The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-02-02
Hints That Government
Is Not Getting Worth
of Its Money and Might
Operate the Plant It.
self-Docurnents Are
Lengthy


Washington, Feb. 2.-Secretary Of
War Weeks transmitted to congress
today the offer and contract of Henry
Ford for the Mussel Shoals properties.
The secretary made no specific rec
ommendation as to acceptance or re-
lection of the proposal but pointed out
several changes that should be made
if the offer were accepted. He point
ed out that there were "a number of
advantages to the government in the
present proposals that were not ap-
parent in the first offer" made by Mr..
Ford, and concluded by giving it as
his opinion that .if Mr.. Ford's pro-
posal be not accepted, it is my opin-
ion that Dam No. 2 (Wilson damn
should be completed by the govern
ment."
"At this time," Secretary Weeks
wrote, when there is a large amount
of unemployment, it is not without i'm
portance to consider the advantage to
the nation of the employment of the
large amount of labor required in un-
dertaking this development"
Province of Congress to Act
"lnasmuch," Secretary Weeks let
ter said, "as I am without authority
in law to accept Mr. Ford's offer or
dispose of the property as a whole,
either by sale or by lease, it is Pc
culiarly the province of congress to
weigh the considerations which will
pass to the respective parties to the
proposed arrangement, and to deter
mine whether or not the advantage to
the government in having nitrate
plant No. 2 maintained in readiness
for the manufacture of explosives and
in actual production of fertilizer, to-
gether with the Improvement to navi-
cation, is of sufficient importance to
justify the proposed departure from
the present policy of the law in re-
gard to dealing with the water power
resources of the nation and to war
rant leasing to Mr.. Ford government
property for so long a period at the
rental proposed.
Changes Recommended
''If Mr.. Ford's proposal be accepted
by congress, l suggest that there
should be certain notifications made
to safeguard the governments inter-
est. AS heretofore stated there
should be some assurance that the
pany will be carried out.
81 also suggest that the cost of ac-
quiring the lands and flowage rights
necessary for dam No. should be
included in the sum upon which Mr..
Ford is to pay four per cent interest
as rent.
81 believe it would be better policy
to limit the contract to a term OF
90 A.
established policy of the federal gov
ernment as set out in the water power
act.
While paragraphs four and eight of
the present proposal provide that Mr.
Ford's company is to pay the United
States annually the sum of $35 900 on
dam No. 2 and $4,000, on dam No.
for repairs, maintenance and opera
tion of the dams, gates and locks,
congress may we'll consider whether
it would be more desirable to have
Mr.. Ford maintain the property and
omit these payments.
Government Mgh5 Operate
: IF sMr. Ford's proposal be not ac-
fcepted, it is my opinion that dam No.
2 (Wilson damn should be completed
by the government and the power re-
quirements for commercial purposes,
the benefits to navigation as we'll as
the possible needs of the government
would warrant this expenditure. If this
were done, the government may it.
self undertake to sell the product to
the best advantage.
"At this time when there is large
amount of unemployment, it is not
without Importance to consider the
advantage to the nation of the en-
pIoyment Of the large amount of la
Dor required in undertaking this de-
velopment l, therefore, urge that
congress give early consideration to
this matter, not only to settle a con-
troverted question, but to- furnish en-
ployment on large scale"
Lengthy Documents
With the exhibits, engineers opin-
ions, the Ford contract and corre-
spondence between Mr.. Ford and the
war department, the documents sent
to congress made upwards of $4,000
words. Mr.. Weeks letter of trans
initial went into the history of the
negotiations exhaustively. ION July s,
1921" he wrote, "in consequence of
some negotiations with the chief of
engineers of the United States army,
Z Mr.. Henry Ford, presented a propos-
al in writing, in which he offered a
fixed annual rental of $1,200,000 for
dam No. and it's power plant and
appurtenances, such rental to COM
mence six years after the installation
Of equipment capable of producing
100000 horse power, and a rental of
100000 to be paid annually during
the first six years of the lease. On
proposed dam No. 3 he offered fixed
annual rental Of s4S0,0Q0, commencing
three years after $4,000 horse power