Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-21
OFFER
IS CONDEMNED
BY HOUSE MEN
Republicans Say Only
Thing Emphasized Is
Cheap Fertilizers.
Point Out That Magnate
Offers Much Less Than
Government Has Spent

Washington, June 20.-Henry Ford's
offer to purchase and lease the gov
ernment's power and nitrate projects
at Muscle Shoals. Ala, was attacked
Tuesday in a report to the house by
Representative Kearns, republican,
Ohio, and signed by several other re-
publican members of the house mill
tary committee. The report declared
dissatisfaction with opinions already
presented to the house by other mem
bers of the committee, and announced
that the signers were determined to
tell "the people" the real facts about
Muscle Shoals and the so-called Ford
offer"
Representative Kearns said Repre-
sentatives Parker and rockingham
signed the report, although they pre-
viously bad Endorsed another minority
opinion. . He expected two other CON-
mitteemen would sign later, he said,
making a total of eight republican sig
natures on the report.
Many of the Ford advocates, the re-
port says, are honest and conscien-
tious, but have been misled as to facts
of the offer made. In this connection,
it points to the provision by which fer
~tilizers would be manufactured and say
that despite ''the persistent reports
that he will compel the fertilizer man.
ufacturers of the country to sell their
product at one-half of what they are
now selling it," Mr.. Ford docs not
agree to make fertilizers at all unless
he can make them with a profit to
himself"
Calls it Hollow Promise
The committeeman declares, this is
a hollow promise made to enlist the
support of the farmer and not founded
on any fact, either contained in the
contract or existing outside the con
tract" and charges that propagandists
fail to tell the people that "the princi-
pal business of Mr.. Ford, should he get
this gigantic plant, would be the man
~ufacturing of other articles, which he
would be allowed to sell at any price
he might see fit"
'The only thing that is kept before
the public" the report continues. lis
that he is to make fertilizer and sell
it cheaply to the farmer, only charg-
ing himself a profit of s per cent on
the production. No n had ever sug-
gester he could make fertilizers and
Sell tHtui tHcdIit VI WHAT hithhS nc
would employ. The bold claim is made,
and congress and the country must
take the statement as absolute truth
or be forever condemned by this crowd
of wicked propagandists."
P~ropagandists also have attracted
the unemployed. the report says. add
ing that they do not only try to thus
bride the sympathy of the farmer, but
try thus to attract the attention of the
by painting a rosy picture
of the great activity that is to be
over night at Muscle Shoals,
where they promise a million men will
be given employment.
After explaining their attitude in OPP
position to the Ford offer, the commit
declare that they are o ''be-
levers in fables" nor have faith to
believe in the pranks of fairies" nor
do they think that Mr.. Ford is the re-
of Aladdin plus his lamp"
The properties for which Mr.. Ford
offers the government $1,000, 900, the
says, already have cost the gov !
eminent SSS5,S57,900. 1t declares the
amount seems wholly inadequate when
it is remembered that Mr.. Ford could
dispose of the Gorgas
plant to the Alabama Power company !
for $1,000 900" and thereby obtain
the Waco quarry, nitrate plants No. 1
and No. 2, with all their innumerable
railroad engines and steam freight cars, !
steam shOvels, concrete mixers and
other surplus property that could be !
readily sold for several additional mil