The evening times., 1911-07-27
COMMITTEE GOES
TO new YORK
7. TO PROBE TRUST
Charged international Hsr.
vester Company Got Big
Rebate on Purchases
3D.. T0WMSENDS REPORT CANE
TO LIGHT AFTER THREE YEARS
Was Made to Attorney General Bona.
parte in the Roosevelt Admiuistra.
ton and Charges Harvester Trust
With Violation of Antitrust Law.

New York, July 27-The house
special committee of inquiry into the
United States steel corporation ar.
rived in New York today to delve
into the business affairs of the Rf-
gantic corporation at its own hearth.
stone.
Scores of witnesses have been SUBJ
poenaed to testify here and today
Richard Trimble, secretary of the
steel corporation, was called to di-
vulge information which the commit
tee had been promised from time to
time during its protrscted investiga-
ton IN Washington. This includes
the official and statistical documents
bearing on the prices and the minutes
OF steel corporation board meetings.
B. D. Townsend's Report
Washington, July 27-Attorney
General Wickersham appeared before
the Stanley steel trust investigating
committee to verify a report made to
former Attorney General Bonaparte
by B. D. Townsend, special agent
of the depa rtment, in 1908, in which
the latter urged that the International
Harvester company had operated in
violation of the Sherman anti-trust
act
The attorney. general, when shown
O copy OF the voluminous document
by Representative Stanley, said he
never had seen it before, though since
he had been head of the department
of justice he had heard rumors that
there had been an Investigation of the
harvester combine.
Senator Kenyon of Iowa, former as
sistant to the attorney general, sum-
moned before the committee for the
same purpose. said he had advised fur
ther investigation before any prose-
cution was undertaken under the re-
port. Commissioner Herbert Knox
Smith Of the bureau of corporations,
which is now investigating the Inter-
national Harvester company, also
heard Of the report.
The matter was injected into the
steel inquiry because of the report
charges that the steel corporation
pays rebate of SO ton to the har-
vester companies on steel purchased
and because the committee has in
formation that there is an arrangel
ment between the two giant corpora
tions whereby the harvester compan-
les buy exclusively from the steel cor.
poration.
Despite protests from the steel cor
poration counsel that the Interna-
tional Harvester line of INJURY was
apare from the inquiry directed by
congress, Chairman Stanley insisted
that it was essential and he said he
had Information tending to show that
the Harvester and Steel corporations
wire practically the same. Attorney
General Wickersham agreed to have
Mr.. Townsend, who is still in the ser.
vice of the department to appear be.
fore the committee at q later date.
1--WE will have Mr.. Carnegie before
us in October" Chairman Stanley said
"and perhaps you could arrange to-
have Mr.. Townsend about that time"
The attorney general said that it
would be possible to do so.
do you know Of any reason" -"
Chairman Stanley asked. why this
Harvester company Investigation was
not acted upon by the department Of
justice prior to the time you assumed
charge Of the Department.
II do not know" Mr.. Wickersham
replled. Sufml6e. this Is only
surmise, that the case was delayed
pending decision Of the supreme
court in the Standard Oil and Tobac-
co cases. It was not considered de-
sirable to press these cases until q
decision Of the supreme court was
received and in this case I think many
Of the same points were involved"
Further inquiry into the absorption
Of the Tennessee Coal & Iron Con.
pany by the steel corporation will b
taken up early and in this the testi-
mony Of former President Theodore
Roosevelt may be sought.
Harvester Trusts Denial
Chicago, July 27--An oficial state.
ment for the International HarvesteI
company was given out by Clarencs
s. Funk. general manager. It reads
as follows: