Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-06-29
Selected by Tavenner

what the government can do when it
makes up its mind to do 1t IN the
smashing OF munitions trusts. About
twelve years ago the government was
in the grip of the powder trust. AT
that time we were paying approximate
ly s1.41 per pound for smokeless pow
der. The government erected a plant
to manufacture its own powder, ana
before the plant was erected the price
of powder dropped to II cents per
pound. The government kept on add
ing to its powder plant until today we
are making about one-half of our pow
der in government factories and max
ing Il at a cost of 81 cents per pound.
The result of this investment has been
to drive the price of privately manu-
featured powder down to 5o cents per
pound. The same argument was used
against the government manufacturing
powder then that is now being USED
against the government manufacturing
it's own armor plate. Congress was
told then that the government could
not manufacture powder as cheaply as
private individuals could do it. The
war department in 1913 purchased
1000 4.7-inch shrapnel from the ammu-
milton ring, paying s25.26 each there
for. At the same time precisely the
same article was being manufactured
in a government plant at a cost OF
$15.45.
The war department paid the ring
$3.50 for a 3.S-inch common shfap-
ha mo a
government plants for 1874. The gov
eminent has manufactured at the Rock
Island arsenal caissons for gun car
riages at a cost of S1,12S.67, for which
private manufacturers have been pail
s1,74410. Secretary Of the Navy Dan
| iels in his annual report for 1914
called attention to the economy Of gov
eminent manufacture by saying that
Contrary to the popular idea, the
navy department in what it manufac-
lures does so, from a superdread-
nought to gallon of paint or a pounc
Of powder, cheaper than it can be pur-
/ chased. This is particularly true OF
the most expensive instruments OF
| war, but it is equally true of gasoline
engines, electrical supplies, shrapnel
clothing for marines, and sailors
equipment, and other material FOL
shore and land stations.
Mr.. Chairman, government manufac
ture will mean that workmen who per
form the labor of actually making thu
munitions will receive higher wages
and better working conditions than /
| the contracts for war materials wer'
awarded to private munitions firm!
among which are numbered the mos
bitter enemies of organized labor il
the United States. In 1910 the bureau
of labor, under the direction of Ethel
bert Stewart, investigated the workin!
conditions of the Bethlehem Steel Co
one of the companies engaged in max
ing armor for the United States ant
the investigation revealed this: Tha
out of every 100 men 20 were working
seven days every week; that out o
every 100 men 43, including these 2e
were working some Sunday in eaS
month: that out of every 100 men 5
were working IL hours per day; tina
out of every 100 men % were workin
II hours per day seven days per week
that out of every 100 men As wer
earning less than 81 per day.
Those who argue that the govern
ment should not enter upon the manu-
: facture of armor plate are either ie
= norant of the facts or do not under
: stand them When the war with Spai
was imminent the three concerns i
, this country which have a monopol
: of the plate manufacture got tc
: gether and practically issued an ult
matum to this country that they woul
not manufacture single piece of al
NOR plate unless we agreed to pa
= them 500 per ton more than the pric
fixed by congress after an investiga
ton as to fair price, but their patriot
ism did not prevent them from sellin
armor plate to the Russian governmer
for s249 per ton while they were ash
: ing their own government S616 pc
l ton.
: Ito Be Continued)