The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-29
JOHN c. M,KENZIE

to be its permanent source of power. The government agreed, at such time as the Gorgas power was unneces- sary. to sell it's interest to the Ala bama Power company, at fair value to be determined by arbitration.
 While legal authorities of the gov ernment held that this contract did not obligate the government to sell it's Gorgas interest to the Alabama Power company, that in other words, the government could legally accept the ford offer, which included the governments property at Gorgas, the very existence of the contract gave those who desired an excuse for Op- posing the Ford offer, the excuse that they desired. Further, there were serious members who held that the government had entered into a contract and that the government having never repIdiated contract must in honor fuyll this one rather than repudiate it because of tech- nicality.
 When the situation was presented by MT. Dent, the committee was demonstrated when the reports were made. The first, or so-called com mittee report, was submitted by Representative John c. Mckenzie of Illinois. acting chairman. It pro- vided for the acceptance of the Ford offer With the eIliHlndllOu Ol LAd section which called for the de- livery of Gorgas. The members who signed that report knew that Ford had repeatedly represented to the committee that he would withdraw his offer unless it was accepted as submitted.
 The second report was prepared by Representative William c. Wright of Georgia. It provided for the un- qualified acceptance of the Ford of fer. The third was prepared by Rep resentative Charles c. Kearns of Ohio. It provided for the rejection of the Ford offer in toto.
 Senate Hearings Tame.
 In comparison with the hearings before the House committee those before the Senate committee were exceedingly tame. While the dem ocrats on the committee were ardent ly in favor of the Ford offer, they llwere not as well informed as to de- tails as the Ford advocates on the House committee. As result. there was a lack of fight and fireworks The spectacular element was entire ly missing The committee divided In reporting just as the House com mittee had divided. One. element principally democratic, favored the Ford offer; another stood for the re- jection of that offer.
 The chairman of the committee however, Senator George w. Norris of Nebraska injected a new idea He submitted to the Senate a severe arraienment of the Ford offer, anC report providing for the creation of a government corporation for the development and operation of the Muscle Shoals properties. In the Senate Norris was the obstacle just as Gorgas was the obstacle in the House. II was not so much the plan of Norris. It was the fact that Nor ris is a progressive, leader or the farm bloc, an independent, an az gressive fighter, and withal very able man, .
 Charges, not specific, at all. but general, made by Ford advocates from the floor that opponents or tht Ford offer were subsidized by sel1ls1 interests, so infuriated Norris tha' his deportment was characterized p8 great bitterness. He retaliated bN repeatedly flaying the proposition o1 the Detroit man. and criticising those who stood in support of 1t. By tnt conservatives in the Ford camp II was regarded as highly unfortqnatt that the enthusiasts had aroused man as formidable as Norris.