Evening journal., 1909-10-07
DENIES TRUST"
ALL DEALS OFF
Alfred |. dupont Explains the
Purchase Of Companies in
Hearing on Federal Suit
HAZARD POWDER co.
SATISFIED WITH SALE

SATISFIED WITH SALE
NEW YORK. Oct. ALFRED /. DUPONT
was a witness yesterday in his own
behalf az the continuation before Fed
eral Examiner William G.. Mahaffy of
the hearing IN the Federal suit against
the -. T. DUPONT de Nemours Com
pany for alleged violations OF the
Sherman Antitrust law. The hearing
took place I'm the offices Of the So
called Powder Trust, Of which Alfred
I. DUPONT ~ the head and chief
owner
Mr.. DUPONT said no joined the du-
Pont company In 1884. after leaving
the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnol-
ogy. His duties were TO see that black
powder, blasting powder and military
powder were made properly.
II was positively denied by Mr.. du-
Pont that trade agreements, which
form part OF the basis of tho Govern
ment's case, now exist. He declared
they were all cancelled in 1906 and that
the company spent n great deal OF
money TO do IL. He also detailed his
purchase of the powder plant I'm 1902,
when, after tho death of Eugene du-
Pont, the question OF selling the plant
to the highest bidder was broached at
q directors meeting. He went on:
Il arose at this point and said. I'll
buy It. There was CONSERVATION.
Francis G. dupont said. You cannot
have IT, felt the business was mine
by heritage, my grandfather passing
it on TO my father"
Gst,.etI.- &C.. ea,fT uf
Coleman dupont and Pierre S. dupont
children OF the two brothers OF his
dead father. came 10 him and said
they would assist him. The three got
/ together and the so-called 1902 corpor-
alton" was organized witness said.
This was called the y. I. DUPONT do
Nemours Company. subsequently IL
was changed TO u. /. DUPONT de Ne
mours and Co.
Whom you and r. Coleman DUPONT
and Pierre S. DUPONT learned that
there were trade agreements in exist
ence. what did you do?" asked Law
yer William $. Hilles.
eve tried 70 cancel these agree
ments as soon as practicable" said
dupont
"When the Government brought this
suit against you on July 2. 1907, were
there any trade agreements in exist
ence?"
"None to my knowledge"
'When was the first trade agree
mont cancelled?"
"In 1906. 1 think Il was the European
agreement lt was done on my initia-
tive. ft cost considerable money TO
cancel these agreements"
1T is alleged in the Governments
charge that you put the Monarch Pow
} der Company out of business; have
you any knowledge of thatY"
'rhe Powder plant was not adequate
and the Monarch Powder Company
appraised the machinery, merely buy
.ahg that"
"Do You know OF the steps which
led up 90 the buying of the Interna.
tional Smokeless Powder and Chemica
Company"
mo"
"What were the motives actuating
YOU in 1902 20 retain the DUPONT pow
der business?"
Purely sentimental. There was nc
reason why It should go out OF the
family, where IL had been for 100
years"
Mr.. DUPONT said he understood that
when the European agreement was
cancelled, ''it was cancelled without
any strings to t."
Tells History Of Company.
Mr.. dupont then went into the his
tory of the dupont powder business
from the installation 100 years ago O
the parent plant, stiu running, on tn
Brandywine, at Wilmington, up to tn
present time.
Nearly all the dupont family hav
taken an active interest I'm the manu-
featuring of powder. He said the du
Pont machinery was largely patento,
the patents being owned by tho du
pont companies. Raw material fc
| powder. now, ho said, was SO per cen
higher than in 1854. Labor. he sat
was also higher.
do you know II your predecessor
- carried ON a competitive destructiN
warfare against their competitors
asked Mr.. Button.
None that / know Of"
Previous to the calling Of Mr. Oh
Pont. George T.. Rood. a powder man,
facturer OF Terre Haute who said !
. left the Hazard Powder Company
1897 to organize the Indiana Powd
Company-at Fontenet, Ind. when IN
company went out OF business, he sal
It was making 41s.000 kegs Of powder
year, of which the mining operate
who controlled the stock used 1900
kegs. The rest was sold in open con
lpetition.
He declared that the directors
1897 refused a proposition TO doub
:, their capital and sell a controlling fl
= terest to the Hazard Powder Con
|, pany. one OF the dupont concerns.
Answering questions. Mr. Rood d'
lclared that Eugene DUPONT made ovei
lures in 1901 for the purchase Of Il
plant and that the offer was accepte
He denied that his company had bee
: forced to sell, and said that the trans
faction was entirely satisfactory.
The hearing was adjourned until o,
tober 90.
l Dover to Hear "The Prodisal Son."
DOVER. oct. T.-Rehearsais for "Tf
Prodigal Som which was successful
sung I'm Philadelphia last Sunda