Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-01-12
FORD PLANNING CITY
IS MILES IN LENGTH
To Make Muscle Shoals Section
Great Industrial Centre; Big
ger Project to Follow.

Detroit MiCn., Jan. lz.-I Henry
Ford obtains possession Of the Muscle
Shoals project In Alabama he will take
immediate steps to mako that part
Of the South one OF the industrial CEN
tres OF the country. The Associated
Press learned yesterday.
The Muscle Shoals plan OF Mr.. Ford
contemplates one OF the greatest un-
dertakings in the history OF Industrial
America, It became known. and In
cludes development OF the property az
a model and the eventual extension
OF the system to many other parts OF
the country.
Mr.. Fords proposal includes the
building OF city seventy-five miles
long in the Muscle Shoals region. II
would be made up OF several large
towns or small cities. This IL In line
with. the manufacturers view that
men and their families should live in
small communities where BENEFITS OF
rural or near-rural life would not be
entirely lost.
Mr.. Ford's proposal to the Govern
ment includes leasing OF the property
for 100 years. But before the explra-
ton Of half that time he proposes to
turn the completed project over to the
people of the district or TO the Govern
ment In such way that no one In the
future win be able to make a personal
profit from the undertaking. He will
arrange that neither he nor any OF his
heirs may realize any monetary benefit
from the Muscle Shoals plants or the
power developed It became known to-
yJa 10
IL tho Government gives It's consent.
the outstanding achievement OF his
career.
The Muscle Shoals project, however.
Is only the start of greater program.
Ii became known. This includes the
development of water power facilities
In many parts or tho country by which
persons in those communities would
derive power TO run manufacturing
| plants, light their homes. and run
| machinery on the farms. One detail
of the plan Is the Harvesting by farme,
Of every creek and brook that crosses
their property.
Mr.. Ford expects to leave here TO.
day for Washington to confer with
Secretary Weeks regarding his pro.
posal of leasing the Alabama plant.
| II the Government accepts Mr.
ford's bid, work at Muscle Shoals vii
be started at once. The. nitrate ant
other plants would be run by steam
power pending the time the great dam
that will require about two years I,
build, has harnessed the water at thi,
point. Then would follow rapid dc
velopment. in the opinion OF Mr.. Ford
until within a comparatively few
years an industrial centre create
than Detroit would have been buil
up.
Mr.. Ford believes the Muscle Shoal
plan, II consummated, would be tn
start toward development OF the Mis-
sissippi River Valley. The manufac
turer believes this valley could cru,
the United States" IL the water nov
going to waste could be utilized.
Eventually. I'm Mr.. Ford's opinion
the Government could derive enough
revenue from these power projects Z
support itself, thereby revolutioniz
ing the financial system of tn
country.
. Mr.. Ford has bent the greater par
Of his energies during the last fe,
weeks to whipping into shape hi
plans to develop the Alabama distric
IL he obtains the lease from the Gov
eminent. He has held a large numbe
of conferences on this matter and hi
program is known TO be ready. TIL
program includes definite steps to
ward development of water power
!. every part of the country. The man
= ufacturer does not believe ii practic
able to carry power for long distance
and therefore has evolved a plan I
provide each district witheits own pre-
ject.