The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-04-06
Mussel Shoals Project Boon
to the PrOfiteers, AS
serts LOngwOrth
PLANTS USELESS
WHEN WAR is OVER
Needed Land Being Held by Owners at
Figures said to Be Exorbitant-1ndi-
viduals Will Reap Immense Profits in
Operating Works.

WASHINGTON, April 6--Develop
ment of a new species of war proiteers
caused the house to pass a bill empower
ing the war department to condemn
lands needed for military purposes at
nitrate for military purposes at nitrate
and munitions plants.
During the debate Representative
Longworth (Ohio) charged that GER
tain persons at Mussel Shoals on the
Tennessee river had acquired land need
ed by the government and were holding
it at such high prices that condemna-
| tion is necessary.
"Speaking of profteering, he said.
| Il can think of nothing meaner than to
hold up the government for land in
the vicinity of plants necessary for
the military establishment. =
The Mussel Shoals water power de
velopment project, Mr.. Longworth
said, long had been before congress and
had been rejected from time to time.
The promoters, he added, were about to
gain their object. The conditions are
that the more or less patriotic citi-
zens who own land in the vicinity of
Mus3el Shoals, not satisfied with the
hundred million dollars or so that it is
contemplated by the government to
dump there to erect plants which, so
far as the needs of the government are
concerned. will be practically so much
junk as soon as the war is over, are
holding out for prices SO outrageously
high that the government very proper.
~ refused to pay them.
1.-The cyanimid plant being built al
Mussel Shoals, while financed wholly
by government money, is being hbil1
under direction and Will be operated
by private individuals under a con
tract BY which they are to receiv,
81 100000 for supervising its construc
, ton and about $1.250,000 a year ne
! for operating it. The same terms,
understand. are to be applied 70 TIL
! construction and operation of the othe
! plant decided upon Not bad littl
contract, gentlemen, when you realz
: that these individuals assume no risl
u whatever and that they will be in
position to buy at q scrap price (orig
: inally thew wanted the whole thin
I free) as soon as the war is over.
! ''There also are in course OF cor
I struction at Mussel Shoals under a IT
cent order of the President dam an
power house No. of the original pro
, ect for the erection of which $13 200
! 600, all that is left of the original $50
! 100000 appropriation for nitrate pul
? poses, is to be used. This sum will nc
!, complete the erection of even one dan
u for it is admitted that the cost wi
. be considerably more The chief sis
nifcance of this is that il is the el
tering wedge for the original Muss
Shoals project involving two more dan
at total cost of probably nearer $50
y 100000 than the original $20,000000
Ito make nitrates by the cyarami
lprocess a fairly nigh power, usual
q hydroclectric, is necessary. Since v
II have put these plants at Mussel Shoa
81 il seems pertinent to inquire how soc
n we may expect this power to be d
i, veloped there. | learn from the seer
tarv of war that to construct dam \
~ :, alone will take at least three year
=, Whence do we then expect to get Il
- powers to run these plants, which v
10 IS are told will be producing yearly on
- put of more than 100000 tons of al
monium nitrate before this year is on
ID Partly from the steam plant beil
i. erected there and partly from wat
n power developed not at Mussel Shoa
n but at the Black Warrior river, near
rd 90 miles away, and carted, so to spea
across country.
eff YOU ask me why, in war tim
h and to produce materials for war pu
poses, we select a power site which c;