The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-27
Discussion of Proposed Boon
to Farmers as Suggested to
Senate by South CaroIinian
by Purchase S1O,0O0,00O|
of Nitrates Precipitates 1t
SENATOR NORRIS AGAIN
STIRRED INTO ATTACK
Following Endorsements by
Farm Federation Leader and
by Former Chairman of War
Industries Board, Senate Is
Scene of Lively Debating
WASHINGTON BUREAU
THE AGE1iERALD
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The Senate today woke to the
fact that it had attempted to confer
a "boon" on the farmers which the
farmers do not want.
Gray Silver, Washington repre-
sentative of the American farm bu-
reau federation, before the House
committee on agriculture prac-
tically knocked the resolution of
Senator Smith of South Carolina,
creating a revolving fund of $10,-
100000 to be expended for Chilean
nitrates out of the box.
After informing the committee
that farmers could not afford to
pay even cost for this nitrate, which
ne stated would be % cents per
pound, he depressed to discussion
Of tire Henry Ford offer for Muscle
Shoals. He declared that by ac-
cepting the Ford offer Congress
would make it possible for farmers
to secure nitrate at 6 cents per
pound.
Silver then read a report of an
engineer, L. L. Summers, employed
by Bernard Baruch, on the various
possibilities for the disposal of Mus
Gle Shoals. Summers contended
that it would be wisest for the gov
eminent to sell the property to a
group Of industrial interests, but as
no such group had submitted an Of
fer, the Ford proposition was the
most advantageous to the govern
ment. He characterized as 'ridic-
ulously low. the payment which
Ford agreed to make in return for
the property, but gave the Ford Of
fer what was judged complete in
dorsement.
SENATOR NORRIS TO REPLY
Bx Associated Press
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26.-Recom-
mendation of acceptance of Henry
Ford's offer for Muscle Shoals made
today by Bernard NJ Baruch, war
time chairman of the war industries
board, in a letter to Gray Silver,
Washington representative of the
farm bureau federation, brought
forth formal statement late today
from Senator Norris. republican,
Nebraska, one of the Senate group,
opposing acceptance of the Ford Of
fer
At the same time there was made
public statement by Silver which
contended that acceptance of. the
Ford offer would make possible a re-
duction by three fourths in the price
of nitrogen used as fertilizer.
Publication of Mr.. Baruchs letter
and Mr.. Silver's statement brought
forth formal statement later in the
day from Senator Norris, republican
of Nebraska, one of the leaders of
the senate group opposing accept
ance of the Ford offer.
Norris Attacks Statement
Senator Norris attacked the state
ment of Mr.. Silver that Congress by
approving acceptance of the Ford
offer could reduce the price of nitro
gen used as fertilizer by three
fourths, saying:
Mr.. Silver is trying to deceive
the American farmer by injecting
into the Ford offer something that is
not there. Inc FOfQ O1ter makes no
such guaranty and offers no such
promise and Mr.. Silver knows that
the implication he is trying to draw
from Mr.. Ford's offer is absolutely
untrue"
The Nebraska senator further de-
clared the American Farm Bureau
Federation "bolsters up his misrep-
resentation by quoting from the re-
port of an engineer employed by Mr..
Bernard Baruch to investigate the
Muscle Shoals proposition" and after
quoting the portion of the engineer
report dealing with the liability OF
Mr.. Ford said: t
Those of us who have opposed
the acceptance of Mr.. Ford's offer in
the past have often been severely
criticized and denounced because we
said Ford was not personally liable
except to the extent that he agreed
to form a corporation with ten mil
lion. dollars capital. But now comes
Mr.. Silver himself, and from his own
evidence of his own engineer, it is
admitted that Ford has no personal
liability"
Norris Reply to Silver
The statement issued by Senator
Norris follows:
Il have read the statement of Mr.
Gray Silver, the legislative represen-
tative in Washington of the American
Farm Bureau Federation in which he
says, that by authorization of Con-
gress the price of nitrogen used as
tContinued on Page Fourteen)