The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-08-22
international Harvester
Company Replies
The Facts Set Forth Regarding the
Attack Of the Unsigned and Mis-
leading Townsend Report.


leading Townsend Report.
During the last month there have
been widely circulated certain state
ments regarding the International
Harvester Company, all Of which have
their origin in a report made more
than five years ago by Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Townsend, after a
brief and partial investigation. ..-.
The International Harvester Com
pany has presented to the Stanley
Committee at Washington, a complete
and vigorous answer, in which it is
pointed out that the arguments and
conclusions of the so-called Town
send Report" are based upon clearly
erroneous statements of well-known
facts. ...
The Townsend Report" claims that
a monopoly in harvesting machinery
has been created because the Inter
national owns the patents on all the
best types OF knotters.
The truth is that there has been no
patent whatever on the essential parts
Of and type of knotter since 1896,
when the Appleby patent expired.
Neither are there now any patents up
on any essential part Of the grain bin
der. The many basic patents had all
expired in 1896, and there have been
no substantial patented improvements
since 1891-twenty years ago-while
the life of a patent, as ia wellknown
is only seventeen years. That there
are no such patents is known to every
manufacturer of harvesters, and is
now emphasized by the fact that other
manufacturers, including the Mime
sofa State Prison, have recently clos
ely initiated the Internationaps mod
els.
The Townsend report charges that
Of all of the different types Of harves-
ters purchased by the International
all except three-the "Deering," INC
Cormick," and Osborne have been
abandoned, and that repairs are not
furnished for any others. This state
ment Is notoriously and absolutely un-
true. Repairs for the Minnie" Buck
eye" and Keystone" although not
manufactured for nearly ten years,
have always been and are still fur
nished by the International. Although
the Report states that the champion"
Plano" and "Milwaukee" binders and
mowers have ceased to be manufac-
tured. the truth is that they have been
since 1902 continuously manufactured
and are still manufactured by the In
ternational and are generally sold
throughout the United States, This is
well-known to the farmers and deal
ers of the country.
The Reports charge Of binder
twine trust" is without any foundation
whatsoever The International is not
only In constant and vigorous compe-
tition with the Plymouth Cordage
Company and half dozen or more
other smaller twine manufacturers,
but also with seven state penitentiary
twine mills.
Since the international was organ
ized, binder twine prices have steadily
fallen, and the decrease between
1902 and 1911 amounts to 40 per cent.
The charge that the International
has suppressed competition in harvest
ers is likewise untrue. 1t has continu-
ously, and still has, the vigorous COM
petition of the Johnston, Walter A.
Wood. Acme, and Adriance-Platt Com
panies in the binder trade, and several
other In the mower trade. Recently
two large manufacturers have entered
the trade, while the Minnesota Prison
factory compels free labor and private
capital to compete with prison labor
and public funds in the manufacture
Of harvesters and twine.
The Townsend Report repeats the
ever-recurring falsehood that binders
are sold at cheaper price abroad
than at home. The United States Gov
ernment's investigation, in 1909, prov
ed that while the American farmer
pays approximately $125.Oo for a s.
foot binder, in France this same ma
chine costs $17s.7O: in Germany,
$4,000; in Sweden. $16O.s0; and in
Great Britain, s135.16.
In spite of the fact that materials
had increased in cost more than 80
per cent. and wages more than II per
cent, the International did not in
crease its price Of binders until three
years ago. And then an increase Of
only per cent was made. This, how
ever, owing to some reductions In ma
terfal. has been largely wiped out by
an announced reduction of S per cent
for 1912, althogh the cost of labor has
advanced more than IS per cent