The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-16
WATER POWER OF
 MUSCLE SHOALS Judge Richardson Is Working For Development GREAT LATENT RESOURCES Congress Is Asked to Develop the Water Power and Lease the
 Rights for Number of Years
 to Power Companies.
GREAT LATENT RESOURCES

the subject of inland waterways and devoted much of his time to the Muscle Shoals project on the Tennessee river in Alabama.
 After referring to the Panama canal and stating that It's probable cost would be about $500, 100000 and that it was pro- posed by the advocates of the improve ment of the inland waterways of the United States to spend like sum on those projects, and dwelling upon the fact that he believed that no section would be more benefited by the construc- ton of the canal than the south, Judge Richardson spoke of the Mississippi river system comprising about 1900 miles, and contended that the Tennessee river was by long odds the~ most important chain in the system and would do more, if properly improved, to benefit conn merce than any other chain in the sys- tenn. In further discussing the subject he said:
 No broad, comprehensive plan for the improvement of the Mississippi river can fail to embrace this great area from which flows the waters of the Tennessee river to the Mississippi river. Who with the eye of prophetic ken can fail to see the future growth of our country that a more than fair proportion of the 10,- 000000,000 tons of the iron ore source of the southern Appalachian region, togeth- CT with the marble, coal, timber and ag- rcultural products, will pass by the wa ters of the Tennessee to the Mississippi river? Mir. Edmunds (of the Manufac- turers Record) truly says that in this area are latent resources awaiting de- velopment great enough to enrich em- pires. In this region is the seat of the clements of the power upon which the progress of the world may depend. It is from this viewpoint that l desire to speak of the Tennessee river, because it can with the government help be made the great and chief link between this undeveloped wealth of the world and the Mississippi river.
 Rich Resources.
 'I contend most earnestly that the rich and extensive undeveloped resources of the region tributary to the Tennessee river, the cheap and bulky character of the products of this region which makes even the minimum cost of railroad trans- portation practically prohibtory, and the great area to be served, extensive as that of the whole of England, will de- nand navigation facilities on the Ten- nessee river of the most comprehensive and modern type.
 .It is conceded that the Muscle Shoals on the Tennessee river IS the weakest link of the chain of the Tennessee river, and that the through navigation of the fx axa1ie ie had h out the necessary improvement of navi- gation at that point
 q shall not undertake to present--to refer even-to the various acts of Con- gress on the subject of Muscle Shoals from 1928 to date. This legislation serves to emphasize the fact that Congress has recognized by continuous appropriations the value and importance of the Ten nessee river.
 Value of Water Power.
 'In order to define the great value of the water power at Muscle Shoals Sen ator Burton of Ohio, when chairman of the rivers and harbors committee of the House of Representatives, while discus sing this subject on the floor of that body in the Fifty-nnth Congress used these words: That the value of the horse power at Muscle Shoals with the average flow of water anmounted to an nually to the immense sum Of $2,So,O0O If this be true or approximately true, then Congress ought not to be tardy in adopting measures to utilize this great wealth that is hourly and daily run ming to waste. In its electrical ener- xies Muscle Shoals ranks next to Mag ara Falls.''
 Judge Richardson next read resolutions from two river and harbnr bills, and in commenting thereon said: Under the authority of these resolutions special boards composed of eminent engineers of the war department made careful in- yestigations and elaborate reports on the question of the improvement of the Ten- nessee river in conjunction with the de- yelopment of water power at Muscle Shoals from the head of Elk River Shoals to the Florence bridge, a dis tance of not quite 30 miles, These two reports with the report of the board of review of the rivers and harbors com mittee of the House have been submit ted to Congress. The canal running lat erally with Big Muscle Shoals is 14 miles long and 1t Is this canal that presents a physical barrier to the development of the immense water power at that point The late Senator Morgan after care full examination and Investigation under authority of a resolution passed by the Senate declared that the canal was a. 'hindrance to navigation ratner than help
 Coal as Competitor. "One of the ablest and most distin- euished engineers who examined these shoals for private parties said: There IS no place anywhere where greater ad- vantaees arc to be found for the har- messing of water power for the use or industry, or where there is greater awaiting development within reach Of the seaboard water and rail Utan at Muscle Shoals
 Judge Richardson gave a complete history of the canal, commencing with its start by the state of Alabama in 1928 and it's abandonment by the state as a failure in 1837 the commencement of work on it by the geenral govern i ment in 1873 and it's opening to use in 1 1890, and referred to the bills he has | introduced upon the subject since be- coming q member of the House. He 1 said the government had expended more than S8,00o.000 in the construc- tion of the canal on the north and i south banks of the river, and Its main 1 tenance had cost $1,os7.oc0 to the end ky&