Evening journal., 1913-02-17
Continued From FIRST Pagr

Continued From First Page.
scrihed by General orders No. 40. 4,
Headquarters OF the Army, dated July /
%. 1867. and at National Home for
Disabled Volunteer Soldiers and its
several branches. including Soldiers
Home in Washington. ID. c.. and sol /
diers aud sailors state home, 100000
Mr.. Bristow--l wash to make some
inquiry about tho amendment striking
out lines s. 9. 40 and IL.
Mr.. duPont-l will state to the Sen
ator from Kansas that those lines we're |
stricken out, over an objection made
by me at The instance OF the chairman
of the Committee on Appropriations.
who requested that this ACTON be takon
by our committee in order that the
amendment would go into conference
and be harmonized there with the ac-
tion 10 be taken with respect 10 the
fortihcations appropriation bill and
the naval appropriation bill, In which
similar items occur
MIR. Bristow.-My attention was
called TO the matter in the last few
hours. statement and copy of
the hearings I'm the house we're trans
mitted TO me indicating that the cost
OF making powder was only 35 cents
a pound: and that being the case. It
would seem that ample latitude had
been given in the provision which ii
is proposed 10 strike out
Mr. Warren-Thc Senator has
evidently had his attention turned to
other parts Of the report, which quote
quite differently from that
II is an old matter; matter that
lhas come up annually for many
years In the first place, we we're
huying all of our powder from
private concerns. and the only large
concern that was fitted and equipped
to make Government powder in large
quantities was the DUPONT CO II
seemed best for the Government,
first to know What it would cost and
also be in a position to manufacture
some powder.
Il was my duty in serving the Com
mittee on Appropriations to work as
one of the subcommitteemen on the
fortincations bill. and in the Army
appropriation bin we had TO take up
this matter Of powder, We provided
on the Army side, under management
OF General Crozicr, Chief Of Ordnance.
that We would erect a powder factory.
the idea being that we would erect an
establishment large enough 80 that
the cieht-hOur-a-day work would
leave a possible extension OF three
times the usual product, through
three shifts Of workmen. in the case
OF war. i'm the manufacture of powder
and that additions could be made TO
the plant in case of serious war, the
'cf being impressed upon us that
in war times we could not buy the
powder abroad. as the Senator knows.
The neutrality and the comfy OF
nations would prevent e., and il was
found that IL would be impossible
as then equipped with all the
machinery We had IN the United
States to furnish the powder we
might need or any large percentage
Of it in case Of actual war.
So the United states went into the
manufacture of powder in this way,
without the intention of undertaking
to make all the powder we use, but
The intention OF knowing what IL
would cost and what quality We
wanted. and so as TO insist on other
powders being all right as to both
price and quality
The year after. or the next year
The Navy proceeded ia the same way
and they have a powder factory. We
proceeded in that way keeping the
idoa in vicw that out of the S5.0o0.00o
investment I'm Delaware. OF which
over S4.000.0o0 is for making the Gov
ernment powder. they should have a
certain amount Of this work TO do in
the interest of the United States at a
price that would covos the cost J have
looked at all the tables. / find that
taking Gen. Crozicrs tables, they
start ina, like they do in the manu-
facture OF gas or electricity. and first
figure the cost OF the actual material
bought and of the men paid, and then
they have later regarded overhead
charges so FAR as the Government is
concerned.
The charges in another table, as
the Senator will find. afn0unt 10 SOME
thing like As or as cents and there
is no fire loss charge. because the
United States pays nothing for insur
ancc and sets apart nothing for fire
risks There is nothing for taxes. be-
cause the United State Gov
ernmcnts pays no tax. The addition
for interest is calculated at per cent
only. because ! will say that is not
the maximum but perhaps the aver
age which tho Government pays; and
no regular depreciation I'm charged.
Last year the House put "A maximum
In the bill OF n cents for powder
which the Government should pur-
.chase. and we said nothing and let il
60 Powder runs from about 40 cents
TO 9S cents or S1.05 according TO the
quality. OF course. putting a maxi
mum at certain price would per-
init certain powder TO come in under
It and would block out certain other
powders
This concern came to the United
States and said. III you VIII give us
SO much powder 10 manufacture, the
overhead charges are about the same