The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-09-18
GOVERNMENT SINKS PROBE
INTO HARVESTER MERGER
Federal Attorney Submits Elk
hibits to Prove Voting
Trust Agreement

CHICAGO, Sept. 1T.-Exhibits which
the attorneys for the government who
are inQuiring into the affairs OF the
International Harvester Co.-the
Harvester trust'-belIeve will play an
important part In the prosecution OF
the suit brought under the Sherman
law, were filed before Master In
Chancery Taylor today. by Attorney
Darling for the government
The exhibits include a voting trust
agreement entered into Aug. IL, 1902.
by which all stock in the international
Harvester Co. was given into the GUS
tody OF George w. Perkins, Cyrus IA.
Mccormick and Charles Deering. CIV.
ing them control of the $4,000. 00U
corporation.
The list OF officers and directors or
the combine are listed In the exhibits.
showing that of the six members OF
the finance committee, four are di-
rectors and members OF the finance
committee OF the United States Steel
corporation-George w. Perkins. r. n
Gary. Norman b. Ream. and George r
Baker.
Attorney Darling said that the
agreement giving control OF the voting
stock In the selling company was no;
unlike the procedure followed by the
National Packing Co.-the Beef trust
which was voluntarily dissolved
under the Sherman law recently.
A list of go general selling agencies
was filed with the exhibits.
Clarence s. Funk, general manager
OF the corporation, was on the stand
Just before luncheon adjournment was
taken. II was said at the close OF the
morning session that he would be re-
called this afternoon In case r. c.
Haskins, president OF the Information
al Harvester Co. Of America, the sell
ing company. failed to appear.
When the governments questioning
of the International Harvester Co. Of
ficials was resumed today, Ii was ex-
pected that details of the forming or
the $40, 100000 combine to control the
manufacture and sale of harvesting
machinery would be gone into moro
fully than during yesterdays quoe
tloning OF Clarence 8. Funk, general
manager, and william III. Jones, vice
president OF the big corporation.
The government planned to call
John j. Glessner, vice-president, and
William M. Gale, e. N. Wood and
Alexander Legg, subordinate officers,
but the list of witnesses so far made
public does not include George w.
James Deering, all OF whom have
been heavily interested in the merged
companies. 1t Is believed, although
the governments attorneys would net
verify 1t, that they are not going 20
be given an opportunity to testify
before the master, because such test
mony would grant them immunity In
case the government later attempted
to push criminal action against NOV
ing spirits in the Harvester. trust"
At yesterdays hearing Funk and
Jones answered all questions put by
Edwin p. Grosvenor, assistant at.
torney-general, promptly and appar.
emily without desire to conceal any
facts which the government wanted.
The taking of evidence was delaye ed
today by the failure of r. G. Haskins.
president OF the International Haryes-
ter Co., OF America (the selling cor.
poration). to appear. The attorneys
for both sides said that Haskins
would appear later and they agreed
to call Clarence S. Funk, general man.
ager OF the company, to resume his
testimony.
Funk said that in 1903 he went TO
st. Paul to appraise the plant OF the
Minnie Harvester Co., and that short
ly afterward the International CON-
pany took over the plant.
But for two years after the pur-
chase, the public did not know that
the Minnie company was not an In
dependent concern. did it?" asked the
government attorney.
1T IL true that II was sometime be-
fore the public knew that the Minnie
company was part OF the Interna-
tional company" replied Funk.
Funk testified that he had not been
consulted when the plant was pur-
chased and did not know what negoti.
atoms were entered into.
Attorney Joseph s. Darling. who J..
assisting the government attorneys,
was today preparing list OF exhibits
which will be offered as evidence, la
GLIDING agreements by which the
companies were divided and the list
OF officers OF the International com
panies and their voting power.