The Washington herald., 1913-02-23
SM0KELESS POWDER
SCARCE IN The U. S.
Cevennsat Urged 10 Be Cssisss
n he Lesislatisa A.
feetinx H.

Congress Is likely to fnd itself floating
on rather broad sea II II takes out Of
the hands OF the omcers OF the army and
navy. and the skilled specialists asso-
ciated with them. the responsibility Of
liking price for smokeless cannon pow
| der
The action Of the House In establish
| ing q nat price of So CENTS per pound,
regardless Of the amount Of powder to
be purchased. will hardly commend itself
to- business men. The Senate did the
from the army appropriation bill.
1t seems that the Du Pont Company 10
the only concern. Independent of the
government. supplying smokeless powder
to the government. II has q large In
yestment In plants equipped for this
purpose. and as these plants cannot be
used for anything else and represent
thrice the capacity needed in time Of
peace. II 10 evident that the Du Pont
commission and manufacture powder at
53 cents per pound II the annual pur-
chase Of the government amounts to but
q few pounds.
1t is pointed out that no man would
put up a saw mill at q great expense
and get out lumber for one building.
On tine other hand. II Is equally appar-
ent ne COulu wei dHOru u put u lOt
OF money in saw mill II he were 60
l ing to supply the lumber for buildings in
ian entire township or county. So with
smokeless powder. II would be poor
business policy to expect the Dur Points
or any one else to supply minimum
quantity Of powder at q minimum price.
4 minimum price. in business, goes with
a maximum quantity. II Congress- in
sists on fixing The price. Congress should
a. he nf v,nvrAar N hn
chased. In other words. Congress should
be as definite. as explicit. at one end Of
the proposition as at the other.
Finding Of United States Court.
1t Is suggested. too. that some light
might be thrown on the general powder
situation II the finding of the United
States Court In the suit to dissolve the
Du Pont Company were read. In SO far
as that litigation was aimed at the
plants engaged In the manufacture of
smokeless powder for the government.
the suit was dismissed. And in its opin-
ION the court held that the relation
these plants sustained to the national
defense was such that they should not
be. in any manner. interfered with. In
other words, on the testimony OF ofiicers
OF the army and navy, these plants were
considered by the court as part OF our
plan of national defense.
The testimony of ordinance officers
who have appeared at various hearings
held has indicated that the price paid
for powder is not eNtravagant. In view
OF the fact that good powder at rea-
sonabie price is much to be preferred to
poor powder at a cheap price II would
seem that the annual disturbance stirred
up over this question was hardly JUS
titled. Z
1t appears to have been established
tnat the government Is buying its pow
der IS per cent cheaper than any other
nation is buying a similar powder.
Building battleships with one hand and
iegislating SO as TO destroy our powder
plants with the other does not seem
to be entirely consistent.
1t might be suggested. too that unless
signs are woefully misleading. powder
Is a product which might be at a pre-
MUM in a very short time.