The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-03-01
Report Sent to President Alleges
Latin Rand Co., is Member
of Great Powder Trust
AT MERCY OF The TRUSTS
Robert Waddell Of Peoria, ILL.,, Tells
President Roosevelt That the Du-
pont Company Controls Latin,
Rand Powder Company

Robert S. Wadde1l, president of the
Buckeye Powder company of Peoria,
ILL.,, has made the sensational charge
to the president and congress that the
government is at the mercy of the
powder trust. This trust is the Du-
pont powder trust which he alleges
owns and controls the Latin & Rand,
the International, and the California
powder companies. 1t charges an
exorbitant price for material furnish
ed the government and its net profits
amount to the enormous sum of So,
$4,000 per annun.
Senator Allison, chairman of the ap-
propriations committee of the senate,
has received letter from Mr.. Wad
dell making the charge that the pow.
der trust is violating the laws Of the
state and federal governments, and
urging that powder factories be
erected to supply the army and navy
with explosives. The senator has re-
ferred copy of Mr.. Waddells letter
to each member of the appropriations
committee, and it will be considered
tomorrow when the Notifications bill,
which passed the house a few days
ago, will be discussed.
It has been an open secret for many
months that the plant of the Latin,
Rand company at Pleasant Prairie
was under ethe wing of the Dupont
l0<a~
bills of the local plant have been paid
by checks sent out by the Dupont
company from the main Offices, and
there has been no effort to conceal
this fact from the public. The dis
closures of Mr.. Wadde11, however,
are decidedly interesting to Kenosha
people.
The letter. of Mr.. Wadde1l calls at
tention to the character of the monop-
oily of the Dupont powder trust. "This
country, through the wisdom of con-
gress," it says, ''has expended hun
dreds of millions of dollars in building
a navy and in constructing fortifica-
tons for the defense of the republic
in times of peril. Many more millions
have been expended in guns and ord
nance for the use of the navy and
army, for without these our ships aud
forts would be worthless.
"You are about to appropriate adj
ditional millions of dollars fer ships,
guns, men, and munitions of war.
Without powder to hurl shot and shells
our navy would be:
AS idle as painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.
''Yet this great country is wholly
dependent in times Of peace and war
on one gigantic trust that has an abb
solute and exclusive monopoly for the
manufacture Of all powder the gov
ernment requires for offensive and de-
fensive use. When you know beyond
doubt that the Dupont trust is owned
and controlled by men who daily, con-
tinua1ly, and openly defy and break
the laws Of the statesMand nation how
much faith can be placed in their 10y
atty and patriotism in times of emer-
gency and national distress?"
Mr.. Wadde11 shows how the trust
makes its enormous profits. Each
company bids separately the same
price for ordnance smokeless powder,
20 cents per pound, the United States
government to furnish the alcohol,
which costs approximately cents
per pound. This powder is made, Mr..
Waddell says, by the powder trust"
under the inspection Of army and
navy officers stationed at the plants
and who know it is, composed of cot
ton saturated in! nitric and sulphuric
acids, then washed, forming guncot-
ton thatscosts 20 to % cents per pound.
The guncotton then gelatinized when
completed, with all salaries and ex-
penses added, costs 80 to IS cents per
pound.
For several years the departments
have paid to that powder pool (Du-
pont, and Latin, and Rand) 88 and 90
cents per pound. Then the Interna-
tional plant was built and competition
reduced the price to the present basis,
when the Dupont trust obtained con
troll of the international product.
The three eastern seaboard plants
are in almost constant operation. Es-
timating the consumption of the gov
eminent at the capacitysof the plants,
say z, 100000 pounds a year, the net
profits of the Dupont trust, Mr.. Wad-
dell declares, are $3.50, 900 per year.
AS remedy for'this condition of af-
fairs Mr.. Waddell suggests that the
United States can build and equip
four better powder plants than the
trust owns at a cost of not to ex-
coed $25O,OOO each, and have more
than $1,0O0,00O left in the treasury
that would under present conditions
be paid to further enrich the Crust"
Wicked Mare.
Long ago, ON the Island of Nan
fUckAf while one Nathaniel Worth