Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-04-26
HARVESTER SUIT LETTERS
Correspondence Between Roosevelt
and Officials Sent to Senate.
CONCERNS ANTITRUST ACTION
Colonel Tells Bonnparte to Go over
the Matter with Perkins
Commissioner smith FR-
Nors Delay.

4 tItfDtFt hHDG smith OF lLt uulSdu OF
corporations in 1871 about government
antitrust suit against the International
Harvester company was sent to the SEN
ate today from the flies of the Depart
ment Of Justice.
One letter from Colonel Roosevelt 10
Mr. Bonaparte. written at oyster Bay
on August 2, 1907. said Ihat the colonel
had had conferences with George w. Per
kius about the oompany's affairs and d.
rected Mr. Bonaparte not to file the
Euit then, but to go over the matter with
Commissioner Smith and hr. Perkins.
A letter from Commissioner Smith TO
the colonel on September n told Of con-
ferenoes with Mr.. Perkins and stated
commissiUnsr Smiths objections TO a
prosecution at that fine. The commits
sioner wrote that he thought the question
OF the oompanys guilt or innocence was
merely a technical question and told of
conference with Mr.. Perkins on
August a.
Resent Threatened suit.
Perkins concluded with great emphasis
that II after ali the endeavors OF this
company and the other Morgan interests
TO uphold the policies Of the administra-.
tiou and to adopt their methods OF mod
ern publicity. this company was now
going 10 be attacked in a purely technical
case. the interests he represented were
going TO fight"
Further on in the same letter Mr..
Smith wrote: while the administration
has never hesitated to grapple with any
financial interest. no matter how great,
when II Is believed that substantial
wrong IL being committed. nevertheless 1t
10 a very practical question whether Il
Is well to throw away now the great In
fluenoo OF the so-called Morgan interests
which up to this time have supported the
advanced policy OF the administration
both In general principles and In the ap-
plicstion thereof to their specific inter-
ests and 10 place them generally in oppo-
sition, l believe Mr.. Perkins statement
that his interest would necessarily be
driven into active opposition was sin
eere one and In fact ! can hardly see
how those great interests can take any
other attitude should this prosecution be
started and the final adoption OF this
policy be made public"
In another portion OF the letter Com
missioner Smith reported Mr.. Perkins as
having said substantially that the
standard on people In New York were
giving him the laugh for having thought
he was trying to be good and keep solid
with the administration. and that he was
now going to get the same dose as the
others"
With the correspondence was q letter
from William Loeb. jr. the presidents
secretary. making an appointment for
Mr.. Bonaparte to talk the business over.
Letter From Roosevelt.
The presidents letter to the attorney
general follows.
OYSTER BAY. N. Y. Aug a. iso7.--
My Dear, Mr.. Attorney eneral: Mr..
George W. Perkins OF the International
! Harvester company has Just called on
me and submitted to me certain papers,
OF which ] enclose copies, According to
these papers and Mr.. Perkins statement
II would appear that the harvester COM
pany has repeatedly on Its own initiative
asked that It's business be Investigated
by the Department Of Commerce and
Labor through the commissioner OF cor
porations; that three years ago the Inter.
state Commerce commission decided tina.
II had accepted what amounted sub
stAntially TO rebates: that Mr.. Moody,
the then attorney general. was about 10
! take action on this report. but the har.
vester company at once promised to
recufy the practices and see that moth
} Ing contrary to the ruling Of the COM
mission was agoln done. Tnls was salts
factory to the attorney general anA the
! suit was dropped
willing TO obey Law.
The harvester company says It IL in
condition 30 prove that II has lived up
to this agreement made in May. 1904
The harvester company advances this a.
proof that II any Illegal action is pointed
, out II will itself rectify the matter on its
being pointed out. II further appears that
, last December Hansbrough got the SEN
, ate TO pass resolution directing the De.
partment OF Commerce and Labor to
make an early investigation Into the
character and operation and effect upon
: Interstate commerce Of the International
: Harvester company. ana that in January
, last Messrs. Garfield and Smith met va
rlous representatives OF the harvester
company In New York and a conclusion
was reached that the department would
begin the examination as speedily as
possible. which conclusion was an.
, nounced publicly in the press. on March
I Commissioner Smith notified the har-
vester company that the Inquiry would
be into the corporate value Of Its prop
, srty, securities and the general manage
ment Of its business. II appears by his
I, letter OF August that Commissioner
Smith had begun the investigation. but
has not made such progress with It as
he would like to. on account OF his being
crowded with work.
Mr.. Perkins request to me Is that be
fore the company is exposed to the GER,
tain loss and damage that the mere In.
Z stitution Of suit would involve. this In.
. vestigation by Mr.. smith. as reQuird BY
the senate resolution. should be carried
to completion. He expressly states e
me that there would be no Intention &c
plead the examination by the Department
of Commerce and Labor as confesslng al
immunity from proceedings by the De.
partment OF Justice. WIN you see Afr
Perkins and Commissioner Smith, go over
thu rnaffsr IN ftllI ana rauarf 10 ma.