The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-01-09
Failure of Many Members of Congress
to Realize Importance Threatens
Government Project.
(By George n. Mannins)

WASHINGTON, Jan. S.-The nj
trate plant project at Muscle Shoals,
Ala, where the government has al
ready spent about $4,000, 900 in con-
struction of a dam. water power
plant and two immense laboratories to
manufacture nitrates from the air by
the Haber and the cynamid process,
seems destined to go to the scrap
heap. Upon the alleged grounds of
economy the house has refused to ap-
proprite $10,000,000 more to finish
building the dam which would practi-
cally have completed the project, It
is claimed.
The expenditure Of another 12,00o,-
600 would have completed the building
Of the entire project. which would
have furnished in time of peace ferti-
lizer needed by the American farmers
much cheaper than now obtainable
and would have made this country in
dependent of Chile and the world for
nitrogen for ammunition in event of
war.
The war department, which under
took the Muscle Shoals pdoject during
the war to insure a nitrogen supply
for munitions, asked the house appro-
priations committee for $10,o00.0o0 to
finish construction Of the dam. on
which about s17,000.000 has already
been spent. The committee decided
against it and refused to include the
item in the sundry civil appropriation
bill. While the bill was under consid-
Grafton in the house Tuesday, Repre-
sentative Byrns of Tennessee, rank
ing democrat on the committe, offered
an amendment to appropriate the &c.,
nm CTir dah 70 nf txxyn
hours the house voted 1872 to 1875
against it.
All the Florida members who were
present voted for sit on the ground
that 1t would furnish the farmers
much needed fertilizer at prices much
below those prevailing at present. It
was almost a strict party vote the
democrats being for it and the repub-
licans against it with but few excep-
tions.
The fight to complete the Muscle
Shoals project is certain to be re-
newed with vigor in the senate, where
the division at present seems to be
more even than in the house, leaving
the outcome in complete doubt.
The arguments for completing the
project were along these lines:
1. The government has already
spent $S5,000,000 on this plant and
SIT 100000 more will give the country
the greatest plant in the world for
producing air-nitrogen for CONNER
cial fertilizers in time of peace and
for explosives and munitions in time
of war.
2. To delay the work for one year
will cost in depreciatfons, guarding,
loss of active plant, ETC.. approximate
ly $11.000,000, or more than the &c.,
100000 asked to complete the work
8. The farmers. now in financial
straits, are looking forward to getting
nitrates from this plant cheaper than
now available. 1t was testified at the
to sell nitrate much below the present
price Most of the nitrates now come
from Chile, which imposes a s12 a ton
export tax on them.
The arguments against it were:
/. The plant was to be built as a
war measure and the war needs be-
| ing now over it should be abandoned
and sold instead of putting the gov
eminent in competition with private
air nitrogen manufacturers.
2. Although it is claimed the total
cost of the plant will be $500, 900. 900.
there is no assurance 1t will not cost
much more, or that it will be a finan-
cial, scientific or mechanical success
in the end.
3. Considerable doubt exists that
the plant will produce enough power
to supply its own needs and have a
surplus, as claimed. to distribute to
private users to give it earnings.
4. Gross extravaganza was prac-