Evening star., 1922-07-20
Foreign.

has been waged by public-spirited
and patriotic men and women all over
the country is not only lost and given
away. but those who are unwillingly
compelled to make the gift are to be
taxed one hundred years to make the
gift more profitable. 1t is the great
est gift ever bestowed upon mortal
man since salvation was made free to
the human race"
Other features of the Ford proposal
are vigorously attacked. That pro-
posing the hundred-year lease of the
water-power projects, the report as
serts, would make the federal water
power act, in effect, "a scrap OF pa
per"
"If there were no other reason for
rejecting this Offer" the document
adds, 'ft ought to be rejected for this
one provision alone, and if it is ac-
cepted with this provision in it, then
Congress ought to lay down the bars
and permit any organization organ
lied by any other person to have the
of a lease for 100 years of complete
and unregulated control of power de-
veloped from our navigable streams.
It is estimated that total amount
paid by the Ford Corporation by
amortization during the l00-year Pc
riod would be only S4.36S.3ss, and the
rate of interest paid by Mr.. Ford on
the money provided by the Treasury
is shown to be 2.79 per cent rather
than 4 per cent.
Burden ON Taxp.yers.
The statement is made that the gov
ernment cannot afford to enter into
1.-The loaning business at the expense
of the taxpayers and for the enrich
ment of a great corporation that un-
der the very terms of its offer will
be beyond the regulation Of either
federal or state authority"
Regarding Senator Norris bill pro-
posing government development and
operation for the Muscle Shoals prof.
ects, the report contains a reference
to the attitude of senators. who, 1t
says, are seemingly determined to
turn this property over to Mr.. Ford or
absolutely prevent its development by
any one" Seven members of the agri-
cultural committee who voted for the
favorable report of the Ford offer and
opposed a favorable report on the
Norris bill are mentioned in this con-
nection. an,
with them" the report says. lit
seems to be Ford or nothing. When
we take into consideration the won,
in S. 1920 (the Norris bilD, particular
iy for the south. it is difficult to un-
derstand how senators from that Sec
ton can assume such an attitude.
.sIn this bill there is offered to the
country. and particularly to the
southern states. the most wonderful
nian for the development of power
On the Tennessee river and its dis
tribution over the southern states
that has ever been proposed in the
history of our country. hnd 1t Is
difficult to understand how repre-:
sentatives from thst section could
block progress of this kind and insist
nrnnnYfv Shnnld he
, turned over practically without con-
sideration to one corporation. and
that the power on the great Ten
nessee river should be leased for 100
years without regulation and without
restriction"
sixteen senhtors on the committee
scouiesced in that part of the report
commencing the Norris plan, the re-
port continues. in part:
ain comparison with its the Norris
n,an) provision regarding fertilizer
the Ford offer sinks into absolute
snsirnificance. 1t offers the greatest
frankly recognizes that improvements
must be made II we would cheaper
the production of fertilizer. and II
provides for the use Of the govern
ment property and funds to make the
necessary investigation for such I'M
proVementS.
"Instead of turning over the sur
plus power to any one individual eI
to one corporation, to be used for his
or its financial benefit. without reg.
uiation from any source whatever, II
will be able to supply electricity to
the people at large. and cities and
communities. hundreds of miles dis
tant from Muscle Shoals, will receive
BENEFITS either directly from this
source, or indirectly. by the cheaper
ing Of electricity by men and corpora
tiOns who will be competitors of this
governmental corporation"
The report points out that elec.
tricity developed at Muscle Shoals
should be furnished to municipalities
at as near cost. as possible and should
be so distributed that all of the
people. both rich and poor. would re.
ceive a proportionate beneht to the
cheapening of electrical energy. Thai
% the idea that the Norris bill seeks
Ia aocon nliAh thu e0nort AIDA.