The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-09-22
HULL SHOALS BILL
 SOMETHING NEW
Ford Advocates Prepare to Fight Newest Plan-WouId
 Eliminate Gorgas
By HUGH W. ROBERTS Washington Bureau, The Age Herald,
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800 Davidson Building,
 Washington. September 21.-(Spe- cial 1.-The Hull bill Is something new in Muscle Shoals legislation. It is far removed from the proposition of Henry Ford. It is equally as far removed pm the government owner ship scheme tf Senator Norris.
 The Iowa representative is a member of the House committee on military affairs. He was a friend of Muscle Shoals when the repub- lican party, of which he Is an ad- herent, was opposing its slightest development, and later was sent on scrapping the plants located there.
 He signed the report of the com mittee which would give Muscle Shoals to Henry Ford provided he would agree to the elimination of the Gorges steam plant on which the Alabama Power company has claim.
 The BiII's Provisions
 His bill, in brief, provides for the sale to the Alabama Power company of the Gorgas plant for $3,000. 900 or ether reasonable sum which might be agreed upon, with the understanding that if agreement is not reached. the government will condemn 1t; second for the pudchase from the Alabama Power company of it's property abut- ting what eventually will be Dam No. in the Tennessee river for S1G0,000 or ether reasonable sum which might be agreed upon prior to condemnation; third the con- struction by the government of Dams Nos 2 and 3 and their lease for a period-of fifty years, in accordance with the waterpt wer statutes of the country, at a sum to represent per cent on the cost of completing Wilson Dam, and constructing No. 3; fourth: the lease of nitrate plants Nos. and 9 for s1 per annum with the understanding that the plants shall be dedicated to the production of fertilizer to be sold the people at a price not exceeding per cent of the cost involved; md fifth: tho sale of all other property at and near Mus cle Shoals owned by the govern ment, and which will net be essential to the operation of the nitrate plants or either of the dams.
 The Authors Opinion
 Mir. Hull believes that the people would not sponsor government ownership if they could do otherwise to advantage; in other words, he holds, they would at first blush op- DC SC the bill of Senator Norris.
 Likewise, he believes the people would oppose leasing property to MT. Ford fer 100 years, whereas the law limits leases of such character to 50 years; he believes. also, that the people do not want the government to violate contract through tech nically, which would be the case should the government dispose of its r.- x.,lt er{Nfnp the Alabama Power company an op- portunity to acquire them.
 MT. Hull believes that the people would gladly lease the nitrate plants at $1 per year, because that would mean very cheap fertilizer cn which the producers could not realize more than s per cent. He believes, also that the country would applaud the idea separating for all time the in- terests of the government and the Alabama Power company both as concerns Gorgas and the property rights of the company at the site or proposed Dam No. 3.
 Opposing the Bill
 Those who advocate the bid of Henry Ford will strenuously oppose the Hull proposition. Although Ford could lease the properties under the Hull bill, he would lose the Gorgas plant. owned partly by the Alabama Power company. and would be amenable to that law limiting water power leases to 50 years. He has declared that he would insist on a lease of 100 years, and on all the other provisions of his proposed con tract.
 The Hull bill provides that the government might lease the water power and the pro posed fertilizer plants to one or several contractors s' He makes the field an open field, end gives every one the opportunity to confer what is regarded as an inestimable boon On the people or the south.