Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-25


tween President Roosevelt, Attorney
General Bonaparte aud Commissioner
Herbert Knox Smith of the bureau of
corporations in 1907, about a govern
ment antitrust suit against the In
ternational Harvester Co. was sent to
The Senate, today, from the files Of
the department Of justice.
One letter from Col Roosevelt to Mr.
Bonaparte written at oyster Bay, on
Aug - 1907, said that the colonel had
had talks with George w. Perkins
about the company's affairs and di-
rected Mr.. Bonaparte not to file the
suit then. but to go ovefN the matter
with commissioner Smith and Mr.
Perkins
A letter from Commissioner Smith
TO the colonel, on Sept. y, told of con-
fercnees with Mr.. Perkins and explain
cd Commissioner Smiths objections to
a prosecution at that time. The COM
missioner wrote that he thought the
uesticn of the eempany's guilt or in
nocenee We're merely a technical ues-
ton. and described a conference with
Perkins. on Aug. "a.
Commissioner Smith wrote that Mr.
Perkins concluded with great empha
sis that III after all the endeavors of
this company and the other Morgan
interests 10 uphold the policies of the
administration and TO adopt their
methods Of modern publicity. this com
pany was not going to be attacked in
a purely technical case, the interests
he represented were going to fight.
Further on in the same letter, Mr..
Smith wrote:
'ssVhfie the administration has never
hesitated TO grapple with any finan-
eial interest, no matter how great.
when il is believed that a substantial
wrong is being conducted. neverthe-
less very practical uestion whether
it is well to throw away now the
great influence of the so-ealled Nor
gan interests, which. UP to this time.
hare supported the advanced policy of
the administration, both in general
principles and in the application there
OF to their specific interests, and to
place them generally in opposition.
believe Mr.. Perkins statement that his
interest would necessarily be driven
into active opposition, was a sincere
one. ard in fact I 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 az
having said substantially that "the
STANDARD on people in New York We're
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 letter
from William Loeb. Jr, the Presidents
secretary making an appointment for
Mr. Bonaparte to talk the business over.
The Presidents letter to the attorney
general follows:
"oyster Bay, n. Y, Aug. %, 1907.
my Dear Mr.. Attorney General: Mr..
George w. Perkins of the international
Harvester Co has just called upon me
and submitted to me certain papers of
which I enclose copies. According tc
these papers and Mr. Perkins statement.
it would appear that the harvester COM
pany has repeatedly, on its own militia
tive, asked that its business be investi-
gated by the department of commerce
and labor through the commissioner of
corporations; that three years ago the In
terstate Commerce Commission decided
that ii had accepted what amounted sub
stantialiy to rebates; that Mr.. Moody
the then attorney general, was about to
take action on this report but the Har-
vester Co. at once promised to rectify
the practice and see that nothing con-
trary to the ruling of the commission
was again done. This was satisfactory to
the attorney general and the suit was
dropped.
The Harvester Co. SAYS ii is in
position TO prove that ii has lived up
To this agreement made in May, 1904.
The Harvester Co. advances this as a
proof that if any Illegal action is
pointed out it will itself reetify the
matter on it's being pointed out 1t
further appears that last December
Senator Hanshrough got the Senate
to pass resolution directing the de-
partment of commerce and labor TO
make an early investigation into the
character and operation and effect up
on interstate commerce OF the Inter-
national Harvester Co, and that in
January, last, Messrs. Garfield and
Smith met various representatives of
the Harvester Co. in New York and
a conclusion was reached that the de-
partment would begin the examina-
tfcn as speedily as possible, which
conclusion was announced publicly in
the press. on March Z, Commissioner
Smith notified the Harvester Co. that
the inquiry would be into the incor-
poration value OF its property, securi-.
ties and the general management of
its business. 1t appears by his letter
Of Aug. s 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
before the company is exposed to the
certain loss and damage that the mere
institution of a suit would entail, this
investigation by Mr.. Smith as re-
auired by Senate resolution should be
carried to completion. Will YOU see
Mir. Perkins and Commissioner Smith,
go over the matter in full and report
| to me thereon?
Please do not file the suit until I
| hear from Won.
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