The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-15
Weeks RAPED :
FORJUGGLNG
SHOALS OFFER
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pamphlets which are now flooding
the city. declaring that Ford can.
not make fertilizer in. the. Alabama
nitrate plants on a profitable com.
mercial basis. and that his offer to
the Government is merely . cloak to
conceal his ambitions to develop
the water power lying almost dor,
mant there. Ford said: Maybe we
Thomas Edison says we can"
Ford then turned his words upon
Secretary o.. Weeks. declaring that
Weeks says we have no authority
for believing we can make fertilizer
q commercial success. Edison says
we can. Edison has been down there.
Edison knows every detail of this
proposition. Edison Is working on
this thing right now in his labora.
tories at East Orange. Edison In the
greatest electro-chemist in the world
and he says that, with Muscle
Shoals. We can give the American
people a better fertilizer at a much
lower price than they have ever had
before"
Ford Aide Tells Of Trusts.
One Of Ford's lieutenants inter.
rupted hero to say that the objec.
lions entered to date against the Muscle
Shoals offer Of Ford. "were obJec.
tons all right. technically speaking.
but objections that never would be
considered by business men SINGERS.
ly intent on concentrating q deal OF
value to both on contamination.
There must be something more
frarnandN.,a than fArhnt,oI nhl~~kS~,,
to the Ford offer. What 10 it,"
asked this man.
why. the great trusts are fearful
least Mr.. Ford prove to the nation
that his Muscle. Shoals project 10 the
greatest thing ever done in water.
Lower development in the history of
the world. They are afraid of the re-
suit of such q discovery-afraid that
similar projects viii spring up oil
over the land when II II seen wha.
con be done to produce power. They
are afraid that such . result would
sweep every farmer In the land into
an army Of Ford disciples They arc
efraid II will make Ford President OF
Shoals project 10 to 90 through"
Points to Hugo q. 8. Losses.
For example," Ford took up the
conversation again, 'soms Of the fer.
tilizer manufacturers have been saying
We are not paying enough for the
property when he offer 5000. 900 for
the two nitrate plants. Let's see what
the Government got a. salvage for
some Of its wartime industries. The
Old Hickory powder plant, at Nash.
vile, Tenn. costing Ss0,ooo.ooo. sold
for $500. 900. or AS per cent. The
IN 80 r~kxtvxu
for four-tenths Of per cent their cost.
Our bid of s6.o00.o00 for the nitrate
plant II $50 per cent Of their cost.
And bear in mind" Ford said. IAN
other great use to which the plants
could be employed for the service Of
the American people. They could be
used in making explosives should the
need ever arise again."
Costs U. 8. $747. 900 for Nothing.
What do you think II II costing
the Government while this Muscle
Shoals deal Of mine IL being held up?"
Ford soliloquized. and answered his
own question. Look at these figures,
which one Of our men has taken from
the Governments own books. Just
the guarding Of the nitrate plants
alone last year cost the Government
$310, 900. And in there n not q cent
charged for depreciation-just for
men standing around doing nothing
Just guarding and maintaining the
uncompleted works at dam No. costs
the Government $3S4,000 more.
And on top Of that, the Govern.
which is absolutely useless, $50 900
more. The total annual expense Of
Muscle Shoals. idle and useless as 1t
is, Is more than $747,000. All that
would be saved by the Governments
closing this deal with me. The Gov.
eminent is losing annually $2,892 900
in maintaining Muscle Shoals, while
1t lies idle. Why?"
Politics Is the Answer"
Politics on the biggest scale il the
answer" one Of the Ford ieutenants
supplied at this juncture.
1t was pointed out by Ford that
booklet published by the National Fer
tilizer Association had circulated
among Congressman and Senators
charges that his offer amounts to
subsidy.
SUBSIDY exclaimed Ford. "A sub
sidy means getting something Tor
nothing. We're not asking the Gov
eminent for a nickel. Instead, were
giving the Government an offer UNI
preCeuenteu TOT generously. JUST ioon
here. We give the Government
So, 100000 for the nitrate plants. That's
y higher salvage rate than the Gov
eminent has yet got for any similar
war-industry. The Government has
already spent $4,000, 900 on the dams.
Would Pay Back Millions.
"They figure 1t will cost from $780,
000. 900 to $4,000 900 to complete them
so they can be operated. We not only
pay back to the Government S40,00O,-
900, but we pay back 100000 more
nearly half the money expended on
the dams to date, the highest salvage
rate ever paid in history for similar
war construction. In addition to all
this, we pay the Government nearly
81, 100000 year in rental and $4,000
more annually in maintenance.
Gen. Lansing II. Beach, chief
of the army engineers, has shown
Secretary Weeks, that, during the
period of the lease, the Ford offer
means $214,000,000 to the Government.
IF they think this offer means
~. lA., ~ tall