The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1922-03-09

cost of $1,000, 600. 1t is probable that
other dams might be built in the twenty
miles of rapid water. Considered solely
as a power development proposition u
certainly seems that 1t should be UNDER
taken and developed to its full possible
ties. by somebody. as rapidly as this
power can be utilized. The power, which
can be developed at Muscle Shoals, can
not now be disposed of on transmission
lines at a profit because the organized
and operating water power companies OF
the South and Southwest have the cleo
trio light and power territory well under
their control, under granted franchises
IL is evident that the success OF the Mus
Gle Shoals project must be founded upon
new industries and those industries must
be great industries established there.
The nitrate plant, which the government
built at Muscle Shoals, was constructed
for the sole purpose of making a great
variety of things used in modern war
fare, among others, nitrates for explo-
sives, poisonous gases. hydrochloric acid
and silica gel used in making gas masks,
oxygen, phosGene gas and other things
known under the general name of hydro
chemicals. All these are useful In peace
but nitrates are not only useful but are
absolutely necessary to the farmers OF
the United States who use, annually,
more than 4, 200, 900 tons of mixed fertil- |
izers, known as phosphates. These fer
tiliizers contain on an average, abou'
two and one half per cent of nitrates. A
considerable amount of nitrates have
been produced in this country as by
product, but little, if any, has been pro-
duced by direct process. During the last
fifty years we have imported much OF our
needed nitrates from Chile at total cost
of more than billion dollars. 1t is said
that the nitrate plant at Muscle Shoals
can be made to produce more than i00,-
600 tons of nitrates, annually, and it is
also said that the mineral raw materials
necessary for this production are plenti-
full, not far away, in the Tennessee river
basin above the Shoals, and can be
brought cheaply to the plant by water.
If the government would complete the
Muscle Shoals project and could manage
it when completed, as a business enter
prise should be managed, for the greatest
good to the greatest number, we believe
the people would approve of government
ownership and management of the Muscle
Shoals nitrate plant But most people
have lost confidence in government as a
business manager because it has proved
to be extravagant and wasteful. has pro-
duced so many things which were not
needed and has failed to produce so many
things which were urgently needed.
Government in business" has been
tried. Sensible people want no more OF
it. The government ealizes this and has
offered the Muscle Shoals property for
sale. The Alabama Power Co. has offer |
ed five cents on dollar for it. Henry /
Ford almost six cents on a dollar for it. |
The Alabama Power Co. agrees to furnish |
the government with 100, 600 horse power /
for the manufacture of nitrates, but does /
not propose, itself, to go into the nitrate
business. Mr.. Ford agrees to maintain
the present nitrate plant in 1eadiness for
the making of nitrates and other war
materials at any and all times. He also
agrees to manufacture and sell nitrates
for agricultural use at a profit of not
more than per cent on the actual annual
manufacturing cost and a committee
from farm organizations is to pass on the
books to determine whether this agree
ment is being carried out II either offer
is to be accepted, Mr.. Ford's is clearly
the better one. There are some provis-
ions in his offer which seem to US to be
very Objectionable, and others do not
seem to be definite in statement The
House Committee on Military Affairs is
making a study of both offers and until
this committee reports we shalllnot have
a really clear statement of what MIR