The Semi-weekly leader., 1922-02-18
CONGRESSMAN QUIN
ON SHOALS PROJECT
Paramount issue In Amount Of Fertili.
ger to be Produced at Muscle
shoals Plant by Ford.

Washington. Feb. 14.-Henry G. Wal
lace, secretary of agriculture 'looks
with favor upon Henry Ford's offer fol
purchase and lease Of the governments
nitrate and water power projects al
Muscle Shoals. Ala, ''if it's terms are
sufficiently definite and binding to make
sure the plant will be operated contin.
uously for the manufacture OF fertiIi.
zer"
DIR. Richard C. Tolman, director OF
the fixed nitrogen research laboratory
Of the department. announced the secre-
tary's position with regard to the Ford
cffer in an authorized statement which
he read today before the House mill
tery committee. The secretary's views
as expressed by the witnesses were that
If the terms were as he had outlined
the proposal would result in making
available a considerably increased sup.
ply of fertilizer in time of peace and
give US assurance of adequate supplies
of explosives in case Of need"
The statement was read by DR.. Toll
man after the committee had completed
an examination lasting more than i've
hours of w. B. Mayo. chief engineer and
personal representative of Mr.. Ford.
Mr.. Mayo's testimony included repeated
statements that Mr.. Ford intended to
manufacture fertilizers in their comple-
ted forms at the maximum production
capacity of the Muscle Shoals plants
and would make every effort to manu-
facture them at a minimum cost to the
farmers using every known formula and
working his chemists meanwhile to dis
cover improved methods.
QUIN INTERRUPTS.
Representative Quin, Mississippi, at
tackled committee members, who, he
said, had attempted to read things in
to Mr.. Ford's contract "that plainly
weren't there"
They have been just gutter-fshing
around" he exclaimed. isn't it a
fact that Mr.. Ford intends to make
fertilizer so easy that plain. free
nigger could mix it in the ground?
Mr. Mayo smiled assent.
We have great respect for Mr., Ford
i'll our country" Mr.. Quin continued.
I'VE call him Uncle Henry and we
believe he will give us cheap fertilizer
just like he has given us automobiles
to ride around in."/
isn't it fact that, instead of there
being tall trees down there for the
wind to whistle through, there will be
smokestaeks and hundreds of thousands
millions of men-going to work?"
I'VE hope So" said the witness.
Then won't fertilizer be one Of the
wastes that Mr.. Ford can give to the
farmers?"
That's one of the possibilities" Mr..
Mayo replied.
Mr. Mayo said statements that Mr..
Ford could only produce one-thirtieth
or one-fortieth of the fertilizer manu-
featured yearly in the United States
We're incorrect. He said they could be
produced in sufficient quantities to have
a material effect on the market.
Some folks think Mr.. Ford will take
nitrogen from the air to hurt the health
of the people and kill the gardens and
clops, that isn't true is it?" asked Mr..
Quin.
mo, SIR.
We'll, some Of them. are afraid they
won't tshave air to breathe" Mr. Quin de-
declared.
MT mayo LOOK issue several times
with the committee members who call
ed attention to the section of the offer
regarding fertilizer manufacture, say
irg there was no provision in the offer
to complete the manufacture of fertiIi-
zer but only of some necessary ingre-
d1ents. In each instance the witness
declared it was Mr.. Fords intention to
execute the contract in the event Con-
gress accepted it, in good faith and
that included the production of fertili-
zers.