Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-07-20
FORD REPORT
Continued from page d

the Secretary of War to con-
struct dams in the upper Ten
nessee. river to equalize the flow
of water throughout the year,
and, the report says, more than
doubling the power possibilities
Of Muscle Shoals. 1t adds that
the government is about the only
one that can afford to construct
these reservoir dams. The stor-
age Of waters in the Tennessee
river, the report claims, would
automatically assist to great
extent in leSsening the danger OF
overflow on the Ohio and Mis-
sissippi rivers, thereby offering
at least partial remedy to flood
control conditions.
The only objection made to
the passage Of the Norris bill, the
report says, has been by those,
who are opposed to the govern
ment engaging in any kind of
business, adding that "a fair con-
sideration Of ali the facts sur
rounding the Muscle Shoals pro-
perty will, we think, convince
any fair-minded investigator that
the government is amply justi-
fed in operating the govern
ment's property at Muscle
Shoals"
The document concludes with
a detailed comparison between!
features of the Ford offer and
those Of the Norris bill and en-
phasizing what it describes aSI
the greater advantages the peo-
pie will obtain from Muscle
Shoals development under the
latter proposal.
Senate bill 1920 undertakes
a new step in power develop
ment. 1t provides that the Sec
rotary of War shall proceed to
make surveys of the upper Ten
nessee and its tributaries with a
view of locating dams for Stor-
age reservoir purposes. In order
10 get all of the power possiblli-
ties out Of the Tennessee river. It
is conceded by all engineers, this
step must be taken. There are
high water periods when there IS
TOO much water for use, and
there are low water periods
when. there is not nearly enough
water. If the flood water could
be held back and let out at time
of low water, the power posslbli-
tiles at Muscle Shoals could bel
more than doubled, and when
we have once constructed a dam
then the changing OF any part OF
the secondary power into prima-
~ power is all clear gain with
practically no additional expense:
Without equalizing the flow OF
the river there is more power
goes to waste than there IS
that is utilized. The most prot
table way, therefore, to develop
hover on any stream is to con-
der the stream and its tributaries
as a whole-to develop all OF the
power in its most economical
form. and thus not only increase
the good that can be accomplish
ed. but very materially cheaper
the product. The government is
about the only one that can at
ford to construct these reservoir
dams" :.
Norris bill is passed by Congress
obligating persons or CORPORA
lions building dams On the Ten
nessee river to pay their proper
tomato share of the cost OF con-
str,,ctine the reservoir dams, 1t t
will be at once RnewnSthatS
rower possibilities of the river
have been wonderfully increased
and it will be an inducement to
persons and corporations TO take
leases on the Tennessee because
they know that the stream VII.
be equalized and the amount OF !,
primary power vastly increased
at all dams on the stream.
When that is done, the report
saws. "the most modern. and the
most economic development OF
mower on the Tennessee river
that exists anywhere in the CIV
ilized world" will have been
made.
at means not only increased
manufacturing through the val
lev. but it means similar I'M
nrovement through the South
It means the eventual cheaper
ing of electricity to the poorest
of the people as well as to the
well-to-do and the wealthy. 1t
means the transformation to a
GREAT extent of large portions OF