The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-13

by the strong representative dclega- ton from Alabama and Tennessee who have appeared before the rivers and harbors committee of the House this week urging speedy action favorable to the work.
 The report of the engineers, which appeared some weeks ago in substance in The AgeHerald strongly recom- mends to Congress the desirability of Legislation which will make this great project a reality.
 If Congress authorizes this work, Alabama will eventually have the greatest single water power develop ment in the world. It is estimated that the Muscle Shoals plant and it's tribu-
 taries when fully connected and
 equipped will develop over 800.O00 horse power. This immense amount of en-
 ergy will be available to furnish cheap power to all sorts of industrial manu- featuring plants which will use the cheap raw materials of various kinds so abundant in north Alabama and the Tennessee valley. Great trunk feeding lines can be extended from the source of power for hundreds of miles, sup plying cheap power to Birmingham, Sheffield, Huntsville, Gadsden. Deca- tur, Anniston. Chattanooga, Talladega and in fact to the immense territory of all north Alabama and southern Tennessee. Electric steel. air fertil-
 izers, Street railway systems and ther
 kindred concerns requiring cheap power are some of the industries which A~I of this wonderful power project.
 The favorable report of the engi- neers to the scheme is of course. only | the preliminary step. Congress must authorize it The private capital is ready to invest millions in the under | taking just as soon as Congress will pass the proper Legislation authorizine g that part of the funds to be furnished | by the government which Is to be paid for the incident improvement to navi- gation. Under the plan for the mu- | tual sharing by the government and private capital of the cost of the project recommended by the board oi engineers there is also embraced a rec ommendation that the company holding the power lease pay tax per horse power to the government. The lease recommended contemplates a term of 100 years, which may be amended to 50 years
 It will, of course, take several years to complete the task. Fully five years after the work has begun will elapse before the job will approach comple- ton, and the development work fn- creasing the horse power through tributaries will go on for several years more. The project will eventually cost close to s30.00o.000.
 While it's completion will give im-
 | -fw tf<,r, through this fertile territory, the navf-
 gation end of the project and It's re- sultant favorable effect on freight rates will be infinitesimal as compared to the benefits to the state which will be derived from the development oe the water power itself. Mir. Underwood de- clares that the benefits to Alabama from the consummation of this project cannot be estimated. Many of the en- thusiasts who have given careful study to the matter doubt that there has ever been an enterprise in Alabama which has meant more to the state.
 It is hoped that the present Con- Rress will recognize the importance of the work, and will authorize at least a
 small appropriation in the rivers and harbors bill looking to the beginning of the undertaking. The Alabama and Tennessee delegations in Congress are making. a study of the proposition, and in every case after 1t Is fully under stood they are favorable to it..
 The power company which vii un- dertake the development in coniunc- | ton with the government contemrlates l the building in Alabama contiguous l to the power plant at least one greal ] fertilizer factory Under certain pro cess fertilizers are made from the all through the means of cheap power. 1T foreign countries and in Canada this |process is now being used successfull! l to the vast benefit of the users of com mercial fertilizers. The United Statei while a great producer of commercial Ifertiiizer Is also an immense purchase from Chile of certain important ingre l,dients which are not available in thi icountry. These are supplied from tn air through the process mentione' above, and this single item will aion save this country annually many bil lions of dollars. and at the same tim cheapen the finished product to tn ultimate consumer
 Fully alive to the importance of thi enterprise the Alabama and Tennes
 see delegations this week in Washing ton will continue their efforts to brfn Ipressure upon Congress until 1t is com
 mitted to this plan lit Is the bigges
 thing now in sight for the south an
 nortfru1ar1v Alabama C. E a