Evening star., 1922-03-28
Members Of House and Sen
ate Committees Jointly In
specting Nitrate Situation.
DELVE INTO TECHNICAL
PROCESSES EMPLOYED
Will Report on Private Proposals
for Lease and Purchase of Pre-
War Industries.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SHEFFIELD. Ala, March 2S.-Mem-
bers of the Senate agriculture and
House military affairs committees In
spectins government property at
Muscle Shoals spent today in a tour
of nitrate plants Nos. 1 and 2.
The committeeman were guests of
the Sheffield Rotary Grub. at break
fast. In difference to the wishes of
the congressional party. the affair
was informal and there was no
speech-making.
Senators and representatives were
on, the reservation early in anticipa-
tion of getting in another full days
work. The party reached here late
last night after spending the first
day of the tour studying the govern
ment-owned Gorgas-WarriOr steam
plant, in Wake county.
Representative Hull. ranking MEM
Der of the House committee. declared
after the GorgaS inspection had been
ended. that he believed there could be
found some way to divorce the War
rior property from Muscle Shoals. in
which event he considered the Henry
Ford bid offered most in possibilities
to the country at large.
There can be no doubt as to the
moral obligation here to the Alabama
Power Company" he said. This
obligation must be respected, and,
speaking. for myself. it shall be-"
VIII Report ON Proposals.
Members of the two committees, In
whose hands have been placed for
study and report private proposals
for lease and purchase of the DOR
mant war plant delved deeply into
the highly technical and scientific
processes employed in the nitrate
plants. aided by Maj. J. p. Burns.
chief of the nitrate division of the
War Department., and other ordnance
officers.
At plant No. /, the synthetic or
Haber process was explained to the
committeeman. The objective of ytire
ordnance department, with; reference
to this process had been achieved by
N. Y. ordnance officers told the com
mittee members
Plant No. Il cost .sr2.sso.oo0 ac-
cording to data before the commit
1age with attractive modern dwell
ings. school and 1900 acres Of land.
More than $1.000.000 was spent on
public works of the plant community,
according to Information furnished.
The congressional party spent sew
built for the eyanamid process at a
cost of SG7,555,355. and which was de-
scribed as the unit that solved the
ordnance departments nitrogen pre-
parednesS program =
This plant was declared by Army
officers to be the greatest ,munition
maker in the country, capable of pro.
viding quickly in case Of emergency
tremendous quantities of many kinds
of war materials.
6O.OOO-kiioyatt Power Plant.
Plant No. is contiguous to the
undemeataa unsen o1sna ps. asm as to dsTSs
it's power. Pending construction of
the dam 60.ee0.kilowatt power
plant was built here at, a cost of
s12.326.3s2. and the Gorgas-Warrior
$4,000. 900. The power plant here was
described by Army efhcers as the
most complete unit Of it's character
in America. Both power plants are
now used by the. Aabama Power
tenn. under a rentat contract.
Plant No. 2 is located on a reserva-
tion which contains 900 acres and
embraces permanent dwellings and
other quarters to house 10000 per-
sons. the village costing sS.S43.000.
The engine terminals and shops at
this plant. the committees learned,
cost the government more than s12.-
100000. while s3.043.516 was spent on
public works. -
AT pldnl NO. tne committee MEM
hers were driven through the plant
community, which was declared to be
a model city. with well laid out and
shaded streets and houses of modern
type.
"Sea Of Raw MAterials.n
On the reservation the party took
birds-eye inventory. of veritable
sea of raw materials, included in
which were 100000 feet of lumber,
100000 bricks and acres covered
with bath tubs. sewer pipe, roofing
and other building supplies.
The committees were told that the
estimated salvage value as scrap Of
the two nitrate pfants had been placed
at $7,S50,000.
Luncheon was served at the officers
quarters on plant No. reservation
by the women of the garrison.
The congressional party acknow1-
ny KNnW