The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-29
WEEKS PROMISES EARLY SOLUTION
 SHOALS PROBLEM
Will Be Able to Make BuSi- neSSIike Recommendation to BusinesSIike Con-
 gross, He Says

Florence, October 28--A solution of the Muscle Shoals problem that will be reasonably satisfactory" to the people of Alabama and the south will soon be reached, Secretary Weeks told guests at dinner given in his honor here tonight.
 MT. Weeks had just finished a 12- hour inspection of the government property, and wore a shining mussel shell on she lapel of his coat.
 q have seen 1t all," he sard.
 T can now visualize the whole proposition and hope 1 may be able to make a business-like recommends ton to busness-like Congress"
 AS soon as l make up my own mind this will be done" he contin- ued.
 '1 have accomplished the purpose for which l came, and can now dis cuss understandingly the material side of the problem"
 Referring to the physical property, Secretary Weeks described the power plant as the best I have ever seen"
 Touching upon the proposal Henry Ford, Detroit manufactu he said it was a question of whef tho offer should be accepted. whet 1t should be modified, or whether government should operate plants.
 Not Playing Politics
 MT Weeks made emphatic dc to a charge which he said ae reached his ears that the admi tration is playing politics. Muscle Shoals.
 why, don't you know he st1s If l wanted to play politics l Wc recommend the completion or siF project within m'nute
 This industrial project, like aA others which come before my af- partmefft, will be handled strict, it's merits, and Muscle Shoals in his bama will receive the same corid era ton that 1t would if located ~ Massachusetts.'
 Mir. Weeks sad he was not respa1 sIblc for delays incident to dispos- ing of the property, and assured ais hearers that he would act as qui as conditions warranted.
 Other speakers at the dinner were Mayor Rowlett Paine of Memphis, Mayor Felix z. Wilson of Nashville and Mayor A. ". chambiiss of Chat tanooga.
 Secretary Weeks left at midnight for Washington.
 Sees For Himself Accompanied by army epgin Mir weeks went at his task oi
 spcction in earnest. He saw himself what had resulted from goyernnert in spending app mately s105.0oO,o0o- Many auesl
 were asked by the secretary. aI volume of data gathered. Mir. Weeks returned to Florend the evening barely fin time to i his place at the banquet taofe. I After. his arrival at Sheffieids l in, the day, MT. Weeks was goes breakfast at rooms of the Sheti '9 | chamber of commerce. A great crowd had gathered 4E 1 all sections of the Tennessee f valley to greet the War Secret s1s', | and he addressed the people whei Ns had finished bis morning meal. Expressing his appreciation for -Aa | spontaneous outpouring of the pie, hs told them that his was a | rious business mission and he s going about 1t in a business maj l in the hope that he might be apl
 make recommendation soon to Con | gress. He was frank to say that the prop l osItion of the disposal of the govern men: property would be considereo purely in the light of business | transaction, and that he was. certain | they would not have 1t otherwise. He called attention to what he de- 1 scribcd as a period of money strin- gency, and added that whatever ds- 1 cision he came to In recommenaa- 1 ton it must be based upon concur sions consistent with present eco
 homie conditions and in limo witn | sound business reasoning. | Optimism prevailed throughout the | Muscle Shoals district as result or
 the visit of Mir. Weeks. although ne
 gave no hint by word or otherwise
 as to what his recommendation to
 Congress might contain. He did
 promise that the recommenoation would be made as quickly as all the facts were before him.