Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-06-22

factory of Importance between the
Atlantic and Pacific Is under the con.
trpl OF the q. l. DUPONT de Nemour
Powder company OF New Jersey.
For ten years the Powder trust has
mad q trade agreement with the No
bel ana other great dynamite manu-
occurring companies OF Europe, by
which they divide the markets of the
world among them and keep prices at
a point where profits are large far too
large according to those who are fight
ing to have the government take a
country.
The supply OF smokeless powder in
the army magazines and IN the store
houses of the trust factories is suffi-
cient to admit Of every piece of ord
nance in the army being worked a lit
tie less than two hours. If we had not
won at the end Of that time the ac-
ton would have to cease the colors
would be hauled down. and the bat
teries placed at the disposal of the
enemy
Nor could this condition be reme-
died I'm the slightest degree by work
ing the factories overtime or on dou-
BILE time or by building new ones.
Smokeless powder has to have six
months In which to "ripen" before 1t
can be used. Until this rlpening period
has elapsed the powder is absolutely
useless.
The government is now paying Gs
cents pound for smokeess powder
for the use OF the army. Powder
for the use IF the navy Is manufac-
ured at the government powder
works at Indian Head, that Is. por-
ton of the powder the navy uses Is
manufactured there. The factory has
not been run on anything like full
time until the independent powder
manufacturers of the country lnstI-
tuted campaign against the trust
suited in the government; factory
manufacturing nearly exactly twice
the amount of powder formerly Iru.e
and produced a corresponding falling
Off in the amount purchased from the
trust.
ENORMOUS PROFIT.
1t also caused the trust to supply
the army with powder at cost of
cent less per pound. that is at 60
cents
Witness after witness told the sem
ate committee IN military affairs last
year that the actual cost of tho pow
der was about 80 cents, stock
holder in one of the largest OF the
powder companies told the writer a
few days ago that the cost OF MAX
ing smokeless powder was about %
cents a pound. twenty-five cent
powder. sold at 60 cents leaves a mar
gin for a profit which Is not accurately
described by the word Comfortable"
over year ago. Congress appropri-
ated {165, 600 Tor the erection of a
powder factory. In which should be
made the powder used by the army.
Although the experts who appeared
ho fore the committees Of the two
houses Of Congress united In saying
tlat this atSounu was far TOO small
to admit Of the erection of a factory
OF sufficient size to demonstrate
whether II were wise for the govern
ment To undertake 10 make its own
powder SO far as cnn b. asccrtaincd
no steps have been taken towards eN-
pending even this small sum for the
purpose for which IL was appropriate
ed
There may have been In the fore
r. Ing some facts which surprised the
average reader But unless informed
on the subject. he viii probably be
more greatly surprised to know that
tho trust owes It's power, It's very eN-
istcucC. 10 owning patents granted Of
hccrs Of the American navy, The
IlVy doparim ent detailed tWo officers
Capt George \. Converse and Lieut.
J - Bcrnadou. 10 conduct n series OF
experiments In the government Ia
bnrnt0rN mt Newport. with view 10
discovering n formula for the manu-
facturc Of smoteless powder. These
officers. educated bY the government,
receiving salaries from the govern
mont, working In government labor
atcrN ana using government material
discovered or evolved formula for
the manufacture OF smOkclosg powder.
Thoy bullt largely upon The founda-
ton laid by formor cNpermeplcrs de-
tailed hv the government t0 make In