Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-04
THE POWDER
CONSPIRACY
Trust viii Make Every Effort to
Gain Control of National
Rifle Association.
GOVERNMENT SIMPLY ROBBED
Smokcless Powder Sold to il at a Profit
OF One Hundred Per Cent
Or More.

Chicago, Jan. A dispatch to the
Chronicle says:
The New York World today says
The powder trust, projected by
prohibitive tariff and rolling up mil
lions in profit in its supply to the
United States government alone, will
on Jan. 9 employ every possible means
10 gain control of the National Rifle
association and If successful can die
tate the character of the ammunition
for every state military organization
in the union. The occasion will be the
election of a president of the associa-
tion to be held in the Seyenty-first
regiment armory.
Bird w. Spencer, of Passaic. general
inspector of riff practise in the state
of New Jersey, and the incumbent, 10
candidate for reelection. James A.
Drain of Olympia. who is his opponent
Is the candidate of the trust.
Spencer's election means the throt-
ting of what has been pronounced by
an independent powder manufacturer
TO be an infamous conspiracy which
makes commerce OF patriotism ana
sells it's I1oduct abroad for its sole
profit.
The National Rifle association was
incorporated IN the state of New YORK
in 1871. Its purpose was TO encourage
and promote rife practise in the sew
eral states and territories. From July
/, 1905, to July l, 1905, the trust sold TO
the government 5,947.S20 pounds Of
smokeless ordnance powder The cost
of manufacture at the mills was 80
cents pound. The price charged to
the government was 20 cents a pound
so in that one item alone the approx
mate profit was 3S cents pound.
Deducting freight charges this aggre-
gates S2,2l55 .95, 10000 pounds of
powder for 30 calibre weapons were
produced at a net cost of A cents a
pound and sold at iSIa 10000 blank
fire cartridges costing Al cents, at
90 2-19 cents, and 1850 pounds for the
3S calibres costing 50 cents. at 94ls.
The total profit approximately foot
ed up s2S4s.S64. which Is greater
than any profit ever derived by any
seller OF any product of staple sold in
one year to the government in the
history of the republic. and the mo-
nopoly carrying on this business was
ut the same time contracting with
foreign nations to furnish ammuni-
ton with which they could attack
American merchantmen on the high
seas.
The powder trust is known legally
company. organized under the law OF
the state OF Delaware with capt.
tallzation OF 10,o00,OO0 The cor
poration is controlled by the T.. l. Du-
pont Denemours Powder company
which was Incorporated in New ,Jer-
sey May 10, 1903. for the purpose Of
consolidating the various explosive
manufactures controlled by the Du-
pont interests.
AT present practically all of the sub
sidiaray companies otfe controlled by
the main corporation, either through
ownership Of stock or ownership OF
property. -Thc authorized capital IS
S25,000.000 at the par value OF 800.
The trust has absorbed all the powder
manufacturer interests save the
Buckeye Powder company Of Peoria
ILL.,. OF which Robert S. Waddell IS
president, ana who has issued an adj
dress TO the president Of the Emitted
States and to the senator's and repre-
sentatiVes I'm Congress on what he
terms 'tho powder conspiracy"