Evening capital. [volume] (Annapolis, Md.) 1922-1981, 1922-08-04

NRO tNROlG oItu 4
No electrified railway and no in
dastry served by water power can
suf1er suspension on. account of a fuel
supply, because hydro-electric power.
both in its production and distribu-
ton, Is practically free of all labor
troubles. Fuel and transportation are
the big national problems which now
distress our people. Muscle Shoals
with the Ford offer accepted, may
furnish an opportunity for the Senate
TO discover how, such fuel and trans.
portation emergencies can be. at least
In part, avoided in the future"
Two bills Compared
The report compared in detail the
Ladd and Norris bills pending in the
Senate. The Ford offer as represents
ed by the Ladd bill. the report said,
takes the government out of the fer
tilizer and power business" while the
Nebraska members. bill .set the gov
eminent up in the fertilizer and
power business ss
The Norris proposal requires direct
appropriation by Congress of S64.OoO.-
oOV, without including any. estimate
Tor the proposed dams in the upper
tennessee river, with no guaranteed
return Of either the principal or in
terest on the same" it was said. On
the other hand. the report argued,
Muscle Shoals could be developed by
Mr. Forda under the Ladd bill. nv q
government bond issue, If desired. "as
the interest and sinking fund nav
ments made by Mr.. Ford will meet in
terest on. such bonds and retire them
al the end of lease period. except dur
ing the short construction and mower
loading PERIOD
Grave Danger Realized
Evemthose of us who are in favor
OF government ownership and opera-
ton, said the report, must conceda
tnat the Muscle Shoals case is ono
lraught with the grayest danger of
heavy losses if the government, under
taxes 10 work out tho fertilizer nrob-
lem there. No advocate of govern
ment ownership and operation can
dscount the fact that the Muscle
SHOALS case is not good one to Sc
iect IN testing out the policy of gov
eminent ownership and oneration
Inc dangers and the difficulties. MANY
OF them specialized and technical in
VoiVins problems in the field of com.
mercial chemistry. warn US to no
conservative and prudent with tho
peoples money at Muscle Shoals"
: An agricultural benefit tn the conn.
cry by development of the shoals
properties by Mr.. Ford, the report as
serted, will include a large scale nro-
uuction OF fertilizers produced under
the most favorable manufactur;na
cohditions, maintained abreast of
progress in an art that is deyelonins
rapidly and which will reduce the
cost OF fertilizer.
ITO compel Mr.. Ford tn state inc,
what the operations at Muscle shoals
VIII De and just what they. will pro-
duce, is either to limit the possibiIi-
ties OF the project and cripple its fu-
lure usefulness or else it is to ask
Mr. Ford to do the impossible. M
one could have foretold the Niagara
developments thirty years ago.
Would Advance g. S. Industry
The Muscle Shoals project deyel-
oped under the Ford offer will con-
tribute to the advancement of Ameri-
can Industry by Introducing a plan of
waterpower development which pro-
vides the means whereby hydre-elec-
tric power Ultimately may be had in
the United States as cheaply as in the
more naturally favored countries such
as Canada and Norway"
with reference to the contention
about the Gorgas steam plant it
said, I'VE feel that we can make little
comment. Mr.. Ford has advised our
committee that If my revised offer for
Gorgas is rejected. then must I'M
derstand that the acceptance of. INV.
offer for Muscle Shoals as whole
and not in part is refused