Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-02-21
ALABAMA POWER
COMPANY SEEKS
MUSCLE SHOALS
Offer viii Be Submitted to
Congress Today, Weeks
Announces; Consid cred
Better Than Ford'S.

washington, Feb. 90. AN
nouncement by Secretary Weeks
today that he would submit TO con-
gress tomorrow for acceptance or
rejection the Alabama Power
companys offer to purchase ana
lease the Muscles Shoals. Ala, nj
trate and water power projects
submitted to him last TUESDAY,
added to the possibilities of further
delay in congress of consideration
of Henry Ford's offer for the same
properties, "a
The Alabama company's offer, 1t
was said, would be addressed to-
morrow to the speaker of the house
and president Of the senate, ana be
referred by them upon receipts
probably to the military affairs
committee Of the house and agri-
cultural committee of the senate,
both of which are engaged in in
vestlgating the Ford proposal.
Chairman Kahn announced tonight
that the house body would con-
clude its study of the offer sub
mitted by the Detroit manufacturer
before undertaking hearings of the
them separately to the house.
To Prepare Joint Report.
The plan in recommending ac-
ceptance or rejection of the offers
to the full membership OF the
house the chairman said, would be
TO prepare a joint report on all
proposals congress might receive.
In this manner, it was explained,
The Ford offer would remain in the
1.aY,Ia TNfnynntinU &C.
ton hv the house until all the pro-
posals the war secretary might
submit were thoroughly inYestl-
gated.
Mr.. Kahn said he expected to
conclude the hearings on Mr..
Ford's offer this week and would
Immediately begin an examination
of that from the Alabama Power
company, which Secretary Weeks
indicated today was considered "a
better offer" in some respects than
that of Henry Ford.
The house committee today in
terrogated J. o. Hammitt. vice
president Of the Air Nitrate corpo-
ration, a subsidiary of the Ameri-
can Cyanamid company of Maine,
who defended the rights of the
former concern to purchase nitrate
plant No. at Muscle Shoals upon
as favorable terms as the govern
ment might accept from other pri-
waite enterprises.
submits Contracts,
He submitted a contract signed
by the corporation and war depart
ment officials under date Of June
S, 1918. Il
"This constituted a solemn and
binding agreement" Mr.. Hammitt
said adding that If 1t was violated
by the government through ac-
ceptance OF the Ford proposal. the
corporation would reluctantly in
struct its attorneys to resist such
action in the courts. He asserted
nmphatically that a decision by the
government TO disregard the agree
ment would reduce the standard Of
business morality to lower degree
than ever had been approached by
q private concern.
Mr.. Hammitt declared the pro-
uosal to give the plant to a man
who did nothing to develop It," and
in addition, give him the cheapest
water power on the American con-
tinent," would be a violation of the
governments pledge to the Air Nj
trates corporation, which. he de-
clared, had placed its every facil-
ity. including its patents and Sc
cret processes for nitrate produce
ton, at the disposal Of the county
when the war needs were greatest.
The witness also explained that
the Air Nitrates subsidiary was
formed in order that the holders
Of cyanamid companies stock
might be protected in case the gov
ernments contracts failed to be |
carried out, but added that in each
case the contracts were filled 100
per cent.
can we asked for the use Of the |
patents and processes" said Mr..
Hammitt. was the right to buy
the properties IL the government
decided to sell them after the emer-
gency. That was necessary pro-
lection to ask as they represented !
our greatest assets and we were |
anxious they should not be made
available to a competitor"
The Egyptians almost live on the |