The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-07-24
FORD AND FERTILIZERS.

have been consistent advocates of
the acceptance of his offer. Although
Mr.. Ford has never been known to
give anybody anything, not even a
fivver, there is a general understand
ing in this section that he was to
become a kind of charity dispenser or
community worker for the South, and
that he would make and sell fertil-
izers for about one-half of what we
are now paying, whatever it might
cost him to do so. The insistent de-
mand that his offer be accepted has
been grounded on the belief that Mr..
Ford obligated himself to produce
and sell fertilizers much cheaper
than these fertilizers a now be
bought.
1t seems, however, that this I'M
Outstanding which has been indus
triously fostered in this section is
not well founded. According to the
Minority Views of the Committee on
Military Affairs of the House Of
Representatives Mr.. Ford does not
obligate himself to make and sell fer
t~ilizers to the farmers at all. The
report quotes the testimony of Sec
rotary Weeks given before the Com
mittee as follows:
"Mr. Weeks. I said to him (Mr.
Ford: will you guarantee to con-
tinue to manufacture fertilizer dur
ing the life of the contract (The 100
year period?) He replied that he
would not"
"Mr. Weeks. l saidsin effect: "You
might stop the manufacture of fer
tilizer in five years, or in any time,
to the great disappointment of the
people down there He said: of
course, I am going to stop if I car
not manufacture it proftably."
Mr.. Mayo, it is pointed out, rep
resenting Mr.. Ford, testified before
the committee that the Ford Com
pany would not make fertilizers if
it was found to be "unproftable:"
Of the making of fertilizers by
Mr.. Ford the minority members of
the committee further say:
"We realize and appreciate that a
great part of the farm lands of the
United States is in great need of
plant food, and Congress would be
justified in departing from it's old
policies and travelling a long way to
assist in getting fertilizers cheaply
for the farmers. Our position is that
this is a hollow promise made to en-
list the support of the farmers and
not absolutely binding on any fact
contained in the contract or existing
outside of the contract. These state
ments are made and sent broadcast
throughout the country without re-
gard to truth. The bold declaration
is made that Mr.. Ford will manufac-
ture fertilizer at the Muscle Shoals
plant and bring down the price one
half. Nothing is ever said that the
principal business of Mr.. Ford
should he get this gigantic plant
would be the manufacturing of other
articles which he would be allowed
to sell at any price that he might see
fit. The only thing that is kept be-
fore the public is hat he is to make
fertilizer and sell it cheaply to the
farmer, only charging for himself a
profit of 8 per cent on the produc-
tion. No one has ever suggested how
he could make fertilizers and sell
them cheaply or what means he
would employ. The bold claim is made
and Congress and the country must
take the statement as absolute truth
or be forever condemned by this
crowd Of wicked propagandists."
1t is pointed out that the term Of
the lease is for a hundred years and
that MI. Ford at best will not live
for even a large part of the term.
Even though the public may have the
utmost confidence in the good inten-
tons and the ability of Mr.. Ford to
serve their interests, it is pointed out
that those who succeed Mr.. Ford may
be just ordinary mortals like the