Evening star., 1923-11-29
COOLIDGE MAY BID
FOR FARMER VOTE
Declared to Be Considering
Suggesting U. S. Operation
of Muscle Shoals.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

There are strong Indications that
President Coolidge viii shortly make
bid for the voting power of the
agricultural sections that have shown
sentiment favorable to the candidacy
of Henry Ford
Analysing the strength of Mr.. Ford
as reflected in letters received by
the administration, the main pillar
seems to be the demand of the farmer
for cheaper fertilizer to cut down his
costs of production and belief that
Henry Ford's plan to operate Muscle
Shoals will accomplish that object.
Gray Silver, head of the American
farm bureau, who now is in Europe,
told Mr.. Coolidge not long ago that
he had been advised by experts that
scent fertilizer could be produced
at Muscle Shoals. The market price
of fertilizer is at least three times
that sum and makes quite an item in
the farmers budget. With the low
price of wheat, the farmers costs are
concerning him vitality and if ne
could secure cut in fertilizer il
would increase his margin Of profit,
especially if a foreign market tor
grain were some day to be eSta bI:sh-
ed.
Favors United States Operation.
Mr.. Coolidge has let it be known
that he believes fertilizer to be of
such paramount Importance to the
welfare of the country that he would
consider the federal government JUS
titled in operating Muscle Shoals
even at a loss. This would check
mate the Ford plan of private opera
ton. 1t would mean a loss OF about
a
estimates, as the whole thing is very
much of an experiment, but If Mr..
Ford could risk it so could the fed
eral government. That's the view
which many members OF Congress
have been taking of the subject and
matters have reached the point where
a bill passed by both houses would
receive the approval of the President.
Mr. Coolidge has been told that in
denying Mr. Ford the opportunity to
develop Muscle Shoals the govern
ment must provide some alternative
that will satisfy the same sentiment
that is back Of Mr.. F'ord's campaign.
1t seems almost certain that the
alternative will be government op-
Grafton of the Muscle Shoals. To
this there may be the objection which
has been made to government owner
ship of other things, such as shipping
or railroads. but here. too, the pro-
gram would provide that the initia-
would be governmental character
only in the years OF experimentation
When once the plant was able to
turn out cheap fertilizer it could be
leased to private concerns on terms
favorable to the government in the
ultimate return of the capital invest
ed and guaranteed to give the farmer
his fertilizer at agreed upon rates.
L. S. Bought During War.
During the war the federal govern
ment bought the fertilizer product of
Chile in a bulk and disposed of it to
the American farmers, so there is
precedent for government handling of
this problem in an emergency.
CnqueStionably there will be re-
newed agitation of the Muscle Shoals
controversy at the coming session of
Congress, but the administration is
prepared to meet it with a specific
plan for government operation, view
ing the present emergency as of prac-
tically the same economic Importance e
to the country as the steps under
taken during the war to obtain fer
tiliZer at reasonable costs