The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-07-20
By WARREN W. WHEATON,


 Washington, July 2O-Ins tead of being the phiIanthropist and magical benefactor of millions of people, as his admirers have pictured him. Henry Ford was cIlara ct terized today as the head of the ''piratical'' cor poration seeking through his bid for Muscle Shoals virtual donation of $14 ,5OO, ,000, GOO from tie taxpayers of the country.
 These charges against Ford and his effort to get control of Muscle Shoals were made today by the majority re- port of the Senate Agricultural Com mittee which voted nine to seven against accepting his offer. The re- port was presented to the Senate by Senator George W. Norris, Republi- can of Nebraska, who led the fight against Ford in committee. The enormity of the gift Ford asked is very far beyond human conception, the report declared. It was added that acceptance of the Ford offer demnation of Congress. Rips Bid To Pieces. The report ripped the Ford bid to pieces in one of the most scathingiy critical documents ever emanatinG | from the nations Capitol. It charged an attempt of a "soul less corpora tion'' to obtain the greatest gift ever bestowed upon mortal man. and aS- serted without mincing words that the public has been victimiZed by propa gandistS into believing the Ford proposal a just and fair one. Ford, the report asserted, not only wanted the property with it's water power potentialities greater than any ! project in the world. at ''unreaSona- bIe' terms, but in addition demanded l that the government furnish all the | money for it's development and the l taxpayers of the country assume all i the risk involved.
 ed:
 'aThe acceptance of NEr. Ford's of 1 fer turns back the clock of progress and opens the door wide for the use of natural resources by corporations l and monopoIies without restriction, without regulation and without re- straint. If this proposition IS ac- cepted, the fight for the preservation | of the natural resources of the cOun- | try is lost, the surrender to special iIi- | tereStS and monOpOHes is absolute | and a precedent is eStablihed that | will take from the control of the people the greatest resources that | ever have been given to man by an alI-wise Creator.
 saThere is no man so good, no cor 1 poration so beneficient as should in- duce a patriotic legislature to thus surrender to unregulated monopoly 1 the rights and privileges that belong l to all of the people and which ought 1 to be kept and preserved for our de- l SceendantS.'
 Adherents Attacked. l Ford adherents were severely at- | tackled by the report as constantly 1 throwing up barriers to any proposal, | governmental or otherwise, for de- I velopment of Muscle Shoals other 1 than the Ford bid.
 I Little merit is seen in any phase l of the Ford offer by the majority of l true of the 100 year lease term de- | manded by the Michigan man which l the report contends means simply the l turning over of the property to q 1 "SOu11eSS cOrporatiOn'' as ''unreStraiIl- | ed, unlimited and as unreSu1ated as l any pirate that ever sailed the seas.'' | The senators signing the report
 agree that the Alabama Power Co.,. l which developed a part of the Muscle l Shoals property before the govern
 ment took over the plan under war l time emergencies is entitled to the l Gorgas plant which it owned and 1 use. They want the project owned
 and controlled by the government for
 war and peace time work l The report in this connection rec | omrnends:
 Completion of Wilson Dam No. g. | Utilization of Nitrate Plant No. 1
 for production 1of explosives ingre-
 dients, E'the most important consid- | eration of Muscle ShOaIs.' | NaintaineIlce of Nitrate Plant No. 2
 in a standby condition, ready for any l emergency.
 In developing the rroperty. the | making of cheap fertilizer must aY-
 ways be kept in mind. the report | states, although it points out that the | immense cost of pITttiIle the big plant
 in operation would not justify the l "Overnrilent in considering fertilizers a1Ore. but it adds:
 'Certaiu no taxpayer in the coIIn- | try would Criticise the expenditure of any amount Of money in an eF,ueavo- ] to give to agriculture a cheaper fer 1 tiIiZer."
 Realtors Criticized
  1 flooded the country with offers for sale of property adjacent to the Mus cle Shoals property are freely criti- | cised.
 | 'HIIhe real estate speCulators.'' says