The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-03
EXPIRES INSIST ON
 GOING AHEAD WITH WILSON DAM WORK.
Mississippi Valley Association Makes Report on Project to President and Mem
 berS of Congress
ny FRANK N. JULIAN

ment is one of the strongest yet given and comes from the strongest asso- citation of the kind in America The Misslssissipp Valley association in dorses the project in it's entirety and calls on Congress to immediately complete the Wilson dam, and urges that the government operate the ni trate plants for the benefit of agrl- culture.
 The board of directors of the Ms sissippi Valley association in ses- sion in New Orleans in May passed resolution again urging the com pletion of the work, and raised a special committee to visit the Muscle Shoals district and make thorough inspection, and report the feasibility of the whole project. This commit tee was composed of James F. Smith, St. Louis, vice president of the asso- citation and in charge of the water ways division; M. c. Barnes. Chicago, chief of engineers department of public works and buildings for the state of Illinois; John H. Small of Washington, D. C., and George A. Williams, Decatur, of the water pow CT division, and chairman of the executive committee, respectively, of the association.
 This committee recently visited this city and spent several days In making an inspection of Wilson dam and nitrate plants Nos. 1 and g.
 It is worth mentioning that the personnel of the above mentioned committee represents some of the biggest professional and business t,,a nf ha Tpi passing, 1t should be noted that MT. Barnes was the engineer who de- signed the locks for the Panama canal
 After completing the inspection, the committee went direct to Wash ington to present their findings to President Harding and the other gov ernment officials. A copy of the re- port was delivered to every member of Congress and to all officials of the government having authority over power projects and waterways. The report reviews the Muscle Shoals project from it's incipiency, and points out that the nitrate plants were started ''as a war measure, and that nitrate plant No. was under taken in the fall of 1917, when alarming reports were received from France regarding the increasing needs for explosives" The fact that this nation was entirely dependent upon Chile for nitrates was the di- rect cause of the building of this plant. says the report, and "one of the determining factors in locating the plants was the availability of an ample supply of cheap hydroelec- tric power. To secure this the Pres ident authorized the construction of the dam at this point, under author ity of the national defense act of 1916"
 The needs of the country for fer tilizer, especially In the eastern and southern states. is stressed in the report, and, says the report, "as a measure of economy the combination of the dam and the nitrate plant is most important"
 It Is pointed out that the Tennes- see river Is one of the chief tribu- taries of the Mississippi and an m- portant artery of navigation and commerce.
 Cites Roosevelt Dam
 Citing Roosevelt dam as a govern mental development project in Ari- zcna representing an investment of $10,0o0.O0O 900. maIS- ing possible the profitable cultiva- ton of 213,000 acres of land which has increased in estimated value from $1 to $225 per acre. Cultivated i last year by 400 farmers and their | families No interest on it's invest nent Is charged by the government, | and the cost of the land is returned | over a long period of years. At | Muscle Shoals. the government is | building a dam to pass the water through turbine wheels to make | profitable the cultivation of an un- limited area by supplying for the 'rtire country the lacking clement nitrogen. If one Is sound national economy, the other Is also. More 'yer the benefits of Roosevelt dam each only few thousand people in ! single locality The benefits of he Muscle Shoals project will reach American agriculture as a whole and ts effect will ultimately be felt by 'yery American who eats food and years clothes; it will also meet in arge degree the insistent demand f industry for more power. The 'resence of cheap power and cheap transportation ts the controlling fac- or in the development of any local ty."
 Summing up the various argu- nents for the completion of the Mus le Shoals project. the committee of he Mississippi Valley association oDcludes Its report and recommen- ations as follows:
 Many Reports Filed
 Numerous reports have been made nd are on file with Congress setting crth all technical and financtal hases of this question. It is useless or us to add to them at this time. iather, we address ourselves to the eneral business situation. Our con lusions will be supplemented later y technical report in detail. We ind that:
 "1. Two great nitrate plants of arge capacity, well constructed at reat expense. and required for La onal defense, and standing idle.
 9' These two plants could be made
 profitable investment and a benefit agriculture If cheap power was vailable.
 ished only by the dam, now awaiting ompletion.
 A. In its present condition, the am completely blocks navigation on le Tennessee river at this point.
 5. The work done to date has been ell done, but will certainly be dam. ged 1T abandoned in its present con ltion.
 '"s. Additional delay means only
 constantly increasing loss to the cvernment
 Y A relatively small additional
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