Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-02-02
FORD'SPR0POSAL
SENT TO congress
Secretary Weeks Makes No
Suggestion as to Action
on Muscle Shoals.
WOULD HAVE SAFEGUARDS
Question of Unemployment Called
DECENTRALIZATION Needs
! Are Recognized.s

Henry Fords proposal for the gov
eminent projects at Muscle Shoals.
Ala, was submitted today to Con-
gress by Secretary Weeks. for such
action as Congress may deem appro-
priate.''
The only suggestions contained in
the letter of transmission related to
specific clauses in the contract ana
the Gesirability of amendments Whach
would, in the event the proposal DC
accepted by Congress. further sa1e-
otherwise, the Secretary OF war
carefully avoids reference to congress
sional action involving the ultimate
acceptance or rejection OF the oHer as
submitted.
in the event Mr.. Ford's proposal is
accepted" Secretary Weeks declared.
1.-THE government must make new ap,
preparations. amounting TO Sfo,oVV''VV
to $4,000, 900. of which Mr.. Ford Will
have the benefit for approximately
100 years at per cent.
Alternative Proposal.
In the event the offer be rejected.
the Secretary gave it as his opinion
that dam No. Wilson damn should
be completed by the government, ana
said that the power requirements LOT
commercial purposes, the oenents 10
navigation. as well as the posSlole
rant that expenditure.
IF this were DONE" he continues.
"the government may itself unoer
take to sell the product to the pest
advantage. In such case the amount
of the governments present proposed
investment would be very materially
reduced. because dam No. 3. costing
from $1S.0O0.000 to $25.000.000, would
not be built" and it would not be
necessary to make the full lnstaila-
In y,f m .
until the market required such install
This partial installation" the Sec
rotary explains, would erect saw
ing Of present investment in at least
the sum of 100000, leaving. accord
ing to the chief of engineers esti-
mate. not to exceed s22,Ooo.ooO TO pc
invested by the government at tins
time. instead of s4O.o00.00o to $780,
100000
Unemployment Question.
The question of unemployment Is
sidered by Congress in connection
with it's treatment of the Muscle
Shoals questions.
out. when there is large amount
of labor required in undertaking this
development. I, therefore, urge that
Congress give early consideration to
this matter. not only to settle a
COntrONerteQ question: Dul " iu' hA'iA
employment on a large scale.
The Secretary explains his action in
sending the offer to Congress by de
claring he is without authority in
law to accept Mr.. Ford's offer or dis
pose of the property as a whole,
either by sale or by lease and that
ait is peculiarly the province of Con-
eress to weigh the considerations
which will pass 10 the respective
parties to the proposed arrangement.
In that connection. he points out. the
necessity for determining whether
the advantage of the government in
having nitrate plant No. maintained
in readiness for the manufacture OF
explosives and in actual production
of fertilizer. together with the i'm
provement to navigation. is of sufh-
cient Importance to justify the pro-
posed departure from the present
policy of the law in regard to dealing
with the water-power resources of
the nation and to warrant leasing to
MIR. Ford. government property for so
long a period at the rental proposed.
Proposes Fifty-Year Limit.
II believe it would be better policy
the Secretary wrote. TO limit the con-