The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-08
BREACH REoPENED by
HELM AND NORRIS
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Washington, December THE
breach between Senate farm bloc
members over the Muscle Shoals prof.
ect was reopened today in an hours
tilt between Senator Helm, demo-
crat, Alabama, who again urged ae
ceptance of Henry Ford's offer, and
Chairman Norris of the agriculture
committee, who opposed the Ford
proposal.
Senator Heflin asserted and Senator
Norris denied that Mr.. Ford proposed
to cut fertilizer prices in half if his
offer for the power plant is accepted.
Senator Heflin scored the govern
inent development project in the bill
of Representative Dickinson. repub
lican, Iowa, member of the House
farm bloc and declared that the Nor
rfs government operation bill would
bloc developments of power or fer
tilizer
The Alabama senator declared that
Mr.. Ford's motive in seeking the
Muscle Shoals contract was to reduce
fertilizer prices and charged that
Especial interests were impeding ac
tion on the Ford bill in Congress. but
he predicted it would pass the next
Congress Senator Norris retorted
that the Ford forces in Congress had
blocked action.
Means Postponement
Government development OF fer
tilizer factories at Muscle Sht ais.
said Senator Heflin. was a policy
that would mean postponement of
general development of Muscle
Shoals projects. He reiterated that
Henry Fords offer should be ac-
cepted, and demanded that Congress
take action On pending legislation
to dispose of the property.
Soacia1 intere1tq
blocking action in the present Con-
gress,s Senator Helm said. adding
that he believed maJorites in the
next Congress would support Ford's
offer
Senator Ladd. republican, North
Dakota. at the conclusion of Sena-
tor Heflin's speech. presented the
resolution adopted by the American
Legion at it's New Orleans convention,
relative to disposal of Muscle Shoals.
Senator Norris, of Nebraska. chair
man of the agricultural committee,
which Investigated the various Of
fers for the Ala bama project. chal-
lenged Senator Heflin's statement
that a Ford representative had prom
ised that Mr.. Ford. if given Muscle
Shoals would produce fertilizer to
sell at half the present cost.
Prevent Legislation
Inc 2NeDIdSha S6HdlOG ueCldTeQ Ine
advocates of the Ford offer had by
their tactics, prevented legislation
which would provide for the de-
velopment of Muscle Shoals on the
greatest scale cnceivable." He adj
ded the Ford forces in Congress had
at the last session brought about
complete suspension of work on Will
son dam from July l to October I.
this year.
Senator Norris assaulted the Ford
offer It length, repeating many of
the criticisms he advanced at the last
session Congress.
Give Henry Ford credit for every
dollar he expends and it will amount
to only three per cent of the money
paid out from the United States
treasury" Senator Norris argued. and
then he passed on to an explanation
of his own proposal for development
of Muscle Shoals by a government
corporation.
THE great south, If it wants the
whole of the Tennessee river de-
veloped,' he asserted Should not
turn over the vast power of that
river to one corporation absolutely
unregulated. Turn over Muscle
Shoals to Ford and there will be
city there--a large one-but not
nearly so large as the real estate
spectators down there believe. To
develop the region fully. we must
turn down the Ford offer"
Senator Helm read from the ag-
ricultural committees hearings tes-
tmony of w. l.. Mays. an engineer
of Mr. Ford's. that "off hand | think
we can produce a fertilizer to sell at
half the present cost" Senator Nor
ris retorted the testimony did not
in any way bind Mr. Ford