The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-13
Government to Complete Work
at Muscle Shoals Regardless
of Pending Offers by Ford or
Any Other Private Con-
Germ For Commercial Use
STUBBORN FIGHT is NOW
FORECAST IN CONGRESS
Committees Report Expected
to Cause Renewed Activity
by Ford Supporters in an
Effort to Have the Offer of
Detroit Bidder Accepted

WASHINGTON, Jan. Funds
for the completion of dam No. 2
and the installation of eight power
units-all that the war department
considers will be needed for several
years at Muscle Shoals-are pro-
vided in the army appropriation
bill reported today to the House.
The bill appropriates $6,99S,800
for work during the next year, and
in addition authorizes the Secretary
of War to incur obligations on con-
tract to the amount OF $1,000, 2O0.
The con- mittee's decision to au-
thorize government development of
the Muscle Shoals project, without
regard for pending offers by Henry
Ford and others to convert the
plant for commercial use by private
capital, was reached after Brigadier
General Taylor, assistant to the
chief of engineers of the army, had
4 old Acoaiembers that to continue
government work would be a first
class investment.
= Another stubborn fight over the
Muscle Shoals question, perhaps ex-
tending to the Senate, was forecast
by the committees action. Several
development plans contemplating
employment of private capital have
been insistently urged by various
senators and representatives and
those supporting the Ford offer re-
Gently have shown signs of a desire
to renew in a definite fashion their
fight for its acceptance.
Warns Against Neglect
General Taylor told the appropria-
lions sui committee, which framed
the army bill, that no matter what
ultimate disposition was made of the
project, the government should not at
present neglect it,
'I~.believe that if the government
goes ahead and finishes this work
and has a finished thing to offer, 1t
will get much better offers for 1t
than If it were sold in it's present
condition." General Taylor said.
when we tried to get Offers every
body came back with the question:
What have YOU to offerY How
much power are you going to de-
iiver?' and When are you going to
deliver it?'
people operating public facilities
in making any development must
know when the power is to be deliv-
cred. The Alabama Power company
is building a dam on the Coosa river
and they hope to have that in serv-
ice this year in order to meet the
demands that are now being made
They have also been leasing the
Muscle Shoals power Plant"
Comparatively little work has been
done with the appropriation of
1900 600 made at the last session of
Congress, General Taylor said. be-
cause the money was not available
until October l. He said the provision
that the money should not be used
before that time had materially de-
iayed the work.
Work Below Estimates
General TAYLOR said the work was
being done well below the estimates.
During October, he said, cost Of rock
excavation in the spillway section
was $2.4S per cubic yard against an
estimate of So. The comparatively
low costs, he said, resulted from the
difference in the war and peace time
conditions The estimates were based
on work done previously.
Dam No. completed, included the
power house and the installation of
the full 600 .000-horse power of hy-
draulic and electrical machinery
would cost $45,500.000. of which
s24,5000. 900 already had been ex-
pended
In reporting the bill. the appro-
priations committee adopted pro-
vision making the language specific,
40 that the S10,000.000 authorization
ahould be used solely for. completion
of the dam and the installation OF
locks and hydro electric machinery
and not for general construction.