The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-08-22
POWER COMPANY INTERESTS

THE Alabama Power company owns
considerable property and has other in
terests at Muscle shoals, and desiring to
be represented at Washington, we secured
the services of Mr.. Worthington, as ne
was formerly familiar with the PROPOSE
ton. might add that the Alabama
Power company has been interested in the
plan to develop Muscle shoals and that
we made Investigations and plans which
cost US several hundred thousand dollars.
Through the influence of our work, and
the influence of people over the state,
the government finally had the engineers
report on the matter and learned that a
vast amount of power could be secured
and at the same time, the stream opened
to the use of navigation.
However, the government engineers
held to the opinion that the cost of the
project would be SO great that the navi-
cation would not be enough to Justify
all the expenditure, and it was for that
reason that the plan for the Alabama
Power company to pay part Of the cost
and use the surplus power was worked
out Under this scheme, the govern
ment would give the navigation to the
people at a cost which it felt 1t could
afford to pay, and the people of Alabama
would have had available vast amount
of cheap power which would have
brought many small industries to the
state.
The Alabama Power company has
no intention of oposing any plans the
government may have for the proposed
development of Muscle shoals. We are
making no fight against the American
Cyanlde company nor any other com.
pany which Is supposed to be interested
IN the development of water power for
the purpose of making nitrate or any
chemical substance. And we have not
even contemplated any development of
tuat KIND on our own initiative at Lock
10 on the Coosa river in order to COM
pete with any other company.
The simple proposition in regard TO
the surplus power which will be left I'M
Ger the proposed plan for developing
Muscle Shoals Is this If the government
expends the $20,ooo,00o, under the super
vision of the president and the engineers
or the war department and constructs
us nitrate plan there, only part of
the power will be needed for govern
mental purposes. 1t will then be up to the
government to dispose of this power as
the engineers and government officials
see tit There has been no agreement
to give it to anyone. Neither has the
site for this development been selected.
All of that rests in the hands of the
government
FERTILIZER PLANT
1T has been pointed out that there are
certain advantages which would accrue
from the erection of a fertilizer plant to
utilize the surplus power There would
also be advantage to the people of the
state from the utilization of the surplus
power in providing cheap power for indus
tries. On account of the fact that the
amount of this surplus power would vary
materially at different stages of the year,
thlnk 1t could be used advantageously
only by some company which had other
sources or power to fall back on when
the available amount was slight.
This would seem to indiacte that the
Alabama Power company could make the
best use of the power on account of the
fact that we have seevral large steam
plants and large sources of water power
which are available. The government
would use most of the power available
during the minimum stage of production,
and any company with no other source
would be practically knocked out during
these seasons. With our system, this
feature would amount to but little''
Regarding the reported split between
the Alabama Power company and Mr..
Worthington, Mr.. Walmsley stated that
Mr.. Worthington was now receiving the
same salary for representing the COM
pany at Washington that he formerly re-
ceived as vice president of this company.
AS matter of fact, a check for Mr..
Worthington went out of this office to-
day." he said.
Mr.. Walmsley announced that James
Mitchell. PRECEDENT of the Alabama Power
company. would be here probably the
latter part, Of the week, but that the
coming Of the head of the company was
in no way CONNECTED with the reported
situation. 1.-THE coming of Mr.. Mitchell
was given out at this office some days
ago and is one of his regular visits TO.
this state"