The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-11
SENATE LEADERS WILL NOT VISIT
 STE I'LL LATER
Colonel Joyes Defends Con- tract Executed by Govern ment With Alabama
 Power Company
By Associated Press

Washington, March 10.-Members of the House military committee, which has been investigating offers for the war project at Muscle Shoals, declined to comment on the announce ment in the Senate by Chairman Norris of the Senate agriculture com mittee that he was drafting a bsI to create government owned cor poration to develop and operate the power and nitrate plants.
 Some of the members however, professed to see in the Nebraska sem ators announcement several features which they said might not be in har mony with the administrations pol icy of keeping the government out of private business. Senator Norris, in making the announcement, explained that it was not his intention to fa- vor government operations as against private operations of the plants, but that he considered his proposal worth the Senate's study.
 Visit Is Deferred
 Another development today was tho decision of Senate leaders, made pub lie by Senator Norris, not to make the trip to Muscle Shoals until after ac- tion on the rour-power treaty. The prevailing opinion was that the visit, would be delayed about 10 days or two weeks on that account. Chairman Kahn of the House committee also declared he would not go to Alabama for inspection of Muscle Shoals. He said the trip would not be of assist ance in visualizing the various fpro- posals the committee had been study ing nor did he conceive how it would help in adjusting the legal conlplica- tlons the committee has revealed in contracts executed by the war de- partment with the Alabama Power company and the Air Nitrates corpo- ration, giving those concerns op tional rights on the Warrior power station and nitrate plant No. in the event they were ever sold by the gov ernmcnt
 The committee confined it's effortss today to an examination of Col. Johnl W. Joyes of the ordnance bureau, war department who defended the con ! tract executed with the power conn pany, contending that it was a reae Sonable and just contract, otherWiSe he would not have approved it.
 Says Contract Regular
 Colonel Joyce declares the contract form, containing the clause requiring the power company to purchase the plant, was similar in every respect to a number of other cases where sfrni- lar contracts had been made. He said returns had been between 50 and 70 per cent on investments upon pfop- critics located on privately owned lands. He was asked to complete his statement Monday.
 Senator Norris announcement in the Senate came after Senat0r lief lin, democrat, Alabama, had spoken on the offer for purchase and lease of the shoals properties made by Henry Ford and charged that Chair man kahns statement advocAting the creation of a commission to take charge of Muscle Shoals development, by lease or sale, was a move to delay development of the projects.A
 The Nebraska senator satd later he had not put his scheme into writ ing and the details were not \ready for publication. He intimated, hay ever, that one of the principles her had in mind was to suggest creation of the corporation along lines some what like those followed in forming the emergency fleet corporation, with the commissioners acting in the ca pacity of quasi public officials.