Arizona republican., 1903-11-24
THE CEMENT TRUST
Ii is Bent on an Abandon
 ment of the TOntO Plant
It Will be Givena Hearing To-day and it May be Asked by the Secretary to Sudmit Bids.

Washington, D. C., Nov. 23. (SpeciaD The secretary of the interior will give a hearing tomorrow to the repre- sentatives of the big cement manu- lecturers of the country in relation to supplying cement for the Tonto dam. While Gen. Geo. Stone, president of the Pacific Cement company, of San Francisco. denies that there is a cement trust, he acknowledges that there is an association of Portland cement manufacturers. The public is not apt to split hairs over the ques- ton in view of the fact that the as- sociation is bending every energy to induce the secretary of the interior to abandon the idea of building a cement works at the dam site and ask for bids from the cement manufacturers and then award a contract to the lowest bidder. Gen. Stone says today that he can supply the government with cement f. O. bat his works in San Francisco for S1.75 per barrel, and lay it down in Phoenix for $3.25 a barrel! He ignores the question of freight from Phoenix to the dam site.
 While it is true that the secretary of the interior did not advertise for bids for cement. the geological survey asked for figures from different ce- ment manufacturers and ascertained that cement would cost delivered at the dam site about $500 a barrel, or about S6.5O barrel more than it would cost if manufactured by the govern ment at the dam site. As about 200.- 900 barrels will be required the diff ference in cost is enormous.
 The cement manufacturers are fully aroused over the matter. and it is re- garded at the interior department as possible that they will reduce their figures to a point that may induce the secretary to ask for bids. The ques- ton is likely to be settled this week.
 c. C. RANDOLPH.
 The figures named in the above dispatch are a notable shading of previous estimates, yet they are trine misleading. save to those who give careful consideration to all state ments made. and the shaded prices still leave difference in favor of gov ernment manufacture that in the total will run into many thousands of dol. lars.
 The figures given by the manufact- urers were to begin with, approximate ly $9.00 a barrel at the dam site. By securing special freight rates the manufacturers finally quoted to the government $1.75 for cement in San Francisco. S1.SO, freight to Globe. mak- ing S3.55 total at that point, providing they were given the contract for all the cement and not merely that re- quired for preliminary work. The best possible rate for wagon haul to the dam site is S1.9O, making a total at the dam site of $4.45.
 The rate given in the above dis patch is for cement laid down in Phoenix, $225, thirty cents under the quotation made for Globe as point of delivery. The dispatch does not in dicate whether it could be laid down in Globe for that money or not but presumably not.
 But granting that the cement can be laid down at the damsite for $4.45, there is still d difference of more than s2 a barrel in favor of the government manufacture or a total of at least $400,- eco on the entire contract.
 Respecting the reasons given by the contractors in the dispatch published by The Republican Sunday morning some interesting comments can be made. The first reason alleged by the rnanufa cturers was that the govern ment could not make the cement and the second was that if it could it would be of inferior quality. Both these req sons are said to be unsound, for the contrary has been scientifically demon strated and the second one nullifies the first. With the figures at hand, it is self-suggestive that who ever furnishes the cement. whether government or private enterprise. it will be manufactured on the ground.
 Tn order to verify the above calcula- tions. Mir. Davis was seen last night respecting the cost of government manufacture of cement. The figures have been previously printed. but the progress of operation makes a later report more reliable. MT. Davis said he did not care to discuss the mat ters pending between the secretary and the cement manufacturers, but he was ready to announce that contracts had already been made for the cement ma chinery and buildings and proposals for their hauling from Globe to the damsite have been received. Having