Grand Forks herald., 1922-06-21
REL ] |
FORD. d OFFER
FOR PROJECT
Eight g. q. r. Comrrlitte &c
Members Declare Offer
Far Too Low

Washington. June Il Eight Repub-
Iican members OF the house military
COMMITTEES Tuesday signed q report
submitted to the house by Represent
atfve KeArns OF Ohio denouncing Hen
ry Ford'S offer to purchase and lease
tho governments project at Muscle
Shoals. Their action Increased to four
the number OF reports emanating from
the committee and marked another
divisionsof opinion among 81 members
over the question Of Muscle Shoals
Disposition
The4leight members were Reps
Kearns. Ohio: Norm, Cargo and Rams
ley, Pennsylvania; crowther, New
York; Hill, Maryland: Parker. New
Jersey, and Frothtngham, Massachu-
sets.
!. None Of the signatories to the new
report was willing for congress to ac-
cept the Ford offer either AS recon-
mended recently by the so-called ma
jority views presented by Acting
Chairman Mckenzie or by those who
endorsed the report written by Rep
resentative Wright. Democrat. Geor-
gia. asking the acceptance of Ford's
! ION by Rep. Parker. Republican. New
Jersey. and endorsed by Rep. Froth-
! ingham, Republican, Massachusetts.
). both Of whom signed the Kearns doc
ument Tuesday, was In effect merged
with the new report.
The Kedrns report stressed the I'm
/ portance of getting ito the country
clear, fair and unbiased statement
Of facts'' concerning tho Ford propos-
pasnndiats were 'scattering propa-
sanda throughout tho country that is
void Of truth" and attacked the Ford
! offer In n way that loft mono OF Its
provisions from hostile criticism.
Offer Called Low.
Tho report asserted that tho Ala
bamA Power company. which submit
ted an offer to develop the power pro-
jects at Muscle Shoals, had always
dealt fairly with the government" and
was offering $2.500.0oo for ita inter-
accordance with tho terms OF the con-
tract executed with the war depart
ment when the plant was erected.
Another part Of tho rapport sum-
nArized tho cost price Of tho projects
which Mr.. Ford would purchase for
46,000,000. A total expenditure OF
$S6 6,443,29e was claimed on tho Waco
inquiry, the Goreas steam plant and
Nitrate plants Nos. and 2, while the
amount offered was hold to be 'whol-
ly inadequate"
Among other provisions Of tho Ford
offer attacked by tho report wore
those proposing lease Of tho water
power projects for 100 years, that fix
inE tho terms Of Amortization plan for
repaying the government for building
dams; that providing for tho manu-
facturo Of fertilizer during the 100
year lease. and tho failure Of the Do
troit manufacturer to asree to pay in
terest on the $17l.000,000 already
spent on the Wilson DAM
The report pointed out tho belief
that the taxpayers OF tho country
would revolt II coneress accepted the
offer and voted appropriations total
llnE $50. 900 to carry out its terms
''What Of the F'uture?"
A tabulation Of the "entirc COST to
the Taxpayers OF tho United States OF
the Muscle Shoals project up to the
present time" also was presented
showing a total Of s1s7.1ss.29s, In
cludlng $13,320.000 for interest on
now money required on Dams q ana 8
Some say Mr.. Ford ts honest" the
report declared, and that no has said
he wants to mako fertilizer and they
are willing to take him at his word
whether 1t Is In the contract or not
What they say about Mr.. Ford is not
endowed with q perpetual life. al.
though some members Of the. mi iritary
affairs committee would gtvo him thit
water. power lease in perpetn1ty.
Mr.. Ford cannot live Throughout
any considerable period OF the tern
Of this water power leasehold, and
when he is gone ana all the men hi
may have surrounding HIM WIFI have
passed away. we do not know in wha
.uneonscionable hands the plant viii
fall. and neither docs any man nov
who ls living today"