Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-05-03

pany, the petition says These, 1t is
added, are comparatively small, and as
their business does not embrace the
entire United States, in many sections
of the country the International Har-
vester company has a complete mon
opoly of harvesting machinery. Con-
sidering agricultural implements of
every kind, other than harvesting lines
the petition declares, that the output
of the alleged trust amounts 10 over
80 per cent of the whole.
The government contends that the
corporation has eliminated competition
by securing control of a great major
ity of the retail implement dealers in
the United States who are made their
exclusive selling sales agents. The pet
ition says:
THE opportunities for any new COM
petitOrs are constantly being closed by
the defendants in all lines of agricul-
tural implements; the agencies for dis
tribution, the retail implement dealers,
and others are rapidly coming under
their undisputed control, and unless
prevented and restrained, their COM
plete unchallenged dominion of every
branch of trade and commerce in agri-
cultural implements of all kinds may
be confidently expected at an early
date"
The government charges that the
defendants have absorbed competing
companies, but concealed their owner
ship. permitting them to be advertised
as wholly Independent and without
connection with them, the trust or
any combination, intending thereby
TO mislead, deceive and defraud the
public and more effectually cripple ex-
listing competitors and keep out new
ones"
The bill contains these charges:
Defendants have resorted to unfair
trade methods; have made inaccurate
and misleading statements concerning
rival machines or concerning the cred
1t Of competitors; have by misrepre-
sensations sought TO induce competi-
tors agents and dealers to abandon
them, and in divers unfair ways have
endeavored to destroy them, and for
the purpose of destructive competition
have reduced prices of their machines
in some localities below cost of produc-
ton and distribution while keeping
prices up in other localities.
Defendants have Systematically
bought up patents upon harvester ma
chinery, tools and implements, and &C
quired all new inventions therein, in
order thereby more effectually TO per-
petuate the combination and mono
poly"
The following corporations and IN
dividuals are mentioned as defendants
in the petition:
International Harvester company, IN
ternational Harvester company of
America, International Flax Irvine
company, Wisconsin Steel company,
The Wisconsin Lumber company, Hi
nois Northern Railway, The Chicago,
West Pullman & Southern Railroad
company, Cyrus H. Mccormick
Charles Deering, James Deering, John
J. Glessner, William H. Jones, Harold
F. Mccormick, Richard F. Howe. Ed
gar A. Bancroft, George F. Baker.
William ]. Louderback, Norman B.
Ream, Charles Steele, John A. Chap
man, Ebert H. Gary, Thomas D.
Jones, John P. Wilson, William L.
Saunders, George w. Perkins.
The prosecution of the case will be
directed by Edwin p Grosvenor, spec
lal assistant TO the attorney general,
who had charge of the bath tub trust"
cases. In addition to Mr.. Grosvenor
the petition is signed by Attorney
General Wickersham, J. A. Fowler, as
sistant to the attorney general, and
Charles c. HOupt, United States dis
trict attorney at st. Paul.
In many states" the petition de-
clares, the farmers expenditures for
harvesting machinery and Irvine az
gregate considerably more than so per
cent of the total expense incurred by
him purchasing agricultural machinery
and implements of all kinds"
The International Harvester COM
pany was organized in New Jersey in
1902. Prior to that time, the govern
ment declares there were 10 or - es-
ADJUSTMENTS for the manufacture and
sale or harvesting implements in ac-
tive competition with each other The
alleged trust was formed through the
combination Of the Mccormick Har-
Vesting Machine company Of Illinois
the Deering company of Illinois. the
Plano Manufacturing company of Iii
nois, Warder, Bushnell and GIessner
company of Ohio, and the Milwaukee
Harvester company. The aggregate
annual output of these FIVE concerns.
It is said, amounted to over SIS per