New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-17
CONGRESS AIMS BLOW
At POWDER TRUST
Gill Directs That Not More than
So Cents a Pound Be Paid
Du Points Now Get go.
CHARGES BY INDEPENDENT
Waddell Tells of Publicity Blu
reau ito Influence Depart
ment of Justice and
Courts.

ment of Justice and
Courts"
washington. Jan. IA drastic pro-
,.sior aimed at the so-Called Powder Trust.
,o,,ovirc testimony alleging that the Du
POM Powder Company maintains lobby
s,ro and spends hundreds Of thousands of
5ou,rs in Washington. features the forti-
ecation appropriation bill reported to the
House to-day
The bill. which carries an aggregate of
ssotSo50. a big cut from the armys osti-
,,,,es directs that no part Of the appro-
rriation shall be expended 'for powder,
other than small arms powder, at a price
In excess NJ - cents pound"
Roth the army and navy powder plants,
a. Picatinny arsenal and Indian Head. re.
srectivcly. arc making powder at much
Ices than the co cents which the govern
nert now pays pound 10 the Du FONT
Powder Company. Of WilminEton. Dol.
Robert s Waddell, representing the
Hoynes safety Powder Company, of Cleye-
land. charged in testimony before the Ap-
rropriations Committee that the Du Font
trust has never been accused Of throwing
away money" and that they kept for
some time on the Potomac River private
Yacht Of T. c. du Pont. the president of
the Powder Trust"
Larder Well Supplied.
That yacht" added Mr.. Waddell, is
called the Tech. which the skipper told
me was for general entertainment pur-
poses and that the lardor of II was mag
rlfrently supplied with everything that
could contribute 10 that end. This yacht
made excursions between Washington
and Indian Head"
Mr.. WaddeU testified that he did not
know Of any money being spent in the
corruption of any government official "by
the du Pont people" but that. 1T would
he foolish to consider that the govern
ment will ever get any competition
against a trust like that Of tho du Points.
He testified that the army and navy
officers particularly tho army, come in
direct contact with Senator Henry \. du
Pont. Of Delaware. chairman of the Sen
ate Committee on Military Affairs whose
position gives him r strong influence
compared with that. of an outside manu-.
facturer" lie cited an instance in which
the intimacy and confidence grown up
between tho du Pont people resulted in /
lax Inspection in the du Pout plant.
Calls Lo5bies an Offence.
Contending that Hobbies in Washington
were IAN offence rather tnan benefit
TO the government. Mr.. Waddo'l told the
committee that the Du Pont Company
maintained IN Washington Colonel Ed
mund G. Rucknor. .vice-president OF the
company and the president Of the Inter-
national Smokeless Powder Company,
who ",ievotcs his entire time and atten-
ton 10 Washington business.
when | was with the company Mr.
WaddeH explained. they paid their vice
presidents 10000 year, and / presume
he CNir. BUckner) is getting good. rich
salary and a liberal account for eXpendl-
lures They are as courteous as can be-
and spend a good deal Of money in that
way
Saving ne did not believe there had ever
been any attempt at undue influence on
the army and navy officers, Mr.. WaddeIl
said the Du Pont company maintained
the purchasers Of powder and the pco-
yle who place their Or0eTs but even the
department of Justice and the courts by
statements of this Hnd-that during the
Spanish war. because Of the wonderful
patriotism Of the Du Pout trust, they
made n rebate on the brown prismatic
powder TO the ARMY and navy. That Is
.iot true
Judicial Monopoly Created"
we recently" said Mr.. Waddeil.
have had a judicial monopoly created
out Of the Du Pont trust through the
courtesy Of Attorney General Wicker
sham. which ratifes the world agreement
and gives the exclusive sale Of all foreign
smokeless powder in the United States In
the hands Of the Du Pont company
Mr.. Wadden quoted the company's al
Legged records for 1906 to show total
profit for that year Of $2,34s36i from sales
70 the government.
Colonel Buckner, as vice-president OF
the Du Pont company. told the committee
that the Waddel charges were a net
work Of ialsehoods. that the Dc Pont
company never had a lobby, that ne was
It's only representative who makes any
regular trips here except Major General
Charles f. Humphrey, formerly quarter
master general Of the army, who looks
after such little details as getting in
formation from the different government
Departments" He said the yacht Teen
was never here but once, when 1t was
sent for Mr.. Buckner's special pleasure.
that no army or navy oihcer went ABOARD
her in the companies he entertained and
that there was an old Kentucky friend,
a Senator. In the party. lie denied the
On On detail