The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-07

were Ford to develop the Coosa that
would represent no solution of the Mus
Gle Shoals problem, with which the
committee was engaged.
Seeks To Discount Testimony
at the conclusion of Mr.. Waldo's
testimony, Chairman Norris endeavored
to discount the representation of the
witness that he was not and had never
been an employee of Mr.. Ford. The
chairman read letter addressed by
stenographer to Tennessee geologist
in which reference was made to Waldo
as "our Mr.. Waldo, one of the mem
bers of our technical staff" The wit
ness declared that the stenographer had
no authority thus to refer to him.
Again Norris attempted to inject the
near-sensational when he read a re-
port, purporting to be the minutes of
a meeting of the Tennessee River I'm
provement association, at Chattanooga,
March 20, 1923, in which G. H. Huston,
former Assistant Secretary of Com
merce, was quoted as having said in
confidence that Congressman Madden,
mittee of the House, had promised to
stack the committees the following ses-
sion to the end that a vote on Muscle
Shoals might not be denied. Waldo
professed to have no recollection of
having heard any such statement. He
was then excused.
The Alabama Power company, which
sometime ago suggested to the chair
4L.A = l.
and explain the offer that it had made
fered a period beginning May 10 this
morning, it was learned. The Alabama
Power company has associated itself
with other companies in submitting a
proposal sometimes termed the mo
nopoly" offer. While there seems to be
no chance of the Alabama company win
ming the contract it is pointed out that
it can secure an advantage by con-
Stunning several additional days of those
remaining before the adjournment of
Congress. Ford's opposition unquestion-
ably feels that if his offer is not ac-
cepted this session, it will never be
accepted.
In this connection, it was regarded
as significant and was obviously en-
couraging to Chairman Norris that
Waldo, speaking for Alabama people
generally, declared that if the Ford pro-
posal was rejected, those he represented
stood for government ownership as pro-
vided for in the bill of the chairman.
Cites Court Decisions
In completing his criticism Of the
federal waterpower act Waldo as
founded the committee with what ap-
peared to be his profound legal learn
ing. He proved by references to court
decisions that a lease could not be
terminated at the conclusion of any
period save in cases where the federal
government owned the riparian rights,
or where it could be demonstrated that
dams Obstructed navigation. The law,
however, he continued, would apply
to Ford at Muscle Shoals because the
government would retain ownership of
the riparian rights and the dams. It
was thus, he said, that the law would
discriminate against Ford. He made the
further point that the proposed lease
of 100 years would be one of the short
est inasmuch as the majority of those
granted by the power commission would
endure. forever.
Mr.. Waldo maintained that a de-
manu- ny inc AeueEdl law On rOrd OF
25 cents to be paid the federal govern
ment for every horsepower developed
would represent a sum of 81 100000 in
100 years, and that the public utilities
commission of Alabama would not
stand for it," but would join the New
Jersey and other states in asserting its
sovereignty before. the courts.
The open door to opportunity-The
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