased by the In
ternational, all but three have been
abandoned and that repairs are not
furnished for any others, is branded
by Attorney Bancroft as notorious
ly and absolutely false He further
says that repairs for every type then
tat the time of the report) were and
have ever since been furnished bv
the international when and wherever
called for
THE reports charge of a binder
twine trust is without any foundation
whatsoever, declares the reply.
which also states that the information
al has also had the vigorous competi-
ton of one large and six smaller twine
manufacturers in addition to seven
state penitentiary twine mills.
In reply to the charge that compe-
tition has been largely suppressed, -
Mr.. Bancroft cites the names of eight
firms which he declares are all active
competitors.
AS to the charge that the Interna-
uonaI receives rebates from railroads
and secures special concessions from
the United States Steel corporation
the reply declares that the harvester
company's relation to the United
States steel corporation is not differ
ent from its relations to the competi-
tors of the steel corporation. . and
that during the last seven years it has
bought from the steel corporation 10