The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-30

five concerns amounted to over So per
cent of all The harvesting machinery
and 90 per cent of all the binder Irvine
produced and sold in the United States
at that time. The company was incOr-
porated in New Jersey with a capital
stock originally of $120, 100000. The con-
troll of the capital stock was placed in
the hands of three voting trustees
Cyrus H. Mccormick. Charles Deering
and George w. Perkins, who issued
stock trust certificates to the persons
actually owning the stock.
In explaining the disposition of the
stock the petition says that $3,451.-
sos was issued to j. P. Morgan and
company for underwriting services and
legal expenses and $3,14S,197 to the
same firm in REIN bursement for the
cash expended to secure the property
of the Milwaukee Harvester company.
The absorbed Milwaukee Harvester
company was converted into the Inter
national Harvester Co. of America
through which the alleged trust sells
exclusively its entire output in the
United States.
"The International Harvester com
pany of America is merely the selling
agency of the other International
company" continues the petition. THE
arrangement between the Internation-
al Harvester company and InternatiOn-
al Harvester company of America was
further devised and is now being car
ried out by the defendants for the pur-
pose OIL giving 10 the New Jersey com
pany the appearance of not being en-
gagged in interstate commerce"
The petition asks that this company
be decreed an unlawful organization
in restraint of trade. Pointing out
that as a rule agricultural implements
are sold direct by the manufacturers
to the retail dealer eliminating the
usual wholesaler or jobber, the petit
ton accuses the Harvester company
of endeaVOring to acquire control of
these retail merchants scattered over
the country. The means of accom-
plishing this in 1908, 1904 and 1905,
it is declared was through contracts
making exclusive sales agents of the
defendants and binding them under
penalty mot to sell or be interested in
the sale of any grain binder, header,
corn binder, shredder, reaper, mower,
stacker, sweeper rake hay rake or hay
tedder not manufactured by the de-
PENDANT International Harvester com |
pany."
Dominates Retail Business.
During the succeeding years down
to the present it is charged the COM |
pany exercised like control and dom !
implement dealers in the country by |
means of agency contracts which may
be annulled by the International Har-
vester company of America when it
considers it's interests neglected or
jeOpardized.
The petition alleges that the Inter
national Harvester company in Janu-
airy, 1903, acquired control of ID. NJ.
Osborne & Company, it's principal
in harvesting machinery
and tillage implements, but for two
years concealed and denied it's associa-
ton with that company.
This" it is added, was in pursu-
ance of defendants policy by disguis-
ing ownership, to use controlled COM
panies to break down competition and
secure for themselves the benefit of
tons"
steel and lumber
through the Wisconsin Steel company
and the Wisconsin Lumber company,
which the petition de-
clares are used as means and instru-
to eliminate competition"
1t is alleged the defendants have
used the Illinois Northern railway and
he Chicago, West Pullman & South
ern Railway company, which they con-
-rol, to obtain undue preferences from
-ailroads connecting with them.
To illustrate the expansion of the
Harvester company into all lines of
agricultural implements, the petition
avs that in the beginning the company ,
only harvesters or
binders, mowers, reapers, rakes, Irvine,
;ornhuskers, shredders and shockers. .
Today it has spread to include tillage
md sending implements, threshing ma
,hinery, wagons. manure Spre2derS, |
,asoline engines, cream separators,
uto-buggies, automobiles, tractors, /
drills, seeders, hay leaders, 4
lay presses, etc. l1