The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-04
MINORITY REPORT PLAYS ATTITUDE OF SEN. NORRIS "Extravagant Claims" Of
 Cheap Sale Are
 Repudiated PLEDGE TO FARMERS DECLARED BROKEN Whole Picture Grossly Distorted In Hearings,
 Is Claim

WASHINGTON, June 3.-The public interest would be served best by acceptance of Henry Ford's of- fer for Muscle Shoals, and oppo- nents have exaggerated objections to the manufacturers bid, the mi nority report of the Senate agri- culture committee presented today, declared.
 The report was signed by Sena- tors Ladd, republican, North Da- kota; Smith, South Carolina; Cara way, Arkansas; Harrison. tMissis- sippi, and Heflin, Alabama, demo- crats.
 "The Ford offer" the report said, "has been made the subject of the most savage attacks we have ever seen in any legislation. These attacks have not been of a charac- ter calculated to lead to a calm and logical decision. They have been exaggerated statements as to the amount of power involved, while the power necessary for the manu- facture of fertilizer has been gross ly under-estimsted.
 GrOtesquely Distorted
 Statements which grotesquely dis tort the picture have been made without fear of contradiction because of the technical differences involved in stating the real facts. These impassioned exag- gerations have tended to lead us away from the actual facts and to appeal to our prejudice rather than to suggest constructiyely as to how the great ben- efits admittedly possible at Muscle Shoals can be best made axsilahle to this nation"
 ''The government owes it to the farm CTS to produce cheap fertilizer at Mus cle Shoals" the report declared, adding that when Congress authorized the con- struction of Muscle Shoals it was made clear that the peacetime purpose of the enterprise was the production of fer tilizers. r.
 Have the farmers hoped in vain ?" The experts before the committee unan- imously declared they have not, for all agree that under a business-like man agement such as may be reasonably expected with competent private opera tion at Muscle Shoals, such as is to be had under the Ford plan, the cost of fertilizers to the farmers can be reduced one-half."
 At Own Expense
 "Of all the bidders for Muscle Shoals" the report asserted, "only one, Ford, has undertaken to carry out the purposes of Congress at his own exr pense. It was his bid which originally redeemed Muscle Shoals from the pro- gram of dismantlement and destruction which had already begun when bids were requested by the government on April 2, 1921,
 Tt was his bid that gave the lie to the representations of the group of power companies dominated by Wall street who, when asked to bid, declared that the project was without merit and should be abandoned by the government and that the great Wilson dam should not be completed-that neither private nor government capital should be in- vested in its completion.
 Carried ConsternatIOn
 Tt was his bid that carried con- sternation to the group of fertilizer companies who, with one accord, de- lO AdhC du OllCE MnCL besought by Dr. A. G.. Glasgow to un- dertake the operation of the nitrate plants, rent free, until they should earn g per cent on whatever investment was necessary for their operation, thereafter dividing additional profits evenly with the government.
 These are the interests which, like the power companies, now heartily in- dorse Chairman Norris plan. They see real danger in Ford competition, but in the chairman's poverty ty-stricken government corporation they see noth- ing to fear"
 The report declared it would be folly" for the government to go. into the fertilizer business at Muscle Shoals. Those yfayoring the principle of gov ernmeht operation do grave injustice to the cause when they urge that this course be followed at Muscle Shoals" the report added.
 "If they were proposing that the gov ernment should go into the shoe manu- featuring business, for example, even so radical a course would be open to less objection than that which the ma jority propose"
 ''The majority of the committee would
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