The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1922-06-23
FORD'S OFFER FOR
SHOALS DENOUNCED
Eight Republican Members OF House
Military Committee Sign
Report.

Washington, June 2O.-Eight Re-
publican members of the house mill
tary committee today signed a report
submitted to the house by Represen-
tative Kearnes, of Ohio, denouncing
Henry Ford's offer to purchase and
lease the governments projects at.
Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Their ac-
tion increased to four the number
of reports emanating from the COM
mittee and marked another division
of opinion among the twenty-one-
members over the question of Muscle,
Shoals disposition.
The eight members were Repre-
Isentatives Kearnes, Ohio; NORM, Car
ago, and Ransly, Pennsylvania; Gro
ther, New York; Hill, Maryland; Par
ker, New Jersey, and rockingham,
Massachusetts,.
None of the signatories to the new
report was willing for congress to &C
cept the Ford offer either as recon-
mended recently by the so-called ma
jority views presented by Acting
Chairman Mckenzie, or by those who
endorsed the report written by Rep
resantative Wright, Democrat, Geor-
gia, asking the acceptance of Mr..
Ford's proposal Internationally. The
third opinion drafted bv Represen-
tative Parker. Republican, New Jer-
ssy, and endorsed by Representative
rockingham, Republican, Mass. both
Of whom signed the Kearnes docu-
ment today, was in effect merged
with the new report that the Kearns
report stressed the Importance of get
ting to the country a clear, fair and
unbiased statement of facts concern
ing the Ford proposal. declared that
wicked" and paid" propagandists
were scattering propaganda through
out the country, that is often void
of truth and attacked the Ford offer
in a way that left none of its pro-
visions free from hostile criticism.
Power Company's Offer.
At the same time the report
asserted that the Alabama Power
company, which submitted on offer to
develop the power projects at Muscle
Shoals, had always dealt fairly with
the government" and was offering
$4,000, 900 for it's interests in the
steam plant at Gorgas, in accordance
with the terms of the contract execu-
ted with the war department when
the plant was erected.
In another part the report sum-
married. the cost prices of the pro-
jects which Mr.. Ford would purchase
for $4,000, 900. A total expenditure
of $S5,343,296 was claimed on the
Waco inquiry the Gorgas steam plant
and nitrate plants number one and
two, while the amount offered was
held to be wholly inadequate"
Attack Ford Provisions.
Among the other provisions of
the Ford offer which were attack
ed by the report were those propos-
ing a lease of the water power pro-
jects for 100 years, that fixing the
terms Of the amortization plan for
repaying the government for building
dams two and three that offered $685.
900 annually to tho government for
repair of dams, that providing the
manufacturing of fertilizers during
100 years lease and the Detroit
manufacture to pay interest on the
$17,OOO,O0O already spent on the
son dam.
Lengthy explanations of each or
these features of the Ford offer
were containing in the report which
pointed out, the belief that tho tax
payers of the country would revolt
If congress accepted the offer and
voted appropriations totalling $780,
1000 to carry out its terms.
4 ,abulation OF the "entire cost
% the taxpaye"s Of the United
States Of the Muscle Shoals project
up to the present. time" also was
presented. showing a total Of $751;
1926, including $13,32OOOO for
interest on new money required at