Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-11-06
Acknowledgement Declares Har-
vester Co. Had Absolute
Power to Fix Prices.
COMPETITION WAS WIPED OUT
Business Increased in Nine Years
from S53,OOO,0O0 to S125,-
00G, G,000--Held S5 to 9S
per Cent. of Trade.

st. Pau. MINI. Nov. 5--Attornev-Gen-
eral James McReynolds, concluding final
arguments for dissolution Of the 1nterna
tional Harvester company, before the
United States district court to-day asked
that an interiocutory decree be entered
by the court, declaring the harvester
concern n monopoly in restraint of trade
He requested that the defendants have a
reasonable time to submit to the court
a proper plan Of reorganization.
1T is the view of the government that
this company must he cut up into sep
arate and distinct units" the attorney
general said This must be done in
such n way that the stockholders f the
different parts must be distinct. We in
sist that it is an economic impossibilitY
for companies owned by the same people
to furnish bona fde competition
Mr.. McReynolds reviewed the career
of the Harvester company from it's or
ganization ten years ago, pointing out
to the court specific instances in which,
he said, the law had been violated. fur
nishinE an ample basis for an order of
dissolution under the sherman law.
The story of this powerful monop-
here and there, as relatel by some of
the counsel for the defense is absurd"
said the attorney general. Take the
finances of this concern in 1908 and
take them now and what have we?
I'm 1903 the total business done by
the international Harvester company
was $53000,000 in 1912 it had in
creased from s120 900, 600 to S163,OOO.
0O0 and between 1903 and 1911, the
latest figures available, the assets of
this concern had increased from $3.50,
100000 to S223,000,000. Those figures.
in terse form, tell the story of the
rapid growth of the power of this con-
cern. This expansion has been so
enormous that the word of this cor
poration has become absolute law to
thousan Is and thousands.
when the Mccormick, the Deerng,
the Plano the Champion. the Milwaukee
and the Osborne companies entered this
organization then this monopoly auto
matically was born. The existing COM
petition was wiped out.
'Thc International Harvester COM
pany, in its first year. held the follow
ing percentages of the nations business
in the varied lines: Ninety-cight per
cent. Of the binders, 95 per cent. Of the
corn binders, % per cent. of the NOW
ers So per cent, of the rakes and 10 per
cent. of the twinc.
And there is nothing in the evidence
to show that this situation has changed
IN ten years. OF course, there has been
some competition. We got that story in
the TeXaco case and in numerous other
cases. But the fact stands out that we
have more than 80 per cent, of the great
harvesting companies of the country put
under one company.
mo man who looks upon that picture
can fail to see that this concern had the
absolute power to fix prices.
Intent is wholly immateral. Philan-
thropic purpose cannot be pleaded as
justification for tne result. When these
defendants purposely entered into this
organization, into this conspiracy, they
laid themselves liable TO be charged with
guilt FOR the result"
John r. Wilson, during his summing
up for the defense predict d a price
war among harvester manufacturing
firms.