The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-30
Norris Amendment Fails to
 Win Support of Committee. Nebraska Member to Press His Shoals Plan in Speech
 Before Upper House Today
SILVER AGAIN COMES TO- AID OF F0RD's PROPOSAL
Farm Bureau Official Reads Into Record Vast Volume of Statistics Showing Relation of Shoals Development to the AgriCulturalists of Nation
WASHINGTON BUREAU l
 THE AGE-HERALD Washington, D. C., Jan. 29 ]

f
 Washington, D. C., Jan. 29
 The army appropriation bill, re- ported to the Senate today, retained the House provisions appropriating and authorizing approximately $17,OOO,00O for the completion of Wilson dam, across the Tennessee river.
 The Senator Norris amendment, appropriating $2,000,000 for ex- perimenting in atmospheric nitro gene at nitrate plant No. l.. was not [ reported. Senator William J. Har- ris of Georgia, member of the sub committee handling Muscle Shoals items, explained tonight that as neither the war department nor the budget commission had recommend ed the Norris appropriation, it was impossible for the subcommittee to attach it to the bill. Senator liar ris declared that he favored the Norris amendment, but that it had no other support on the subcommittee.
 The Norris amendment will be of fered from the floor by the senator from Nebraska, but it will be sub ject to elimination by a point of order. The point of order will be made by Chairman Wadsworth of New York, chairman of the com mittee. it is understood tonight.
 Norris To Speak
 These tactics, however. will not rr \ude speech by Senator Norris. and it is intimated tonight that in course of his remarks he will dis cuss Muscle Shoals, all offers and in dividuals making offers, and his own bill providing for government oper- ation.
 Senator Norris will refer caustical- ly, it is reported tonight, to Bernard Baruch and Gray Silver, who before a House committee, declared for the Ford offer. Today he declared an opinion that from what Baruch had said, he. himself was of the opinion that the fnancier knew nothing of what the proposition contained. and that "it was simply case of one millionaire attempting to help out another millionaire"
 There will be no opposition to the tcally certain.
 URGES FORD OFFER
 WASHINGTON. Jan. 29.-Accep- tance of Henry Ford's Muscle Shoals offer was urged before the House agriculture committee today by Gray Silver of the American Farm Bureau Federation, at hearings on a resolu- tion authorizing the government to purchase $10,000,00O worth of Chilean nitrates for distribution in this country.
 MT. Silver said the Muscle Shoals plant would be able to produce ni- trates at 6 cents a pound, instead of 22 cents now charged for the Chilean product He did not oppose the res oIution, but insisted a source of SUD- ply should be opened up in this coun- try.
 MT. Silver also placed in the record an exhaustive volume of statistics dealing with the Ford offer. prices of nitrate and the cost of hydro electrical development in the United States Included in the exhibit was a statement that Ford's plan of if nancing the Muscle Shoals project would ultimately reduce the cost of development of energy from $2E42 per horsepower for one year to $5.52. Interest charged the statement Aaid. amounts under the present scheme to TIA per cent of the power Elimination of this interest outgo. according to the exhibit, would only leave depreciation, administration. operation and taxes to be financed. j By applying the amortization plan. It was contended. the entire cost of hydro electric development would be wiped out in S3 years, leaving only the fixed charges to be met.
 PREDICTS QUICK VOTE
 LORENCE, Ala, Jan. 29.-James F. smith. president of the Mississippi Valley association, in letter made public today, predicts that Congress will vote on the proposal of Henry Ford for Muscle Shoals within the next 10 days.
 The Mississippi Valley association is an organization which has for it's aim the full development of the Mis- sissippi river and its tributaries. It's membership embraces 23 states in the great central valley of the Father of Waters"