The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-03-29

suit in the federal court at st. Paul.
Mimi. April 30. against the Interna.
tionai Harvester company. alleging
violation Of the Sherman law and maxi
Ing the general charges that are Gus
tomary In bill Of this kind. and ask.
Ing for whatever reliefs are consid.
cred necessary ny the court The bill
is Very long one and therefore cam
not be reproduced, but 1t sets forth,
In effect. that the Harvester company
Is monopoly in restraint of trade,
las used oppressive methods in fore
ing its agents TO handle its goods ex.
eiusively. etc. To these charges Pres
iGent Mccormick has made the fol-
lowing reply:
The International Harvester case
differs radically in rs facts from all
the so-called trust cases heretofore
decided under the Sherman law. The
International Harvester company was
organized In 1902 for the purpose of
securing economy In the manufacture
and sale Of harvesting machinery, and
OF increasing the foreign trade. II
had no water in its capitalization. and
1t has earned only a reasonable return
on its CAPABILITIES than Z per cent
per annum on the average. The prices
OF its machines are now substantially
the same as in 1902. Notwithstanding
an increase Of Is per cent in raw ma.
terial prices and 80 per cent in wages.
The company has caused a large saw.
ting to American farmers in the cost
OF agricultural implements. II has in
creased the foreign trade in agricul.
tural implements four-fold In nine
years: its foreign sales in 1911 we're
over $4,000. 900. 1t has not sold cheap
er abroad than at home Its treatment
OF Its customers. its employees, its
agents and its competitors has been
In accord with the highest standard
OF ethics and honorable business meth
DDS. To the farmers 1t has given bet.
ter service and better machines; to
agents and dealers, a less hazardous
and f1uctuating business and to its EN-.
ployes 1t has given higher wages, i'm.
proved and sanitary working condi
tons. insurance against sickness. &C.
cident and old age, and a share in the
profits.
THE charges of misconduct found
In the bill have been met and dis
proved by the company in other cases;
and they will again fail. because they
are untrue. The supreme court of
Missouri, in a suit in which those
charges were fully gone into, said:
ION the whole, the evidence shows
that the International Harvester COM
pany has not used its power to Cypress
or injure the farmers who are its Gus
toners"
And again:
1.-The price Of harvesting machines
has not increased in proportion to the
increased cost Of construction or the
increased merit Of the machines. and
respondent has brought other farm i'm
plements into trade"
1.-The evidence also shows that the
machines Manufactured by the Inter-
national Harvester company have been
greatly improved In quality and the
item of repair material has been re-
duced in price and placed within closer
reach Of the farmer
THE organizers of this company
acted under the advice of able counsel,
and in the sincere belief that they
were violating no law. II under later
decisions 1t should be held that the
law was violated, 1t could only be
through the creation of a power % op-
press which has never been exercised.
More than six years ago the COM
pany asked for its investigation by the
United States government, and opened
all its books and records for inspec-
ton. and furnished all Information re-
quested. No suggestion of any change
in its business methods has been made
to 1t by the government at any time
Recently, Q full and frank discussion
of the whole situation has been had
between the representatives Of the gov
eminent and the company. in an hon.
est desire upon both sides to avoid
litigation. Some plan may yet be
found which will obviste the necessity
of any protracted litigation by salts
tying the claims made under the Sher-
man act without seriously impairing
the economic advantages and benefits
secured by the organization Of this
company. No form Of reorganization.
however. was suggested by the govern