Omaha daily bee., 1922-06-14
Action on
.Shoa Is Is
President Will Give House
Leaders Free f-
Senate t.; ANA
Norr;' -

e., s.viv Az - q on pro-
posed rS. T isgisla. =. aNnopment OF
the governments projects at Muscle
Shoals, Ala, were frightened today
by authoritative announcement from
the White House that administration
officials we're anxious for house lead
ers to act on the matter with free
hand.
President Harding. il was said, has
taken no position in opposition OF
support OF Henry Ford's proposal,
believing that its acceptance OF re-
lection by congress was a question
for legislative decision only. At the
same time, il was further explain
cd the president realizes the great
possibilities for the national good
that might result by exploitation Of
the Alabama properties. irrespective
OF the form such development might
take
What action the house will take,
Representative Mondell, republican
leader, announced. will be decided in
conferences Of majority members and
decision Would be formulated IN
"the near future"
Appeal for Action.
Representative Garrett of Ten
nessee. acting democratic leader. told
his colleagues the republicans would
have an interesting time if they
brought in the ship subsidy bill and
refused to give consideration to the
disposal of the Muscle Shoals units,
which promised, if allowed further
development, to produce cheaper fer
tilizers for the farmers.
Later an appeal to the republic
cans for Early consideration of Mus
Gle Shoals legislation was made by
Representative Bankhead, democrat,
Alabama. All the great agricultural
organizations of the country and the.
business organizations of the Mis-.
sissippi valley, he said, were vitality
interested in the Ford proposition
and we're insistent that some final
action be taken before the end of the
present session.
Action in Senate.
A nearer approach to termination
OF hearings on the various pro-
posals for Muscle Shoals was made
today by the senate agricultural COM
mittee. Chairman Norris of Ne
braska called w. G. Waldo, consult ]
ing engineer for the Tennessee River
Improvement association, for final
examination and later announced
that the committees public sessions
probably would be ended with the
appearance later this week of Mai.
H.. H. Burns of the ordnance bu-
reau, War. department.
Mr.. Waldo testified that it was
Mr.. Ford's plan to develop power in
the upper Tennessee to supplement
that created by the projects at Mus
Gle Shoals and would, in the event
his offer was accepted, spend a part
OF the $4,000 estimated for use at
the shoals, in improving the river
above the Wilson dam. 1t was his
belief, Mr.. Waldo said, that reser-
yoirs would be created to regulate
the flow of water evenly through
the year at the Wilson dam and
that this construction work would
materially benefit navigation on the
upper river.
Propaganda Explained.
Senator Norris and the witness en-
gagged in a friendly exchange OF
criticisms over 'the propaganda"
against and in favor of the Ford
offer, the former declaring that it
surpassed in volume anything of the
kind he had ever experienced,
Mr. Waldo contended that there
was as much propaganda directed
against the Ford offer as in favor of
It and asserted that the New Eng
land states, New York, New Jersey
and pennsylvania appeared to be the
leaders OF the opposition. He and
Senator Heflin, democrat, Alabama,
joined also in reference to the Ger
tllizer trust as an augmenting fac
tor to the "anti-Ford propaganda"
but Senator Norris declared evidence
would acquit that interest of such
charge. Government and other wit
nesses had testified. the chairman
ADDED, that there was no such
thing as fertilizer trust"
Inc Alabama member and Mr..
Waldo disagreed with Chairman
Norris on this point and were in
vlted by the latter to give the names
OF witnesses who could prove the ex-
istence OF the fertilizer trust in or
der that they might be subpoenaed