Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1913-01-25

buEAlRIs Il
dupont de Nemours Powder Company,
on the powder hearing in the House OF
Representatives at Washington, a sub
iect Of much newspaper comment
within the past few days. he gives in
teresting facts concerning the matter
1t will be recalled that the annual
army appropriation bill was passed
By the House this week with an
amendment providing that not more
than 65 cents for small arms powder
as against so and rs cents pound
which has been paid for cannon and
small arms powder respectively.
Colonel Buckner does not apprehend
that an order for smokeless powder
large enough to justify the company
accepting as low a price as oS cents
pound will be forthcoming.
Colonel Buckner said that II was
gratifying TO know that the commit
tee took no stock whatever in the
sensational charges made against the
dupont Powder Company al the near
ing which we're so "eNtravagantly eN-
plotted In the headlines Of the news
papers. He said that all these charges
were taken up. one by one, and shown
TO be. as stated at the hearing. "a It's
sue of falsehood from beginning "a
end
brushing aside everything else.
said Colonel Buckner, the commit
tee confined lis efforts to an attempt
10 find basis upon which it coul6
Justify action in fixing the price o
powder at such a point as would give
the government the product at a low
Ter price than It has heretofore paid
| do not apprehend, however, that al
order for smokeless powder larg
enough TO Justify the company accept
ing as low a price as 53 cents pc
pound will be forthcoming. AS Con
gresham Head 80 admirably explain
ed TO the House Of Representatives
our company has for years, at the re
quest of the government and in orde
10 be ready in case of war, maintaine
three plants exclusively for the manu-
facture OF smokeless powder when al
the smokeless powder taken by IN
government could have been manufac
/ tured at one plant
"This has tied up large amount o
surplus capital in plants that hav
either been idle most Of the time o
operatod at one-third their capacity
As business men. we could not trea
this excess capital as negligible.
is an investment for the government
= and must be recognized as sue
, whether the government takes advan
/ tage OF Il to its fullest capacity o
rot. lust as the government mus
4 recognize the cost OF maintainin
| coast defenses and battleships. wheth
= er IL uses them for war purposes O
! not. Our powder plants, just as on
coast defenses and battleships hay
ibeen treated by the government fo
years as part Of the war establish
ment
=. Not Businesslike.
j "The committee in defending Il
r action in fixing this arbitrary prize
b. for powder said that for various re;
e sons IL could not make an allowanS
i. for interest on this investment, bl
$ could consider only a 'reasnab
= profit on the cost OF making the poy
a der. How unfair and unbusines
like this is can be seen in an instar
We have about FIVE million dolia
invested IN the three plants whi'
we are carrying for the governme
: as part OF its national defense. Sn
~ pose as does the committee. in n
:" taking into account any interest
the capital invested, the goyernme
during the year should not order al
r- powder-where would the duPo
Is Company be? Or suppose the go
in eminent during the next year shou
n order but few thousand pounds
powder. or but a million pounds
powder. and insist on this low pri'
where would the DUPONT Compa
be? The loss would force the aba
donment OF these plants for {
manufacture of smokeless powd
and their conversion into plants
= the manufacture Of some other chi
= acter OF explosive. The minimi
. price at which this government c
1. buy powder or anything else that
buys by the pound Will depend up
. the number of pounds over which
fixed charges can be distributed. a
recognizing this, the DUPONT Co
pany several years ago quoted a SCI
OF prices 20 the government
smokeiess powder based upon
number OF pounds ordered as
lows.
5000, 900 pounds ...............
O00 600 hounds ..........