Milford chronicle., 1911-11-24
MISSOURI GUSTS
HARVESTER TRUST
Company Must Quit State or
Remodel Its Business.
is ALSO FINED $4,000
State Supreme Court Declares It an
illegal Combination In Violation OF
Sherman Antitrust Law.

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illegal Combination In Violation o.
Sherman Antitrust Law.
The supreme court of the state ol
Missouri, at Jefferson City, in an opin
ion by Justice Graves sustained the
decision of the special commissioner
Theodore Brace, in his finding for the
custer of the International Harvester
Company OF America.
The court not only ousted the com
pany from its right to do business in
Missouri, but imposed a fine of $780,
600, conditioned that, if the company
paid the fine, separated itself from the
International Harvester Company of
New Jersey, filed a statement OF its
business and showed to the court that
it would obey the laws in the future,
1t would be permitted to continue to
do business in the state. 1t has sixty
days to comply with the order.
Judges Lamm, Brown, Ferris and
Woodson concurred in the opinion
Chief Justice Valiant wrote an op.n
ion which was concurred in by Judges
Lamm, Brown and Ferris. It left the
amount of the fine to be fixed by the
court after the company made a show
ing that it would comply with the
law. Judge Graves sustained the po
sition of Special Commissioner Brace
on every contention.
The opinion found that competition
was lesseued and that practically al
of the harvester business was done
by the respondent company in the
state. 1t held that it was contrary
to the laws of the state of NJ ssoui
for one company to conduct the bust.
ness of another, as in this case.
Judge Graves in his opinion says:
"The respondent was a part and
parcel Of this gigantic and nefarious
scheme. For some years it has hean
the mere sales agent of the Interna
tional H7rvester company, the New
Jersey company. 1t was licensed mi
this state to sell its own goods, but
it is now selling the goods OF an
other"
It became known to the court that
Wall street had been informed Of the |
decision before the court had con.
vened. Where this information came
from the judges all professed not to
know, but all were equally determined
in announcing that the leak would
become the subject for immediate and
thorough investigation.
The judges were indignant to learn
that so important a decision had been
made public long before it was hand
ed down and used possibly by power
ful financial interests in New York
and other markets to reap fortunes.
The International Harvester com
pany in September, 1910. was found
guilty of violating the Missouri anti
trust laws by a commissioner ap
pointed by the state, supreme court
The case was submitted to the su
preme court for affirmation last April
The International Harvester com
Dany was organized in 1902 It alb
sorbed successively the Mccormick
Warder, Bushnell & Gless
Ter, Plane. Milwaukee keystone. Min.
lie, Altman & Miller, Buckeye com
lany and the D. NJ. Osborne company
The International Harvester com
)any, Commissioner Brace declared in
lis report. by reason of its enormous
'apital, S120,000,O00, could not obtain
license in Missouri, so the Inter
ational Harvester Company of Amer
ca, a selling agent. was organized
nd obtained a license. This concern,
udge Brace said, was organized sim.
ly to evade the laws of Missouri.