Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-07
POWDER MAKER ON STAND
Colonel Buckner Appears Before
Naval Committee.
DENIES EXISTENCE OF TRUST
Dupont Mauurncturer says that Com
pany Has saved Government Large
sum by Economical and
Technical Methods.
lion q SAX Correspondentl

-Gunpowder probably was invented by the |
Chinese something like thousand years
ago. But gunpowder as II has been manu-
featured for the last century or more
combination of saltpetre, sulphur and
charcoal-is said TO be the invention Of
an English bishop, Landloff. Just why |
bishops or other prelates should engage
in connecting explosives for the destruc-
ton Of life has never been explained.
Until few years ago no. Fourth of
July In any city was considered complete |
without the Chinese brand Of gunpowder. |
But the demand for a safe and sane
Fourth threatens to extingulsh noise and
patriotism in the American small boy. 1t
viii not however. curtail the manufacture
OF gunpowder TO any large extent, and ex
ploslves viii continue TO be made by pri-
vate corporations Notwithstanding the fact
that every once in a while a wave Of
protest sweeps the entire country over
the alleged greed of the powder makers.
About year ago every newspaper Of
flee in Washington was flooded daily with
letters from some patriotic citizen in the
middle west who declared that the country
was. being robbed by so-called powder
trust These assertions finally led to a
congressional inquiry, conducted by the
committee on naval affairs of the house.
The committee called Col. Il. G. Buckner
vice president of the DUPONT Powder COM
pany the other day, and his statement
TO the committee forms an interesting chap
ter in the history of the manufacture of
explosives and the relationship between
the corporation with which he is connected
and the federal government.
Colonel Buckner's statement was replete
with illuminating details and developed
hitherto unsupported historical interest at
taching to every period of the country's
career. particularly in times Of great crises.
First Powder Mil.
For a hundred years or more the Du-
Points have been powder makers for the
United states government When the re-
public was in its swaddling clothes their
first powder mill was built on the Brandy
wine In Delaware. and their business and
relations with the government have de-
velopad with the republics growth. AS the
krupp factories are associated with the
mighty armament Of the German empire
80 has been linked the DUPONT Powder
company with the amy and navy of the
United States
In every war on land and sea fought by
this country the Dupont powder has been
used, and the skill, promptness and genius
of it's production has matched similar work
in the greatest war laboratories of the
world.
Nearly $500 100000 annually is spent on the
army and navy, and less than l per cent
or about sSO00,0OO of the vast sum goes for
powder. All military authorities agree that
II 1t happens that the powder necessary
for the army and navy is faulty, money
spent in other directions is practically
wasted. ah.
Colonel Buckner disposed of the impress
he ura xytfh t,a
pul'ont company in the emergency of the
tluitas raised the powder prices. He pointed
TO tan .aet that the War department rec
ords showed, the contrary was the truth,
that at the outbreak of the war the gov
eminent contracted with the company for
5OO0,000 pounds of powder at 32.175 cents a
pound. All forces, he said, were concern
trated to fill the order, the commercial
plants being robbed to strengthen the plants
making the government powder. and on its
own Initiative. warranting it to take
that step, the company reduced the price
TO 70 cents pound. 1t even RENTED 81, O0(
10 the government to bring the contract
TO within the lowered price basis. Thus
IN the midst of war the DUPONT company
reduced instead Of increased the price OF
Its powder
UndeIIVered order.
" The war ended sooner than was expected
ieaving 100000 pounds Of powder still to
be delivered out of the 5000 pound con
tract.g The government slgnifled a desire
to cancel the contract for this undelivered
powder it havipg been demonstrated thai
in future smokeless powder would be used
The Navy department wanted to know or
what terms the company would agree Il
the cancellation The DUPONT company
promptly answered it would cancel the un-
filled part OF the contract without com.
pensation.
Other powder companies not only in
creased prices 10 the highest limit but de
manded extravagant sums for the cancelIa
ton of contracts, one company even coins
a into the court of claims where it wa,
awarded damages which IL the same adju
dication had been allowed the DuPon
company, would have returned it more thar
$4,000 sf.ta
Colonel Buckner cited a number of i'm
portant savings by economical methods
achieved by the company for itself which ad
vantage it freely gave to the government
Until three years ago the government fur
nish1d the company with alcohol used II
the manufacture of powder. Under tn
original process the alcohol escaped or wa
destroyed by evaporation. The compan!
inNeuleu u pIoteSS Mncn recovered IN
alcohol and accomplished a saving to tn
government of $4,000, 1t gave the gov
ernmeDt the process for its own plants
Last Year at the Indian Head governmen
plant the total saving to the government
4 was $4,000, making the aggregate saving
= IN that direction. Including previous say
mss. $4,000 or grand total of $3S5O0O.
The DUPONT company invented a process
for roworking deteriorated powder. Las
year by the DUPONT process 439,O 900 pounds o
government powder were reworked an
slS50o0 saved and ON 10000 pounds of re
workable powder now ready for the pro
cess a saving Of 100000 viii be made
Another DUPONT process doubles the III
Of smokeless powder in itself an enormou
SAVING, The company has perfected pow
Ger FOR small arms 20 SO remarkable ,
degree. as to Increase the lease OF life I
the government rifle supply OF 10000 froi