The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-05
FLORENCE STILL PUTS FAITH IN
 OFFER OF FORD
Opinion is That War Depart ment Will Eventually ReC- ommend Lease of Project
 to Detroit Manufacturer

Florence, January Especially The offer of the Construction Com pany of North America to take over and operate government nitrate and water power plants at Muscle Shoals, nor the investigation that is now be-
 Rg conducted by c. C. Thinker and E. c. Hitchcock, executive heads of <hat corporation, has shaken the faith of the people of this district in the proposition of Henry Ford and the undivided opinion here is that offi cals of the war department will eventually recommend to Congress that the great project be leased to the Detroit manufacturer.
 Recent news dispatches from Wash ington strengthen this opinion and although MT. Thinker says that his company's proposition is in direct competition with that of MT. Ford, many local people feel that there may be another bid forthcoming for a contract to complete Wilson dam and build dam No. in case the lat ter's offer is accepted.
 The desire to have someone ac quire the property as soon as pos sible so that construction work on the dam and operation of the nitrate plants can be resumed has almost be- come an obsession with merchants and other business people who blame the business depression of the latter part of 1921 almost solely to the dis coctinuance of this work
 G Work Stopped in May
 )Work on the dam was stopped on May 1 and up until that time busi- ,Jess conditions were better here than in most other sections which ex- perienced a slump directly after the war ended.
 Real estate dealers and others are proceeding on the theory that Ford's s offer will be accepted before spring. Leases on downtown stores have re- gently changed hands, many of them at good premium, and the demand Tor building lots and houses in the residence section is very acute.
 It is notable fact that although scores of out-of-town spectators and investors have been here for the pur- pose of acquiring property that is likely to increase in value very rap- idly In case of an unusual develop ment, most of the trading has been among Florence folks.
 The house shortage, which began to be felt in 1918, has never been re- lieved and there Is more activity in building now than during any period in recent years. Many families that nave become tired of light house keeping are acquiring building lots and having their own homes built.
 Not only are residences going up in all parts of the city but several mod ern business houses are now in course or construction. One church build. ing has just been finished In EasY florence and another is being built.
 ork on the First Methodist church. |, which will be one of the larpest 'ehufch edifices in this section of the state, is progressing rapidly and th 1. model training school of the State Normal is nearing completion.
 The question. will Henry get if 9, was answered so far as local neonIs were concerned while the auto mann facturer was here few weeks go ana expressed such a determinatio, {, 10 build an industrial empire at Nus- cle shoals. When will Henry get if %, IS now the all-important question ana until that time Florence citi- zens are not marking time but soin 2 rlsht ahead on the theory that aiI VIII De we'll before spring.