Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-02-03
PLACED BEFORE THE HOUSE

Washington Feb 2=Proupt action
marked the reception by congress today
Of the Ford PROPOSAL for lease and Pur-
chase Of the Muscle Shoals. Ala. nitrate
and water power projects as referred TO
the house by Secretary Weeks for its de-
cision an afterwards for consideration
by the senate. Speaker Gillett sent the
offer Immediately upon It's receipt to the
house military affairs committee while
members of the interstate commerce COM
mittee indicated they night seek a change
OF reference to their body.
Chairman Kahn of the military COM
mittee contended, however that the re-
port had properly been referred 20 his
committee and pointed out that i'm mem
bers already had conducted hearings on
| the Muscle Shoals QuestiA. were en-
| tirely familiar with the projects involved
tho ground occupied and several person
ally had inspected the site and works
With the exception Of Secretary Weeks
| and probably Mr.. Ford himself who might
be called to testify, few other witnesses
were understood to be under consideration
Evidences of equally rapid action By tbs
house itself, after the committees reDor1
with reference to recommendations tina
the proposal be rejected o. acepted Il
made to the body, were somewhat NOR
tnrnrned
Frederick 2 Engstrum, who has sub
mitted an amended proposal for tn
lease and operation of the Muscle Shoal
| property, tssue6-a statement today ate
publication of the Ford proposal.
MY proposal," EngstfrTm said, ''con
, tains no conditions which might proven
, the manufacture Of nitrates. The entir
/ development Of the project will be devot
ed to the manufacture Of nftrates and I
nothing else The present nitrate plant
. at Muscle Shoals were designed to pro
duce ntrates for explosives and canno
:, be used to manufacture nitrates fo- fer
|, tilizer. In my proposal I agree TO re
! design at once the pants at an e1oendi
tlrej Of 5000 900, II necessary. and pro
duce commercial nttrates by the best Pre-
!. cess now known.
TT is we'll known. however, that nj
I trates for fertilizer cannot be proftaIol
) manufactured by fixation of nitrogen fro
: the air by any present known process:
: but everyone hopes and believes that in
proved processes can be developed to cro
T dnce such results. My proposal does nc
! provide for waiting to manufacture n
! trates until the same can be produced Q
per cent profit, or even at cost, but 0
:. the other hand l propose to begin tn
: Manufacture OF nttrates at once and
continue to produce the same at the fu
capacity of the plant, even a. a loss, unit
such Improved methods Tor making crea
nitrates are DEVELOPED. and to operate.
4 addition, reserch plant in the Interest G
2 developing such improved processes.
E Tin the meantime, 1 propose to Sc
. sufficient excess power produced at Mus
:; Gle Shoals to finance the continuous Pre-
! ductton Of ntrates and the operation c
such research plants"
Z = "Under my proposal the governmer
9 Will receive an income from the stan
: estimated at more than 100000 pe
!, Year. which will be devoted to -financin
s the production of nitrates as long as mex
essaTF, and then to receive the same as
cash income"