The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-08
DENIES CHARGES
 OF GRAY SILVER
 ON SHOALS ISSUE
Farm Bureau Official Files Statement With Committee.
 Bishop Says Bribery
 Charge Unfounded
By HUGH W. ROBERTS Washing ton Bureau, The AEe-Heraid.
 h0O naafefaar HNfldfrr

500 Davidson Building.
 Washington, April 7.-(Special.) Gray Silver, legislative agent of the American Farm Bureau federation, filed with the House committee on military affairs today charge that Gen. R. E. Steiner of Montgomery, acting for the Alabama Power com pany, had sought by an offer of $2,50o,00O to induce the Alabama di- vision of the federation to abandon it's allegiance to Henry Ford and make an effort to acquire for itself the Muscle Shoals properties of the government.
 General Steiner, in a telegram, ad- dressed to Thomas W. Martin, pres- declared today that if the charges reflect on me or intimate that used questionable methods in the Muscle Shoals controversy, they are a lie out of the whole cloth"
 | s. II. Dent, Jr, of Montgomery. counsel for the Alabama Power com pany. secured this afternoon a prom 1 ise from Chairman Kahn of the com mittee on military affairs. that Gem ersl Steiner would be given a hearing by the committee Immediately after his arrival in Washington Monday. It is understood that General Steiner will present to the committee state ment by Roy c. Bishcp. secretary manager of the Alabama division Of the. American farm bureau federation. that in the conversation between Steiner and himself there was noth- ing that could have been construed as an attempt at bribery.
 siIvcr's Statement
 While the charges of the American farm bureau federation have not taket hold on the more conservative ! element in Washington, Gray silver and other officials Of the federation believe that they havo caught tho Alabama Power company red-handed. In an interview with your correspon- dent tonight, Mir. Silver expressed ths opinion that the Alabama Power company had at last oyerpiayed it's hand, and as result of its despera- tion had blundered to such extent that it's tactics had become public property Mir. Silver declared his be- lief that General Steiner had sug- | gested to the Alabama division of the | federation that it could secure the nitrate plant at Muscle Shoals, and that 1t could acquire from the conn pany which eventually secures water powe- generated by Wilson dam not only 100000 horse power, but s2.5o0.- | 900. and that he was acting as the agent of the Alabama Power com pany.
 MT. Silver stated to the committee | and to the correspondent that he would have paid no attention to the statement of Bishop, secretary man i ager of the Alabama division of the federation, but for the fact that he had received affidavits from Gaston Scott of Montgomery and a telegram from the president Of the Alabama League of Women Voters" to the ef- fes. that General Steiner was a legal representative of the Alabama Power company.
 Mrs. Msner's Statement | Mir Scott Is an officer of the Scott Investment company, certain mineral rights of which, on the Coosa river, the Alabama Power company has been seeking to condemn. The pres ident of the Alabama League of ! Women Voters has had no affidavit. Mrs. o. c. Maner of Montgomery, president of the Montgomery County League of Women Voters, wired Sil- yer as follows: 'I want you to know that Gen. R. E. Steiner i1 employed l by the Alabama Power company. Show this to the committees" ] Mrs. Maner was chairman of the | Montgomery mass meeting in the in- 1 terest of Ford, and is LOW. according to reports reaching Washington, a candidate for the legislature.
 All facts in the case will be de-