The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-25
COMMERCE BOARD IS BACKING FORD
 ID LEASE SHOALS
Appoints Estes Chairman of Committee to Help In Any Way PossibIe-to Raise
 $5,000 at Once

To help the campaign backing Henry Ford in securing the lease of Muscle Shoals and operation of the nitrate plants there, the Muscle Shoals committee of the Chamber of Commerce, with the indorsement of the board of directors of the chamber, is raising purse of $5,000.
 This purse is to be turned over to the Tennessee River association ot- ficial representative of the south in this matter, the money 10 be used in such ways as the association deems wise.
 Thornton Estes is chairman of tho Muscle Shoals committee and has sent letters to leading business and professional men asking their contri- butiors 10 this fund. 4ur. Estes signs the letter in the name or ''Grealer BIrmingnam."
 ''lnat is exactly the way we look at IL said .. l.. Dunn, general man ager ol the chamber. We Feel that nenry Ford's operation Of the plants at Muscle Shoais and the employment of his wonderful genius for efticien- cy there, will reuound to the good o1 Birmingham quite as much as to that of the 'Tri-Cities.
 Abolish Jealousies
 "Alabamians have long ago eman- cipated themselves from local Jeal- ousies and see In what good comes 10 one part of the state good for all.
 Power that is generated at Mus cle Shoais can be brought, to Dlr- minsham just the same the power which We now generate on the War rior river is connected with Muscle shoals, sJ miles distant.
 ''rne Warrior river stands not only for Birmingham, but for Florence. Sheffield, Huntsville, Montgomery ana cities GO the east anu wesI or bIr- mingham.
 whatever of development takes place at Muscle Shoals will be re- liecled in demand on our iron mills and steel plants our mines and dolo- mite Quarries for raw materials.
 T am glad to say that we have ai- ready received responses to the ap- peal. We intend turning the money over to the Tennesse River improve
 
 body deems fit" s
 Benefit BirmfnEham ..
 In the course of his letter Mir. Estes says: M ~
 birmingham has contributed very little, il any financial assistance to the Tennessee River improvement association and the work il is trying io oo. It Is the belief of your boaru of directors that We should cooperate to the fullest extent and especially should this be done at i:iis particular time in that, through the Henry Ford offer as made to the United States government, 1t seems that the i'm provement on the Tennessee river can now be accomplished, the bene- fits of which will, without doubt be reflected in the business condi- tfonsS of Birmingham and the dis trict.
 We have on file copy of the proposal with other data pertaining thereto, all of which we will be glad to show you on request"
 Among other things it has been pointed out that one of the largest producers of pig iron of the Bir. mingham district, the Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron company. has two blast furnaces at Muscle Shoals and these should receive the benefit of the demand for pig iron that a trac- tor plant or other iron using indus try there would create. This, in turn, would create a demand for Bir- mingham district coal and coke.
 Water Route to West
 It has also, been pointed out that with development of navigation on the river to Ohio points and the use of river craft by MT. Ford, Birming- ham iron and steel products would set a straight water route to the middle west. which Is one of the dis tricts. greatest consumers. In fact, much iron has been heretofore mseed rom Florence and Sheffield by the river even, In its undevelopcd stage and was done successfully and at low cost.
 The Chamber of Commerce has gone essssuusL sq1 dtsu ol xassuIss mo River Improvement association in backing Henry Ford and proving the neighborly spirit of this community toward other A1ah hau,o cornrnupis;es