120 AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY AND TRUST QUESTION 



Quality and Price. In the ouster suit in Missouri, the Supreme 

 Court of that State spoke on the subject of the price and quality 

 of binders in this manner: "So in the case at bar, the price of 

 harvesting machines has not increased in proportion to the in- 

 creased cost of construction or the increased merit of the machines." 

 In the suit before the Supreme Court of Kansas, the State referred 

 the case to a Commissioner, to report his findings of fact, and his 

 report includes the following statements as to quality and price: 

 When the Harvester Company began business in Kansas in the 

 fall of 1902, certain reductions in price were made on binders and 

 mowers. No increases in price were made till the season of 1908, 

 and then an increase of 5 per cent was made. In the same period 

 the prices of commodities in general were in the State of Kansas 

 considerably increased. The average increase in the costs of all 

 raw materials for producing farm machinery, from 1902 to 1907, 

 was from 16 to 42 per cent. Using exact figures (from the Missouri 

 suit) we find the following price changes for the six-foot binder : 



Average Prices for 6 -foot Binder 

 Year Price to farmer Price to dealer 



1878 $360 $270 



1879 340 278 

 1881 275 225 

 1884 240 195 



1890 140 112 



1891 125 100 



1892 140 112 



1895 to '98 135 to 130 105 to 95 . 



1900 130 100 to 105 



1901 130 100 



1902 125 97.50 



1903 to '08 120 95 

 1908 125 to 130 100.00 



The Kansas Commissioner gave retail cash prices for the period 

 1903-1907, as follows: 



8 ft. grain binder with tongue truck $145.00 



4K ft. mower 45.00 



On the question of quality and improvements, the Kansas 

 Commissioner finds as follows: 



" Improvements in Machines. The experimental department is main- 

 tained at an annual cost of from $300,000 to $350,000. The specific improve- 

 ments of machines making for efficiency and durability have been too numer- 

 ous to cite in detail. In brief the evidence shows that the basic patents on 

 binders and mowers have all expired, but that the International Harvester 

 Company of New Jersey constantly endeavors to procure new devices for 

 improving the machines it manufactures for the company; that on an average 

 it takes out seventy-five patents a year. The evidence shows that the local 

 dealers and farmers in Kansas consider that the machines sold by the defendant 

 are distinct improvements over the machines sold in the state prior to 1903. 

 The evidence further is clear that the machines are constantly improving, 

 that they are now more efficient and durable. They do not have to be repaired 

 as often, and are less complicated (Figs. 15, 16, and 17). 



