The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-27
UNDERWOOD HAS
 STRONG SUPPORT
 IN FARMERS UNION
Letter From Virginia Pres ident Shows How They Regard Work of the
 Alabamian

Chairman Lloyd NJ, Hooper of the Underwood state campaign committed
 has just made public letter which shows how the responsible men at the
 head of the Farmers Union regard Sen
 ator Underwood.
 The letter is from A. B. Thornhill
 who is national business agent of the
 Farmers Union and president of the Virginia division
 'In view of the misuse c. M. Dins-
 more. president of the Alabama Farm
 CTS Union and certain other of the
 Alabama officers are making of their official positions" said Mir. Hooper. "it is interesting to get the point of view of really independent men of the or ganization.
 MT. Thornhill has done exceptional work for the farmers in connection with the development of Muscle Shoals for the manufacture of air nitrogen The letter in question, dated April 12 1920, reached Senator Underwood fin the midst of his tour over the state and was one of the reasons why he felt compelled to return immediately to Washington. Mir ThornhilTs patrioit- ism was pretty well demonstrated when he proposed. and the Virginia division of the rarmers union aaopted. a reso- lution protesting against the location of a nitrate plant at Pulaski, in their own state of Virginia, for the reason that Muscle Shoals was the most ap- propriate location in the United States The Virginia farmers wanted fertilizer and net pork barrel legislation. MT Thornhill wrote in part to Sen ator Underwood:
 "I visited Washington during the 1 past week spending day to find out what progress the Wadsw orth- Kahn bill for the operation of the govern Tent's nitrate plants at Muscle Shoals in the production of nitrogen fertilizer compounds, was making.
 "I was disappointed very much in | deed to find you absent from Washing ton engaged in your campaign in Ala. i bama for recollection to the United l States Senate
 { ''I am very sorry to tell you that | the Wadsworth- Kahn bill is not pro. 1 gressing. It is true hearings are being held by the agricultural com. ! mittee of the Senate but from all the
 information l could get there is no hope I for the Wadsworth- Kahn bill to be ia Norably reported b ythe Senate agri | cultural committee until you return ant 1 get behind this bill. I never have ap. preciated before like I do now wha your presence in Washington means tt | this legislation, and almost every da, | for four years I have come to bettei understand what this legislation mean: 1 10 the fertilizer using farmers of tn, 1 United States east of the Mississipp l river.
 1 At hearings last week a most abl representative and producer of air nj 1 trogen fertilizers came out in the opel opposing the governments plan. for thu l operation of the nitrate plants at Mus cle Shoals. It may be that upon you l return favorable report on the Wads worth bill may be made by the Senat, committee on agriculture.
 l " Our case in the House with tn, 1 Kahn bill. referred November to thv | military committee of the House, i. | much worse than our Senate situation | and, in fact, the prospects for gettinf l a favorable report from the committe. l on military affairs of the House an, | the passage of this bill through tn, l House are most discouraging. Ever, | 1 farm organizations have made-th, l Farmers Union. the National Grange 1 the National Board of Farm Organiza tions, the American Farm Bureau Fed 1 eration-&with all of our efforts W, have been unable to get the Hous. committee on military affairs to ever 1 grant us a hearing.
 l Therefore, l write to appeal to vol l in behalf of the farmers interested il 1 this subject to. return to Washington
 at the earliest possible moment you car l arrange to do so. We have depended | upon you in all of our hopes abou Muscle Shoals. and you have nevel l failed us. You defeated the subtle in | fluences that tried to defeat us in ouI l contentious that these nitrate plant.
 and water power to serve them shoul, | all be located at Muscle Shoals. | "'For what you have done for u. in the past every farmer using fertili ger in this country owes you a debt O gratitude. but we are long way of
 yet from securing and making certaif
 what we have hoped for, and unless | you can give freely of your time ant l influence to pass the Wadsworth
 Kahn bill. I fear we never will reaIiz, | our hopes at Muscle Shoals
 Between your interests to be il | Alabama and the necessity for you {,  1 be in Washington in the interest O | the farmers, you will have to decide | but in making your decision, please e me remind you that you are not de | ciding an Alabama question alone
 you are deciding a national question il | which the south, New England and tn middle western states are alike inter l ested.
 When it comes to measuring an, | DrOtectinR the interests zai l of the farmers of this country at Mus l cle Shoals, there is nobody that W, | know of that can take your place, an, unless you can return to Washington and stay here the Wadsworth- Kahi l bill is going to fail 10 become law 1 The foregoing shows how req 1 farmers and how the responsible mel at the head of the Farmers Union re gard Senator Underwood and how the,
 are helping in the development of tn, great fertilizer plants at Muscl,