The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-01-09
SOME THINGS THE WAR
PRODUCED IN MISSOURI
(By A. T. Edmonston.)

JGlIGI5OH ClJy, hu'J JSC. OIL w Hlt
the war years did to promote and in
crease the annual output and worth
Of powder and other explosives, dyna-
mite, Missouri is indicated by
bulletin of the Missouri Bureau Of
Labor Statistics, dealing with the in
dustry, commencing with 1914 and
closing with the end of 1915 given
publicity today by Labor Commission
err William H. Lewis.
The increase in worth of Missouri
made dynamite, powder and other eX-
plosives in course of four years, is
convincingly made clear by the fact
that the 1918 output of the four fac
tories of the State, one in Pike county,
two in Jasper county, near Carthage,
and one in jackson county few miles
from Kansas City, the last year of the
war, was worth $9,471 ,476, as COM
pared to worth of S3,095,25S for the
production of 1914, the year the
Worldwide conflict commenced. The
gain in worth of output in four years,
was $6,376,2l8, or about 206 per cent.
While the price per unit Of dynamite,
powder and explosives, 1918 over
1914 materially increased, just as did
all other manufactured commodities,
yet most of the increase in worth dur
ing the period considered by the Blu
feau of Labor Statistics bulletin, was
due to an actual gain in total guanti-
ty of explosives produced.
The 1917 production of Missouri
made explosives had a total worth Of
$8,584,322 as compared to $6,798,016
for 1916 and $4,213,S75 for 1915. The
following exhibitions f figures gives
the annual output of Missouri-made
dynamite, powder and by-products
from January l, 1914, to the close of
1918.
Explosive products manufactured in
Missouri in 1918: dynamite, 34,506,-
127 pounds; black blasting powder,
1875, $50 pounds; mixed acids, 9,949,-
300 pounds; and amonium nitrate,
13,812,678 pounds; total production re-
ported, 60,643,815 pounds.
Explosive products manufactured
in 1917: dynamite 45,169,O00 pounds;
black blasting powder, 4,215,00O
pounds; mixed acids, 9,051 900 pounds;
and amonium nitrate, 2,919,000
pounds; total production reported, co.
354,000 pounds.
Explosive products manufactured in
1916: dynamite, 41,297000 pounds;
black blasting powder, 1857 600
pounds; mixed acids, LAST 900
pounds; and amonium nitrate, 1884,
900 pounds; total production reported
45,07S,000 pounds.
Explosive products manufactured in
1915: dynamite, 3S,021 900 pounds:
black blasting powder, 2,033,O0
pounds; mixed acids, 256,000 pounds;
and amonium nitrate, 2,239,O0O
pounds; total production reported, 49,
$4,000 pounds.
Explosive products manufactured in
1914: dynamite 27,190,000, pounds;
black blasting powder, 1876 100
pounds; mixed acids and ammonium
nitrate, none reported; total reported
production Of explosives, 1914, 49,
10000 pounds.
The part Missouri manufacturers
of explosives played in bringing to a
speedy termination the world war,
while only an indirect one, since none
of their products were, so far as is
officially known, used in actual bat
ties on land or sea, was necessary,
and therefore, worth while. During
the war years, Missouri made dyna-
mite blasting powder and other ex-
.plosives were shipped into every min
ing State Of the country and used
there to blast out the minerals which
finally found their way in the manu-
featured form of cartridges, bullets,
shells, rifles, bayonettes, machine
guns, pistols, revolvers, seige-guns,
cannons, auto tanks and trucks and
other munitions supplies end para
phenalia, including even submarine
boats, dreadnaughts, battle cruisers
and as parts of aeroplanes, into the
very heart Of the conflict as it ragged
on land and sea in the eastern hemi-
sphere. Through increasing their out
puts and shipping into Eastern min
ing States, Missouri explosive manu-
facturers released entirely the outputs
of big eastern plants for the sole use
of the armies and navies of the United
States and the allies, which accom-
plishment proved a tremendous item.
That the manufacturing of explo-
sives is not as profitable as some other
lines which are less hazardous is re-
vealed by the fact that in 1918, to
produce commodities which had final
factory worth of $9,471 ,476 it took
raw materials and supplies worth
$6,243,176 and in addition $974,862
had to be distributed as salaries and
wages and $685. for rent and taxes
and insurance and $138,539 for mis-
cellaneous purposes.
The men and women employed at
the four Missouri explosive manufac-
turing plants, grew from a total Of
$50 in 1914, to 6S4 in 1915, to 684 in
1916, to 1926 in 1917, and finally for
1918, to 1889. The annual disburse-
ments for salaries and wages, in
creased from $333,S48 in 1914 to
$398,643 for 1915, to $606, AIT for
1916; to $745,945 for 1917 and to
$972,962 for 1918.
The manufacturing of explosives is
one Missouri industry which women
did not invade during the war, prob
ably for the reason that while consid-
cradle nerve and judgment is re-
quired by those engaged in it bunch
of high-strung nerves, is serious
detriment. In 1914, "a women and
girls were on the payrolls of the four.
Missouri plants, in 1915 only 8, in
1914 81 in 1917 ID and in 1919 %