Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-04-26
EAGLE RIVER, VISIONS APRIL 26, 1928
,,NrlN,shED ESS-IHE FORD OFFER

INV Of this wear Henry Ford's offer to take over
Muscle Shoals will be two Years old Ana win al ti.e
aming it has had from the Fertilizer Trust ana tLe
knocking from other interests and powerful opponents
nobody has yet forward with better otfer. ~.
Still we do not accept it and we do not reject It. we
Meanwhile the Government, which virtually aban-
doned the project in 1921 after spending 50 million DOL
lars on it. now has 900 at work on the site ana IS
avnendino II millions more to complete the Wilson DAM
Just what it will do with the dam when gets IL gone
m something not considered as yet There is definite
nurnose The Government has plan for it's operation
and is not likely to have soon Perhaps IL VIII Turn
the project to Ford Sooner or later that IS What
EXPECT to see done Ford doesn't weary OF waiting ana
cancel his offer something the Alabama Power Company
the Fertilizer Trust and other interests wish to see nap
None of these DIRECTORS had any special interest in
Muscle Shoals and of them wanted it, until Ford y
invitation of the Secretary Of War submitted ms oII
Then the Hammer and Anvil club got busy what THESE
directors really want is to have this tremendous power
project lie dormant instead of being made to 90 some
thing for the people and nation hence the interference
and the let-her-drift policy.
A little newspaper labeled Current Opinion
fourpage sheet of propaganda being circulated
throughout the United States by the Institute of Amer
can Business New York From first line to last 1t
knocks" the Ford offer and Ford It represents strict,
ly onesided opinion and nave no doubt tne powerful
interests opposing the Ford lease.
With the sentiment of the country overwhelmingly
for leasing Muscle Shoals to Henry Ford and the House
willing vote it to him at any time the opponents OF
the Ford offer nevertheless able to prevent any &C
ton on it at the last session.
Ford's offer strongly championed in speech
before the House by Representative Madden chairman
of the Appropriations Committee Herbert Hoover Sec
rotary of Commerce. also is for it. He does not favor
government operation for the that do not
which is that it would add heavily to the peoples tax bur-
dens and get nowhere in particular. Still another
champion Of the Ford offer is Bernard Baruch wartime
chairman of the War Industries Board who IN its
acceptance contribution of almost nestmable value to
the future of American agriculture and the safety OF
America in time of Mr.. Baruch would exclude all
bids offers which do not like Fords carry obliga
ton to produce and develop commercially nitrogen
cess But Notwithstanding TINS strong backing ana the
support of the farm bloc the 9th Congress failed to act
on this project which another year has been lost
We can respond quickly enough it seems to the urge
of the rubber industry pass appropriations to
help it find develop of supply But sup
ply of cheap fertilizers on which the conservation OF this
counrys soil fertility and it's food production depend
can wait matter how greatly farmers in the South
and East have need of it, imagine the Chilean Nitrate
Trust from which import millions of dollars worth
of nitrate fertilizer yearly and fertilizer COM
bine, will not object to this.
their wartime efforts to feed the armies in the
field and the Allied nations whose producers in the
trenches the food drive of the American farmers
duced series of giant harvests They exploited their
souls to the utmost After the armstce they kept it
another two years to feed the nations during their
early reconstruction besides supplying the needs of Eur
opes fainestricken peoples For obvious reasons fer
difficult to obtain in wartime Then defation
hit farmer so hard that many were unable to buy
fertilizers and those who able bought less Now soil
experts predicting great slump in production
consequence to be increasingly felt during coming years
While slump in production of certain crops for
brief period may not prove unmxed evil to these farm
ers that is temporary condition in country whose pop
ulaton has increased so millions since 1900 and is now
growing at the rate of than millions year 1t is
reported the South will this harvest little cot
ton because it's cotton growers could not afford to buy
high priced fertilizers in sufficient quantity to push the
crop ahead of the maximum period of boil weev attack
That should interest the folk who already
paying high prices for cotton goods.
An interesting commentary neglect to de-
veop nitrogen supply of for farm Industry
afforded by the PREPARATIONS trouble between Germany
and France Germany greatest agricultural chemist pro-
tests that the delivery of 10000 tons of pure nitrogen
from Gemanys air nitrogen fxation plants would cause
harvest decrease in Germany amounting to 100000
vegetables
preciptate a food crisis.
gen annually at Muscle Shoals and much as his
duction problem develop. This he will supply at
per cent of the actual cost of manufacture He will pay
the Government per cent interest the cost of the
DAMS He will pay back in the dams, and at the end of
his 100year lease return the property to Uncle Sam free
of all charges Meanwhile he will maintain and operate
the dams and locks at his expense To carry out
this contract to the letter, Ford pledges himself his
heirs and his entire fortune.
If do not accept the Ford offer, the alternative is
Government operation under political management That
highsaaried officials working in the usual leisure
W way and annual appropriations to make good the def
icits and to carry on the work.
The Congress which meets next December must de-
eide which of these two policies is to be adopted
We should accept the Ford offer No question about
that shall vote to turn the Muscle Shoals project
to him. to the the United States best fitted
to develop it and make INSTRUMENTATION Arthur Cap
per- Washington D. c.