The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-04-06
CONGRESSMAN STOLL
AT MUSCLE SHOALS
SAYS GOVERNMENT SHOULD
RUT THE PROJECT UP TO
Mr.. FORD.

WaSnlnStOH, Apili Il iSSPiSS~
tive Philip H. Stoll of the Sixth South
Carolina district who was a member
of the joint congressional committee
that Investigated the Muscle Shoals
plant last week, says that what the
committee learned in its five days
mission was a revelation. Mr. Stoll
ic confident the committee can now, II
it desires, intelligently and wisely IN
struct congress what to Go with Mus
Gle Shoals. Some members of the
committee went down there hardly
believing that Muscle Shoals was
worth the trip and that every prop
osition to lease the plant was only
q graft scheme to make money out
of the government. The fact was'
said Mr.. Stoll, the committee as a
whole had no real conception of the
possibilities of this enterprise.
When the congressman arrived at
site No. 8 and saw the Tennessee
river at that point over mile WIDE
with the flow of an immense volume
of wafer their eyes were opened.
For weeks these men had been pour
ing over figures about the capacity
of Muscle Shoals and Listening to the
various propositions of what could be
done there. Now they beheld at their
feet the stupendous power OF the
river and its possibilities. They lift
ed their brows in astonishment. Ev-
cry one of them realized at once what
immense assets the American people
and the government possessed in this
Alabama enterprise.
The first thought of perhaps a ma
-jority of the committee was that the
government should complete dam No.
2 before any disposition by lease or
sale to private individuals should be
made. Mr.. Stoll believes that course
would be a serious mistake on the
part OF the government for the rea-
SON that it would take three years
to complete dam No. 2 and the op-
portunity to lease the plant on such
advantageous terms as Mr.. Ford
might now be induced to offer would
be- lost.
Mr.. Stoll believes that perhaps a
majority of the military affairs COM
mittee of the house is now convinced
that the wisest course for congress
would be to lease the plant at once
and let the lessee complete the dam
as soou as possible. Mr.. Ford could
save beth much time and money in
finishing the work He could be Civ
ing the farmers cheap fertilizer and
the industries cheap powder under an
immediate lease much sooner than
these results could be had by wait
ing three years to finish the prelimi-
nary work.
In view of this situation Mr.. Stoll
VIII uldkS al cuOII w AoNS Wiz SSAA&
mittee bring a bill into the house
to lease the plant to Mr.. Ford. In
the bill Mr.. Ford will be asked to
buy the governments interest in the
Gorgasf plant in which the Alabama
Power Company has an interlochng
interest.
Mr.. Stoll believes the Gorgas plant
is not an absolute requisite to the
furnishing of power to complete the
Wilson dam. Plant No. 2 can now
generate $4,000 horsepower and with
a little work it could be increased
to 10000 horsepower. But Mr.. Ford
should be asked to take the govern
ment's interest in the Gorgas plant.
If bill offering to lease the plant
to Mr.. Ford is introduced in the house,
where it can be amended, it will serve
to test the sincerity of Mr.. Ford and
clear this whole Muscle Shoals atmos-
phere.
Half a Million Strong.