Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 105, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1912 — HARVESTER TRUST SUIT FILED BY GOVERNMENT. [ARTICLE]

HARVESTER TRUST SUIT FILED BY GOVERNMENT.

AUege Many Violations of Sherman Law In ShH Seeking Disintegration of International.

In the federal district court at St. Paul, Minn., the government Tuesday filed Its suit for the dissolution of the International Harvester Co. The so-called trust is alleged to exist in violation of the Sherman anti-trust law and to have been guilty of all manner of illegal acts to secure a monopoly of the harvester and general machinery business and to squeeze out competition. The government alleges that the company was incorporated under the laws of New Jersey in 1901, when a Consolidation of the McCormick, Deering, Plano and Milwaukee companies were merged into one and proceeded to gobble up all companies that looked like they might be formidable in competition. The government claims that it will be able to show that the so-callecf trust has not only raised the price enormously In territory where there was no opposition but has reduced the price below the cost of manufacture where there was competition, thus forcing the smaller concerns out of business or compelling them to accept their terms of settlement The complaint says that ‘‘defendants have systematically boiight up patents on harvesting machinery, tools and implements, and acquired all inventions therein, in order thereby more effectually to perpetuate the combination and monopoly.”

Individuals named as members of the International Harvester Co. are Geo. W. Perkins, Cyrus and Harold McCormick, Charles and James Deering, Elbert H. Gary and others. The Wisconsin Steel Co. and the Wisconsin dumber co. are also named as defendants. The government’s suit is In the hands of Edwin P, Grosveno.r, special assistant to the attorney-gen-eral.