Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-06
FORD WOULD PROTECTPLANT'
FROM GREED, HE DECLARES
Manufacturer, With Edison
at Muscle Shoals, Explains
His Aims in Respect to
h:eat Development

- dom: want Muscle Shoals to own it
J. want Muscle Shoals to complet,
it. It's a wonderful job, one of thu
greatest opportunities ever Offered
CO. man.
81 want Muscle Shoals so thai
1t can never be exploited to greedy
private ends. I want to complete
it so that it will always remain il
the service of the people, and not
to be exploited by any greedy finan
ciers and so-called bankers against
the people.
"I want Muscle Shoals because
Muscle Shoals properly built and
operated will help to put an end tc
war"
Standing on the great uncom
, pleted Wilson dam Saturday, Henry
Ford voiced his real reasons for de
string to undertake what he regards
as the greatest job in his career
Thomas A. Edison, tail, angular
stood by his side, a wisp of his
white hair blowing in the breeze.
shading his eyes with his hand
against the binding rays of a de-
Ginning sun.
Has Enough Money
1--WE got all the money I can
ever want, more than Edison can
ever want, more than l can ever
hope to spend if I tried to spend it
on myself, Mr.. Ford continued.
Now, as the result of the last great
war, the chance has come to me to
undertake the completion of the prof
ect, which, if built as it should be,
ought to be a source of national
wealth and well being for 1000
years.
Muscle Shoals should become
Americas greatest asset out of the
World war;
Gigantic steam shovels with four
to six times the capacity of the or
binary contractors steam shovel, will
enable Mr.. Ford to complete the
great Wilson dam in half the time,
and at almost half the cost previous
ly estimated by the government en-
gineers.
1t was the inventive genius of
Mr. Edison, applied to the problem
of construction of the Wilson dam,
that evolved the plan for the new
shovel with it's gargantuan nav
that will soon be crunching its way
across the bed of the Tennessee
river.
Not only has Mr.. Edison perfect
ed the plans for the new power
shovel, but he already has completed
shoEels working at his plant in Ne"
jersey.
It was because he knew Of Mr.
EGiscns shovel and its effective
ness on great constructive enter
p-.sas that Mr.. Ford was 80 CONT
.--ds2t his organization could success
fully handle the completion or the
dam project, Mr.. Ford announced
eff: turning from his inspection OF
the sdam.
Warm Reception
The tri-cities of northern Alabama
seemed to be flocking about the
Fair Lane, the Ford private car
tonight as it lay parked on slde
track near the small Florence SUI
ton. Due to Mr.. Ford's request
that no greeting of formal nature
be extended to him, all plans Tor d
welcoming banquet were laid aslde
by w. C. Ashcraft, secretary OF the
Florence Chamber of Commerce..
Mr.. Ford's interest in the Muscle
Shoals project seemed to be Whetted
to new keenness when he ana MI
Edison returned from the trip to the
dam. Mr.. Edison, Mrs. Ford, Edse.
Ford and Mrs. Edsel Ford were also
In the inspection party.
zone thing is sure" he said upon
his return. owe have got to keep
the hands of Wall Street off this
project. Whether or not am even
tuallv permitted to develop the prof.
ect. the American people, [ am GER
tain. will never permit Muscle
Shoals to be turned over to the
hands of men who would exploit 1t
against the people"
Messrs. Ford and Edison expect
TO be able to give Secretary OF war
weeks a report on their estimate
of the cost of the completion of the
Wilson dam by the end of the week.
It will not be a long document.
Today's trip was largely in the
nature of a personal check-up' on
previous reports. The report al
ready has been pretty well out
lined in both mems minds and moth
ing they saw today caused them
to change their previous estimates.
Ford's Proposal
Mr.. Ford will not agree to con,
.struct the dam at any guaranteed
cost.
II will telr Secretary Weeks what
Mr.. Edison and I believe we can do
the Job at, and will assure him we
will do it as cheply as it can be
u, done and cheaper than the govern
ment can hope to do 1t.
Sunday the two men will give the
nitrate plants a survey Ihey are
inclined to believe that the exist
ing electrical furnaces in the plants
will have to come out and new ones
along the type developed at the
River Rpuge plant installed in their
stead. Monday the party will re
turn via Nashville. where they Will
inspect the Old Hickory power plant
IF the government will accept
my suggestion Of paying for the
cost of the completion of the dam
with money isGUed against the FaluH
&c the structure itself. the people
of this country can have this Won
derful project completed and 1t VII
not cost them one cent" Mr.. Fore
said,
eff they issue bonds. as VA!
Street will want them to 60. II Wi
cost at least twenty to thirty NH
lions of dollars for the bonds them
selves, plus the interest over pc
riod of thirty years, which will rur
into almost double the origina
amount of the bonds themselves.
Nov" declared Mr.. Ford, sup
pose the government issues The
twenty odd millions of dollars re
ouired in the shape of currency t.
nav for the dam. These bills viii
be an obligation against the United
States, they will be backe' by thu
credit of the country and will rep
resent the value of the Muscle Shoals
plant itself. The men employed viii
be paid, the, material bought, will
this money. There would be no in
terest. and interest is driving tn