The San Francisco call., 1908-10-27
TRUST SENT SPIES
INTO RIVALS MILL
Powder Monopoly Hindered Conn
peting Concern From Doing
Business in Various Ways

NEW YORK, Oct 26.-In the hear
ing today of the government suit
against the so called powder trust,
Robert s. Waddell, formerly general
sales agent for the Associated powder
company, testified that he had a part
in awarding many contracts and fixing
special prices to certain of their COM
panies. He told of once having talked
with z. I. Dupont of the Latin &
Rand company, one of the big competi-
tors, Dupont saying that he would
take up the subject of the purchase of
the Latin & Rand company. Ten days
later, he said, he received a telegram
from Dupont announcing that the Laf-
lin & Rand company had been pur-
chased. When he next met Dupont he
asked what the purchase price had
been and Dupont replied: "Oh, nothing
much; few bonds, that's ALL"
AGREES on PARTNERSHIP
Wadden said that when he notified
the big powder company that he was
about to sever his relations with the
company J. c. Dupont asked him what
he was going to do He replied that he
was going to build a mill and go into
business for himself, and Dupont said
he would like to go in with him.
terms, Waddell said, and it was finally
agreed that he would have 81 per cent
Of the profits and the Duponts the re-
naming s9 per cent He said that UP
TO February 2, when he left the big
company, he had every reason to be-
1ieve that the Duponts were to be his
partners. but then the negotiations
were broken off. Alone he organized
the Buckeye powder company and
started to erect a mill at Peoria, Ill. He
experienced great difficulty in getting
machinery for his mills, finding that
many of the manufacturers of the best
machinery We're under contract to fur
nish machinery only to companies in
the big association In September.
1s0S,' said the witness, Il sold my mill
to Altman Lint and +. W. Oler From
the time 1 started business until / sold
out continuous warfare was waged
against me by the Associated powder
companies
wadden said that whereas the price
OF blasting powder in Illinois had been
s1.35 per keg, Immediately after the
building of his mills was commenced
all the Associated powder companies
reduced blasting powder to S110 in the
district that would be reached by his
mills.
SPIES SET ON COMPETITORS
OPACS anu QGLCClAFtS were sent In
side my mills to create dissension
among my employees" said Waddell. IL
was enabled TO overhear a conversation
which took place between Harry Page
of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
railroad and a representative from Du-
pont. At that conversation Page was
offered $25 a month and IS for every
letter that he would write. in which he
was to give the details of every ship
ment made from the Buckeye mills, the
name of the consignee and the date
and number in each CASE
In reply to a question by Judge Scar
lett if he had lost any contracts from
the actions of the Associated powder
companies, the witness said that he
lost a contract with the Deering coal
company of Chicago. He said:
II had supplied this company with
10 900 or 1900 barrels when one day 1
learned that a car of powder had been
refused. 1 was told that this was be-
cause the miners would not use the
Buckeye powder. They had been
spoken to by agents of the Dupont and
Latin & Rand companies and appar-
emily had been induced to protest
against the use of my powder"
The hearing was adjourned until
Wednesday next.