Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-12-05
DESTRUCTION NOT SOUGHT
ACTION STATES THAT THERE ARE
NO COMPANIES SAVE THAT
WHICH IL SUED.
HAS RUINED MANY Others
sold Machines In Instances Under
Production Cost-Is Concern In
n Case All by Itself.

CINCINNATI, Dec. Suit was
filed in the United states circuit court
late today against the National Cash
Register company Of Dayton, charg-
ing the company Is In a conspiracy
IN restraint of trade, and that 1t be
enioined from further carrying on
such Illegal practices as is set forth
in the petition.
The government does not seek to
destroy the National Cash Register
company as a corporation, but asks
that 1t be prohibited from selling
cash registers and other registering
devices In a manner that would pre-
vent competition.
The suit was filed by United States
District Attorney Sherman MoPher-
son, who was assisted by Attorney O.
r. Harrison, representing the inter
state commerce commission. Those
named as defendants are the cash
Register company and twenty eight
officers, directors and district sales
agents of the company.
Alleges Illegal Actions.
The government In Its petition COM
plains that the individual defendants.
acting through the instrumentality of
the corporation, are seeking by Illegal
acts to eliminate, stifle and suppress
other manufacturers and dealers en-
gagged in marketing, selling and ship
ing interstate commerce cash regis
ters and other registering devices.
1t is further charged that the de-
PENDANTS have waged unlawful wars
Of determination against other COM
petitors and have driven them out Of
business, securing thereby 95 per
cent Of the cash register business.
Use the Old Method.
One of the main charges Is that
the company sold cash registers be-
low the cost Of production in various
instances where there was strong
competition
Does Not Ask Dissolution.
Attorney General Wickersham, in a
statement tonight on the equity suit
against the National Cash Register
company. declared that the govern
ment did not seek a dissolution of
the corporation. hut to compel fair
competition and to restrain the acts
of salvage represented now being di-
rected against the few remaining
competitors"
He said the defendant concern had
succeeded in running and destroying
more than $50 cash register COM
panies, thereby controlling 95 per cent
of the trade.
Have Private Graveyard.
The attorney general declared 1t
would be impossible to restore former
conditions through a dissolution OF
the concern, because there Is hardly
a vestlge left of any Of the ruined
companies outside Of the graveyard
of the defendant company at Dayton"
The graveyard is described I'm the
petition as a room at the factory OF
the National Cash Register company
at Dayton. where were displayed reg
listers OF competing companies which,
1t Is charged had been forced out OF
business by alleged Illegal methods.
The attorney-generars statement in
part follows:
Conspiracy Is Charged.
"rhe United States today filed its
bill in equity in the United States
circuit court at Cincinnati against the
National Cash Register company OF
Dayton and twenty y-eight of It's prin-
clpal officers and agents alleged and
charging that about the year 1890
the defendant John II. Patterson and
his then assistants as the officers and
agents Of the then existing National
Cash Register company, entered into
a conspiracy to create and maintain
a monopoly I'm the manufacture and
sale and shipment in interstate and
foreign commerce of cash registers
and other registering devices.
"Tho bill charges that this con-
spiracy and monopolizing its still be-
ing carried out and that If the Illegal
acts OF the defendants are not re-
strained they will continue to carry
out their conspiracy and result ulti-
mately and obtain a complete monop-
oily OF the cash register industry.
The prayer is that the defendants
be restrained from the further COM
mission OF such wrongful and Illegal
acts. and from further carrying out