Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-01
FORD MUST ALTER
HIS BID, Or LOSE

Shoals will be reported favorably by
the house military affairs commit
tee, if:
L. He agrees to pay the cost Of
condemnation of land to be over
flowed by the construction of dam
No. 8.
2. He agrees to modify his con-
tract so as to abide by the terms
of the federal water power act, ex-
cept that 100 years be substituted
for the 50-year provision Of the act.
! This is the information gathered
by talks with members Of the house
military affairs committee, who
stopped off in Chattanooga for a
few hours en- route from their in
81 ection of the government projects
at Muscle Shoals to Washington.
Members of the senate agricultural
committee, which made a joint in
spection with the representatives,
were also in the party.
| In the event Mr.. Ford fails to
I
/ fer, it is considered likely that the
committee will recommend to con-
gress that appropriations be made
| for the government itself to complete
| Wilson dam, leaving the other fea-
lures of the project in allegiance.
Members of the house committee,
while loath to allow use Of their
names in regard to their views as
| to the best disposition of the plants,
were frank to say that their ideas
| of Muscle Shoals had been revolu-
| tionized by their trip.
'I had always voted against ap-
preparations for the dam and the
nitrate plants" said an Influential
Republican member. II had thought
| that Muscle Shoals was nothing but
a big graft. But I saw my mistake.
1t is something which we cannot af-
| ford not to complete. I believe that
! in the event the Ford offer is not
acceptable, the government itself
must finish the dams and operate
the plant"
This feeling was echoed by sew
eral other members of the party
| The vital factors in the acceptance
or non-acceptance of the Ford offer
are bound up in the notifications
above outlined.
"Ford has offered $5,000,0 900 pay
ment for the plants said one mem
| ber
1.-THE shoals must be finished"
| said Senator Norris, commenting on
| the results of the inspection.
Other senators said that if no
| private offer could be secured which
was favorable, by all means the gov
eminent itself should complete the
dams. .lts.@4e- -as4--s. q. 80 $3.50
1--WE have now background with,
which to consider testimony pre-
scented before u.s. said Senator
Ladd, North Dakota. 1.-THE senate
committe will likely go ahead with.
it's sessions Immediately. We were
all greatly impressed with the pos
sibilities of the project. 1t must be
completed"
The party arrived here at s
! o'clock this morning and were
driven at once to Signal Mountain
where they were entertained at
breakfast as the guests of the cham
Der of commerce and other civic
bodies of Chattanooga. The only
speech-making' was a brief address
of welcome by Mayor AW.l Cham
bliss and a response by Represent
| tative Hull. After breakfast the
! party was taken on a sightseeing
tour to Lookout Mountain, return
ing to the Terminal station at 1920
| o'clock. Here prior to the depar-
ture of the train, the people gather
ed by hundreds and extended an
ovation to the visitors.
MUSCLE SHOALS PROJECT
MUST BE COMPLETED
| SHEFFIELD, Ala, March 30
/ Senate and house Shoals trippers''
were on their way to Washington
1 today to renew their discussions as
to how the government shall dis
pose of it's vast properties at Muscle
Shoals. Although they had no def
| mite program mapped out, members
of the inspection party declared they
had a tremendously improved COM
prehension of the problem to be un-
tangled as their train pulled out of
Sheffield for Chattanooga, close to
midnight last night.
Three solid days Of almost con-
slant inspection had apparently de-
veloped the following things, judging
by statements and comments of
members of the party:
Conclusions
/ First-Muscle Shoals too vast a
project to go to waste. 1t must be
completed.
| Second-Wilson dam, in partic-
ular, should be rushed to compile.
ton, and some step toward renew.
ing work on the dam, without wait
ing for final disposition of the whole
shoals problem, is likely.
| Third-Henry Ford's bid will not
be accepted if he continues to insist
on inclusion of the Gorgas steam
plant. This is practically certain.
| Almost every member of the party
expressed the belief that the plant
of the Alabama power company and
the government eXte sion are SO in
terWoven that separation is impossi-
BILE, and some Of them think the
Alabama Power companys contract
for purchase of the government unit
is an insurmountable legal obstacle.
Fourth. Realization of the magni-
tude of the project and of the i'm
lemense work already done and the
vast materials on hand ma, cause
demands for better bids than any
now received. ThereFwas constant
| comment TO the erect ina. the DID,
ders, including Mr.. Ford, were not
Offering enough for :. e property.
South "FOrd Wild
Fifth. Congressional visitors were
tremendously impressed by the al.
most unanimous Ford sentiment
which they encountered on every
hand, from men, women Ind even
children. Northern members think
the south has gone "F'ord Wild
Il Statements by Senator Norris and
representative Hull, leaders of the
party, and by other members, to the
effecs that the project must be COM
pleted, caused the most intense en-
L IA