The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-19
ALABAMA POWER
 PROMISES ENERGY ID WIDE SECTION
Offer Binds Company toFunc- tion as Public Utility, Bound to Serve Everyone,
 Says Martin
By Associated Pross

Washington, February 1S.-Sup. ply of hydro electric power for mu. nicipal and industrial purposes throughout the region within trans. mission distance of Muscle Shoals estimated by engineer experts at 400 miles, was promised tonight by Thomas W. Martin, president of the Alabama company, in the event Con. gross accepts the offer of that con- pany for purchase and lease of the Shoals projects.
 Mir. Martin issued a formal state ment in which he pointed out that the offer to operate at Muscle Shoals under the federal water power aci obligated the company to function as public utility. bound to serve everyone, without discrimination either in rates or in service"
 The statement further said that a wide demand existed in the south for increased power facilities and that consideration had prompted the nak ing of the offer by his concern. Mir. Martin said assurances had been re- ceived from a number of "importan. industrial enterprises that if the power from this development becomes available to the public, important in- oustrial enterprises will establish new plants and factories"
 Study Market Demands
 In that connection, he said, I've have carefully considered the large market demands in Memphis and Nashville districts, in Mississippi, Louisiana, New Orleans, and Mobile, as well as the economical advantages of experimenting by inter connection the power supplied for industrial purposes in the states of Georgia and North and South Carolina"
 Confidence was expressed by Mir. Martin that the entire power output would be promptly absorbed. He also declared that the company's policy would be, if the offer was accepted, 'to make as wide a case as possible of this great resource at Muscle Shoals.
 Progress was made by the House
 
 sideration Of the Ford offer for pur- chase and lease of the Shoals projects although the committees hearing was suspended yesterday until Monday. Members of that body individually summed up testimony taken in the last two weeks and conferred with Mir. Ford's representative.
 Gives Fertilizer Data
 W. B. Mayo, personal spokesman for Mir. Ford, conferred with Repre- sentative James, republican, of Micn- igan, before he left for Detroit Mr. Mayo gave the Michigan member a statement for the committees record showing the number of tons of fin ished fertilizers Mir. Ford could pro- duce annually at Muscle Shoals by applying three formulas to the 11o,- 900 tons of ammonium nitrates which he guarantees by the proposed con tract to manufacture at plant No. g. By one formula, it was said, l 1925, 900 tons would be possible, while 1,283,00 and 962,500 would be produced re- spectively if the other processes were 
 It was understood that Mir. Mayo would suggest several alterations in the Ford offer, in addition to that guaranteeing a minimum yearly pro- duction of completed fertilizers in lieu of the provision pledging the of certain fertilizer com pounds which a number of commit tee members have insisted should be written into the agreement.
 Committee members declined to discuss other notifications they be- Iieved Mir. Mayo would take with him for Mir. Ford's consideration.
 These, however. were understood to refer to the question of fixing an amount of capital. for the operating which the offer says will be formed to take over the Muscle Shoals works, the inclusion of addi- tional money to be spent by the gov ernment for acquisition of flowage rights at dam No. and the amount Mir. Ford would pay interest on at the rate of 4 per cent annually. q
 In the event Mir. Ford should agree to make these changes in the existing plan. committee members admitted, his offer would win more general ap- proval both in the military group and in the House membership. Mir. Mayo will return here next week when, 1t was said, the committee would be in- formed what, If any, modification would be acceptable to the Detroit