The Washington times., 1922-06-13
MINORITY VOTE
-OPPOsESFORD
BID ON SHOALS
Requires Changes That Would
Make Plant Over to y. s.
In Emergencies.

The bill now before Congress
which was designed to dispose of
the Muscle Shoals dams and nitrate
plants should be modified, according
to the minority report of the House
Military Affairs Committee, and in
case Henry Ford does not agree to
the notifications ''the Secretary Of
War should be authorized to lease
the dams and nitrate plants, in
cluding the quarry, separately or to-
gether, on such terms as will Sc
cure the completion OF the dams.
the preservation Of the nitrate
plants and their availability to the
Government In case Of emergency
II Ia contended by the committee
that over $100.000,000 would be
given TO the Ford company with
control of the greatest source OF
power in the East" by the United
states Government under the
amended proposal. II the dams
were leased under the water power
act, the committee maintains, the
lessee would have to, pay Tor CON
struction and obtain q lease OF hfty
years and would be bound by Vari-
GUS provisions to use the power Tor
the benefit of the community.
These provisions are not incorpor'
ated In the amended proposal.
Has Spent Sl6,o0O.o 900.
Under the proposed bill the Govern.
ment would pay for the construction
OF the dams at q cost estimated al
about $25, 900, ,O0Q each. The Wilson
dam has already cost $16,o00.ooo, and
Mr.. Ford would pay no interest on
khis amount.
Following are extracts from the
report: -
the responsibility Of maintaining the
dam for 100 years, and II II be wash.
ed out or destroyed the Government
must restore 1t at its own expense.
THE whole proposition Is a depar.
ture from the policy OF our water
power legislatio whereby the lessee
Ii 10 build and maintain.
"The dam win tae three years to
construct. and his proposition is to
begin paying interest three years
after that time. paying only $4,000
a year during those three years.
THAT is to say, the United States
loses interest for four and q half
years. or S4,5o0 900, less the three
years payments, $480, ,000-actual In.
terest lost, $4,020, 900. The loss of
interest on No. dam. $500, 900;
total interest lost, $10,320,000 The
United States should make no such
present to M. Ford or any lessee.
1T Is suggested that dam No. 3 will
aid navigation. Opinions differ
whether anything can be expected
from navigation of the torrential
river. which during two months, has
six times as much water as at low
season, but at this time the United
States is not willing to go into new
projects OF river Improvement.
I'VE do not favor a conveyance
Of the nitrate plants. which are
part Of the defense OF this coun.
try. Nitrate plant No. failed to
work only because OF faults In
construction. which could be cor.
rected at small expense, and the
process there p. opposed Ls employed
successfully and commercially and
10 cheap. That plant includes large
tracts OF lands used for houses
and available for a military camp.
1t cost s12,S87 ,941.31.
Plant Should Be Kept.
THE cyanamid factory and nitrate
factory contained In that plant are
for war munitions and ought not
be conveyed away. The Waco
quarry and connecting railroads
bring limestone to the plant and
are essential to it's operation, and
the Ford Company should not have,
the right to convey them away.
That company should not have the
right to mortgage these essential
factors"
The committee has no objection
to the Ford Company's fertilizer
agreement, but II doubts II the
plant could be operated at a profit
and the Ford enterprise had said
that It will not operate at q loss.
President Harding Is reported to
have said that he fovors holding the
Muscle Shoals controversy until
the December term, as the project
Is too big to be dealt with in q
aH .-AA