The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-06-20
PEORIA MANUFACTURERS
ATTACKS FAVORED
DUPONT MONOPOLY
URGES CONGRESS TO ACT
Declares Millions Are ES-
tOrted From Taxpayers

washington June 20 Now watch
out Tor sunpowder scandal and rs at
tending expose Though congress seems
70 rave It's haads pretty fuu at present
trying to solve the beef and aiiroad
rate problems. tnero Is booming up Oh
the legislative horizon stiii another cloud
-tee powder monopoly and rs rela
tins with the goRernment.
Every taember Of the nationa! legis-
itture has received ia his mail psinted
circular making charges of wholesale
extorttQa against the pu Pout Powder
company and more or hess lnyo.sing Of
llcia.s OF the government VINO have WAX
ed ~ the alleged alliance. The master
politicians who run presidential cam
paigns also are scorched. ard altogether
the outlook IL for a renewed campaigR
of federal "fnuch -raking.
TIRE name OF Robert & WRddel, pres
ideat OF the Buckeye Powder company
OF Peorh, ia Il signed 20 the circular,
and HIS review OF the situatlon on ok
ploeivea is so direct. trcnchant and
meaty that II commands instant atten-
tion.
Du Pint Now ir Senate.
Az an interesting Circumstance the ad
vent o. Henry A. Du Pont IN the United
States senate from Delaware Is noted
Colonel Du Pont l. nov in Europe but
his stay, which be originally planned to
prolong Until late autumn. may be cut
short and his Journey to washington, IS
! expected to be fastened
! Nj Wadden Ia his circular recalls
that it was published n Delaware "that
/ the Du Pont trust contributed $4,000
| to the last presidential campaign fund.
and follows this with the questions
/ Was this contribution made for pat
rioiic reasons or as consideration for
continuance OF this powder graft and
a seat for the Du Pont trust 4 the
4 United States senate?'
The extent Of the alleged gunpowder
graft is estimated by Mr. waddel as
! aggregaung about s. 000, 900 annually.
bat he warns the members OF congress
that the Secretary of war already has
/ notified them that tho government must
accumulate powder reserve IN masa
I zines OF 80, 600. 600 pounds In addition TO
the stock now on and
And tie further declaration Is made
that the government, II it should build
| a large powder plant OF its own, could
manufacture the explosive at IS cents =
pound and that the Du Pont corpora
tons price Is 75 cents pound
Sees $4,000 900 Graft
IT, therefore. Is figured that n the Du
Pont company Is treated az literally in
the future as in the paS-. 1t will be cal
led upon to furnish the reserve powder
at outlay by Uncle sam OF SEE soc, 600
or $l2 600 900 more than thesame amount
Of 2owder would cost the government
if manufactured in its own plant, With
this In mind. the Peori9n propounds the
following:
III $4,000 campaign Contribution Is
sufficient to obligate the executive and
legislative departments of the govern
mnt TO take $4,000 o00 from the tax
payers OF the country and give it TO
themiilionaires OF this gigantic powder
monopoly. the Independent powder COM
panies asd the voters Of the country
want to know II now
Congressman who read the Wadden
letter last night said that they believed
the election OF Colonel Du Pone 20 the
United States senate June ~ had
aroused the independent powder manu-
facturers The latter are said 20 have
been lighting the larger corporation for
; years but somewhat inencctiyely. Only
one move which seemed to threaten the
hold of the Du Pont company on gov
ernment contracts had been made during
r recent ycars and this was q minor one
New Powder Mil Planned.
! II cane with the building Of small
powder plant by the government at In
dian head Maryland. where about L.
00o, 900 pounds Of powder "A year are arr
q TURNED out and used, according TO in
formation By the navy for target prac
tice There is however an amendment
60 the Qualifications appropriation BIZ
providing for the erection audequipmen
Of another powder factory AT cost o
si25,OO0 The amendment is now befor
theconferecs OF the Senate and House
: who have the bill in hand. and there B
q thought TO b. no opposition to it.
According 70 the Peoria manufacture
however. this proposed plant when finish
). ed will not be equal 10 the occasion. III
urges new government factory tha
: win cost az least $3.50 600 and VIII hay
daily capacity OF 10 900 pounds Z
powder so that q viii BE- in shape /
turn ont for the Secretary Of War th
80 opgeO0 pounds Of the explosive
says IL is desirable TO have ga the maga
zines.
But these circumstances are beside Oh
principal fact or alleged fact fChi'
interest centers ~ the claim chat q
government is deliberately throwing
the so-called powder monopoly Of while
Senator-elect Du Pont Is the hea
something like s. 100000 Annually as
free donation and is figuring on presen
ing the same company with sle 10000
more.
To Last Ten Years More.
The smokeless powder. which the arm
and navy uses. IS made by virtue OF
patene secured hy De Pont eompai
ss,m thi discovercrs OF tho secret pr
ceas-Lieutenant John A. Bernadon al
Captain George A. Converse. who Co
Quoted p series OF experiments una
government appropriation. Under the a
rangement reached by them with 4
bis powder-makers no competition Gov
ensue except from the United stat
government itself Mr. NaddeI esseI
that there can be no competition By OF
er manufacturers until after these pa
ents expire IN 1916 er nearly ten yea
hence
ne Illinois manufacturer also ls authf
ny Tor thc statement that while /
small plant now Ia o2erst tion az Indi
Head makes the powder AZ a cost Of