The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-04-01
WORK ON
WILSON DAM
FAVORED
Members Of Senate
and House Commit
tees Express Senti-
nent Following In
spection

Florence, Ala, March 29.-Ef-
| forts viii be made Immediately to
obtain an appropriation 70 resume
work within sixty days on the VIII
son Dam unit of the governments s
Muscle Shoals war plant, according
to sentiment expressed by men,
bers OF the senate agriculture and
house military committees who to-
night completed a three days sur
yey Of the entity.
Opinion appears to have crys-
talized in that direction so rap
idly since we inspected the uncom-
pleted Wilson DAM" said Senator
Norris. chairman Of the senate COM
n1ittee, shat we have not had
time to think of details. One thing
is sure, however. the dam will be
built if this committee can bring it
about and I want to see the gov
! ernment get IN the river during low
water this spring
Senator Norris declared that
prospective purchasers or lessees
would lose nothing by the govern
nnet going ahead in the work OF
completing the project"
There Will be SO much deterio-
ration if we delay that I am full
ly convinced that we must get
back on this job quickly since 1t is
determined that nobody wants to
see it scrapped,'' he continued. The
committee chairman expressed him.
seuf in favor of the government
spending its own money and doing
its own work in completing the
one unit.
Representative Hull, of the House
committee, gave his opinion that
the government should start work
this spring unless one of the pro-
posals now before the committee is
found to be acceptable"
TN any event there should be no
delay" said Mr.. Hull, because at
least this unit OF. power on the
Tennessee river must be developed.
I see no reason for delay. If there
is no bid before us we can accept
we should build the dam and while
the work is in progress we can
find q satisfactory and profitable
way to,dispose of the whole plant :"
A majority of the House COM
mitteemen in the party seemed to
share the opinion that bids before
the committee should be disposed
of before the government under
took TO start work itself.
Representative James. Republi-
can, Michigan, expressed himself
IS a Muscle Shoals convert, declar-
ing that he had always voted
against appropriations for the
project, but since he had studied it
on the ground he would vote to
complete the Wilson Dam, giving
first consideration 10 bids before
the committee.
While majority and minority
members of the two committees
We're apparently decided on the
question of starting work, there
We're widely divergent expressions
Of opinion as TO whether a private
corporation or the government
should finish the job. There were
Democratic members who frankly
expressed a desire 70 lease or sell
the property to one OF the bidders
and then ask for an appropriation
in conformity with such contract.
Among majority members of both
committees there was advanced the
opinion that none Of the bids be-
fore Congress would be accepted
without modification.
The last day Of the Congressional
tour was spent in q study of Will
son Dam, the site for the proposed
dam No. 3, and the entire stretch
Of river between The two dams.
After banquet given by the
Sheffield Muscle Shoals Chamber Of
Commerce the Congressional party
departed tonight for Washington.