The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-07-27
Will Be Hit Hard by the Govern.
ment's Plans
TO MAKE GUNPOWDER
For Its Own Use, for Which Purpose
Congress Has Already Made Appro.
prlatlon. May Save the Ma.
tlon Much Money. Plans
Being Prepared.

{. News from Washington says that
Trust busting" is becoming a habit
with the government. The railroad
trust, the meat trust, the oil trust,
the coal trust, the paper trust, the
grain trust, the tobacco trust and
others have had their existence en-
livened by the Roosevelt administra
tion; and now IL is proposed to call
time on the powder trust. Secretary
Taft has called for specifications for
the construction of a plant with an
initial capacity Of 800, 900 pounds of
powder annually and it is expected
that the mill will bo In operation
within g. year.
At the recsnt session, congress au.
thorized the building of the proposed
powder plant IS a sort OF experiment..
1t has been known for years that the
powder manufacturers Of the country
were forcing the government to pay
more for it's powder than 1t fairly was
worth. In fact, the powder trust has
the government by the throat and
compels 1t to pay any prices for the
product that 1t sees fit to impose.
When the proposed government
plant Is In operation, the actual cost
Of powder will be determined with
detiniteness. The expectation Is then
that the trust will be obliged, in or
der to retain It's government trade, to
reduce It's prices. If 1t should dc
cline to meet the governments Il :
ures the administration will recon-.
mend to congress that tho Ulited
States manufacture its own powder
for the use Of both the army and tie
navy.
Already the navy department. has
considerable powder plant at Indisn
Head, Md, near the big gun proving
grounds. The plant has capacity OF
about 5000 pounds q day. Tue ex
pense Of manufacturing the powder
at the Indian Head mill is far less
than was formerly paid the powder
trust for It's product and the trust
has boon forced to reduce It's price TO
76 cents pound. BY the naval OK
perts. this price is considered too
high, although nOtserlously excessive.
When the army gets Its plant in opa.
ration 1t is regarded as likely that the
price Of powder to the government
may be reduced to even sixty cents
pound.
Congress appropriated S165 600 for
the construction Of the proposed army
plant. 1t will be constructed so as &c
make IL easily possible to enlarge It,
If that should prove necessary T.
was not the desire Of either the exc
cutive or the congress to attempt to
drive the powder manufacturers out
Of business, but simply to give them
to understand that they must be sat
bed with profit without attempting
TO aqueeze the government unneces
sarily.
Secretary Taft estimates the pro
,er powder reserve Of The government
for both the army and the navy at
35, 900, 900 pounds. AT this time the
government has In hand only about
4 $780, 900 pounds. TO provide what
Secretary Taft regards as q safe re-
serve, therefore, would require an ex,
penditule on the part Of the govern
ment, II trust prices were paid for the
powder, Of nearly $25, 900, 600. On
suoh IN amount the trust would
reap profit Of more than $4,000
600.
The construction Of the new plant
will be under the supervision OF Ma
j)r Bsverly w. Dunn Of the ordnance
department. OF the army, who Ia at
work now In preparation Of plans.