The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-12
CORPORATION BILL IS INTRODUCED BY
 CHAIRMAN NORRIS
Measure Provides Semi. Gov ernment Corporation to Operate Plants for
 Fifty Years
By Associated Pres.

Washington. May 11.-Four devel- opments in congressional considera- tion of proposals for developing the Muscle Shoals nitrate and power projects occurred today in the Senate agriculture and House military com- mittees and on the Senate floor.
 Chairman Norris. Nebraska, of
 the Senate committee. introduced
 a bill providing for semi
 government corporntion to take
 over and operate the nitrate md
 power projects for 50 years. The
 measure was drafted by James T.
 Lloyd. former representative
 from Missouri, and submitted by
 J. Fl. lowering, a consulting enGi-
 neer of Los Angeles. Cal. as n
 modification of the hill senator
 Norris recently introduced.
 The Nebraska senator also mada public tentative proposal received from L. stern, Baltimore. Md, con sulting engineer. and manufacturer of chemical products. MT. Stern's letter of transmission requested the com mittee to hear him at his convenience and said the formal tender would be made later, the committee deciding informally 10 aecede' to the request and grant Mir Stern hearing.
 Provisions of New offer
 The tentative offer of MT. Stern provided for the operation of the ni- trate and power projects for a period or 20 or 50 years or any suitable number of years that might be de- termtned upon. II further statedfthar all expenses incurred by the govern- ment nt Muscle Shoals would be paid to 1t at the rate of per cent annually and contained a provision by which the government would TO- celve 60 per cent of all net profits made during the operation, with the lessees retaining 40 per cent W
 In the House committee an agree ment was reached by which any lessee of the shoals properties would be compelled to manufacture finished fertilizers whether at a profit or loss throughout the. term of his opera tlons. whether itbe 50 or loo years. ali amendment to this effect was ma ie to the bill the committee is formn- lating for the House in connection with it's report on the various pro- posals it has Investigated.
 Opinion Differs Widely
 Wida differences Of opinion are understood to prevail in the commit tee over the provisions of the offer made by Henry Ford. which are ne- ing discussed as the basis for the measure under construction. IL was believed possihle that the committee men would be divided into three fae- tions when the discussions were ended and as many different recom- House
 The Senate agriculture body heard Benjamin C. Marsh. managing direc- tor of the farmers national council. testify today. He said the council was opposed to the Ford proposal or any other that deprived the govern- ment of control and operation of ths projects at Muscle Shoals.
 The bill introduced recently by Senator Norris. the witness believed, was Fundamentally sound and he recommended that Legislation of similar sort be enacted
 The bill drafted by Mir. Lloyd fol- lowed the description which the agriculture committee heard yester- day in general language It would create a s5,oo0.0 900 corporation. beaded by seven directors to be appointed oy the President. three being officials Of the war, treasury and agriculture departments.