The Northwest worker. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1915-1917, 1915-07-08
THE U. s. GOVERNMENT
AND THE POWDER TRUST
BY CLYDE H. TAvENNER

By CLYDE H. TAVENNER
The history of the transactions be-
tween the United States government
and the Dupont Powder Trust average
with the history of the dealings be-
tween the government and the armor
makers. The aggregate of the sums
paid the Dupont trust in excessive
and extortionate profits no doubt
runs into the tens of millions.
In the period between 1905 and
1913 alone the government purchased
29, 565,512 pounds of powder from this
trust, paying on an average of 80
cents a pound for 3,297,712 pounds of
80 caliber powder and an average of
IS cents pound for 29,565,512 pounds
of army and navy smokeless powder,
or a total Of $21 ,99S,250.
The government is now manufac-
turing powder for SO cents pound,
all overhead charges included, and
the larger the quantities it manufac-
lures the lower the cost. If the gov
eminent had manufactured all of the
powder it purchased between 1905 and
1918, it would have cost $11,830,754
instead of $21,998,250, or have result
ed in saving of $10,167 ,496, enough
to build a first-class battleship.
The Duponts boast they have been
selling the government it's powder
since the Civil War. If a saving of
s1O,167,496 could have been effected
by complete government manufacture
in eight years, how much do you i'm
agine could have been saved by gov
eminent manufacture in the half CEN
fury between the Civil War and the
present day?
When the supreme court entered its
decree ordering the dissolution Of the
Dupont trust. Pierre s. Dupont, act
ing president, wrote the secretary of
war, imploring him to use the influ-
ence of the war department with the
attorney generals office to prevent
the separation of those units of the
trust manufacturing powder for the
government; or, in other words, to ar
range it so that the Duponts would
continue to have a monopoly on the
sale of smokeless powder to the gov
eminent!
"The plan as now proposed" wrote
acting President Dupont in this most
remarkable letter, which was dated
November Is, 1911, "contemplates a
complete dissolution of our military
smokeless powder department and its
reorganization into two or more sep
arate and distinct corporate units,
each to be operated independent of
the other and in competition with
each other, with all that this implies.
1--WE believe that if the attor-
ney general could be informed through
your department or otherwise of the
real facts surrounding the smokeless
powder industry and it's relations to
the United States government he
might feel inclined to permit the stu
alton to remain as at present"
What sublime confidence the head
of the Dupont trust must have had
in the secretary of war to make such
a request, and that in writing!
The secretary Of war referred this
letter to Gen. Crozier, who made GER
tain Endorsements upon it and return
ed it to the secretary
Under existing conditions" report
ed Gen. Crozier in part, 81 consider
that the department is doing very
we'll The Dupont company has CON
siderable reserve capacity available
for wars needs, while new company
could not be expected to bring into
existence and maintain, with expense,
plant in excess of that employed in
time of peace. =. Established conf
dence is worth something. The de-
partment does not find itself pressed
by any necessity for a change in the
present situation"
The end of the matter was that the
supreme court left the military
plants" of the Dupont company in one
group. So far as the government is
concerned, the Dupont trust remains
trust
The attitude of Gen. Crozier was a
service worth large sums to the pow.
der trust, and the Duponts are realiz-
in gon it to this day. because the trust
is still without competition in the
sale of smokeless powder to the gov
eminent