The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-01-14
HENRY FORD
PLANS GREAT
INDUSTRY
Muscle Shoals Would
Be Center and Foun-
dation of Worlds
Greatest Manufac-
turing Region

Detroit. Mich. Jan. 1.-THE
Muscle Shoals plan Of Henry Ford
contemplates one of the greatest
undertakings in the history Of in
dustrial America and if the De
troit manufactures obtains poses
sion of the project in Alabama he
will take immediate steps TO make
that part Of thc south one Of the
industrial ccnters Of the country.
the Associated Press learned today.
His plan, It became known, in
cludes development of the prop
cr;y as a model TO be extended
eventually to many other parts Of
the country.
Mr.. Ford's proposal includes the
building of a city Is miles long
in the Muscle Shoals region. 1t
would be made UP Of number Of
large towns or small cities. This is
in line with the manufacturers
view that men and their. families
should live in small communities
where benefits Of rural or near ru-
! raj life would not be entirely lost.
His proposal to the government
includes leasing Of the property for
100 years But before the eXpira-
ton of half that time he proposes
to turn the completed project over
to the people Of the district or to
the government IN such way that
no one in the future will be able TO
! make a personal profit from the
undertaking. He will arrange that
neither he nor any CT his heirs may
realize any monetary benefit from
the Muscle Shoals plants or the
power developed. it became known.
Mr.. Ford proposes to make the
project, if the government gives its
consent, the outstanding achieve
rncnt Of his career.
The Muscle Shoals project is.
however, only the start Of a greater
program, it became krown. This
includes the development Of water
power facilities in many parts of
the country by which persons III
those communities would derive
power to run manufacturing plants.
light their homes and run ma
chincry on the farms. One detail
Of the plan is the Harvesting by
farmers Of every creek and brook
that crosses their property.
Mr.. Ford expects to leave here
about noon tomorrow for Wash
ington to confer with Secretary
Weeks regarding his proposal Of
leasing the Alabama plant.
If the government accepts Mr..
Ford's bid, work at Muscle Shoals
will be started at once. The nj
tratc and other plants would be
run by steam power, pending the
time the great dam. that will re-
uuire about two years 20 build,
has harneSSed the water at this
point. Then would follow develop
mcnt, in the opinion of Mr.. Ford,
! until within a comparatively few
years an industrial center greater
than Detroit would have been built
up.
Mr.. Ford believes tho Muscle
| Shoals plan. if consummated. will
he the start toward development
of The Mississippi River valley The
manufacturer believes this valley
could run the United States" if
the water now going to, waste
could be utilized
Eventually, in Mr.. Ford's opin-
ion. the government could derive
enough revenue from these power
projects to support itself. thereby
revolutioniZing the financial SyS-
tenn of the country. Mr.. Ford has
bent the greater part Of his cner-
Gics the last few weeks TO the
whipping into shape his plans to
develop the Alabama district in the
event he obtains the lease from
the government He has held Il
| large number of conferences on
this matter. and his program is
known to be ready. This program
includes definite steps toward de-
velopment Of water power in every
part Of the country. The manu-
facturer does not believe it prac-
ticable to carry power for long dis
tances and therefore has. evolved q
plan TO provide each district with
its own project.