The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-03
MUSCLE SHOALS
And the Property That Is to Be Exempt
 from Taxation.

And the Property That Is to Be Exempt
 from Taxation.
 A few days ago The Advertiser con- tained this brief editorial:
 CT or not the wonderful electric and water power at Mussel Shoals which it is proposed to exempt from taxa, tion is, or Is not, a trust, controlled might serve to tell who are the pro- motors to be benefited and whether or not anybody that wants to do so can use the power that will be sup piled by the improvements that nave been made in the Tennessee River by the United States Government.
 The attention of Congressman Will liam Richardson was called to the par agraph by the editors of The Hunts vile Democrat, and he wrote a let ter, which is in effect admission that the benefit to be derived from the work in the Tennessee River cannot be en- joyed by anybody that wants to use the power" etc. We cheerfully pub fish his letter as it appeared in The Democrat and leave fl to the public to decide whether or not the Legisla- ture has not exempted an out and out monopoly from taxation;
 Misses Virginia c. and Susanna W.
 Clay, Editors The Huntsville Dem
 ocrat:
 thank you most kindly for calling my attention to the above clipping from The Montgomery Advertiser of fully to your request to reply to the same through the columns of The Democrat.
 The inquiry of The Advertiser IS based on alleged facts. or condition that does not exist. at Muscle shoals The Government of the United States has never spent dollar on the Ten ncssee River at Muscle Shoals. that aided or contributed to the develop ment of the great water power at that point. A costly lateral canal was con structed by the Government around Big Muscle Shoals" but this expendl- ture of money dld not aid the utili- zation or development ot the water power in the channel of the river, par alle with the canal. The plans ia vorahly Considered by the Committee on Rivers and Harhors. and by the Chief Engineers of the United States igation of the Tennessee River. in con junction with the development of wa ter power at Muscle Shoals, and now under cons. iteration by a Board ol En- War, were prepared by the Muscle Shoals Hydro Electric Power Compi- ny, an Alabama corporation. This company is given no preference Tn the proposed legislation. but the grant ing of license privilege to com pany or corporation, Is left entirely n the hands of the Secretary of War do not hesitate to say that l believe that the $" retary of War in the FA- errise If d sound discretion, will grant q license og ease to hut one company or corporation. 10 erect the three rocks and dams and develop and use the Wa ter power. such an act on the part ol the Secretary of War will not 1reate a trust controlled by a monopoly It seems to me that none of the quol- ities or factors Nt d monopoly. aH we commonly understand such combina- ton. co ld or will arise in the owner ship by one company of the power al Muscle Shoals. The inter -dependeAct of the dams proposed to be const"uct- ed upon each other is such that sep arate ownership and control would de- feat the great project The capital tc back the project would not in my opinion be forthcoming. If several in, terests were recognized in dlfecen' sections of the stretch of the Tennes- sea River covered by the plans no"