Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-01
.FORD'S SHOALS BID
LACKS GUARANTEE ES,
DECLARES P|NCH0T
Coolidge Denies Stating
Readiness Ito Deliver
Shoals" : Author Of Wire
Reiterates Statement

nearing OIL the sehoO0 "o
committee.
Governor Pinchot, of Pennsyl-
vania, opposed the offer, and Major
E. 3. Stahlman, publisher of the
Nashville, Tenn. Banner, appeared
as a defender Of the Ford bid, urg-
Ing the committee not to demand
changes in the bid that would make
Ford refuse to accept it and not to
do the thing the companies want
you to do
The publisher insisted that the
/ Ford bid protected the public inter
terest and should be accepted, add
ing that additional protective legis-
laton would be enacted If found nee
essary. He charged that Dan Nc
Gugin, a recent witness, who oppos-
ed the Ford bid as a representative
OF the Tennessee Manufacturers as
ISOLATION, did not represent the man
ufacturers but was a "hireling OF the
power companies"
Governor Pinchot declared Muscle
Shoals was the key to the Industrial
and agricultural development of the
south and that the Ford bid would
"hamstring the south.
Guarantees Lacking
He described the Ford bid as
Careless contract" with no penalty
for forfeiture or guarantee OF any
sort.
"Ford could use all the power for
himself if he chose" Pinchot said,
land pay nothing for the power he
uses and there is no check on the
price he could charge consumers OF
power.
The governor declared the Ford
bid did not do justice to the farmers
on the question of fertilizer" and
was absolutely contrary to the
Roosevelt, policy as set forth in the
federal waterpower act"
Major Stalhman will continue his
testimony Wednesday.
Senator Ralston, Democrat, lndl-
ana, asked who on this committee
represents Henry Ford? If he is
here I would like to ask him what
affection Ford has to amendments
to the bid"
Senator Caraway, Democrat, Ar
kansas, said he favored an amend
ment to Ford's bid to make non
compliance of the contract a forfeit
IRE of the contract rather than the
privilege to sue in Alabama courtsl
a right the government already has
Pinchot said Muscle Shoals was
not only a power proposition but
fertilizer proposition.
FayOrs Power Act
Pinchot said he favored the fed
eral waterpoWer act and worked for
fifteen years to put it on the statute
books.
LAS power proposition the Ford
offer is absolutely contrary to the
Roosevelt policy as set forth in the
waterpower act" Pinchot said.
1.-The Ford offer puts no check on
I the price consumers must pay for
power. Ford could use all the power
for himself If he chose. Ford pays
nothing whatever for the power he
uses.
Nitrate plant Number should
be kept for the manufacturer of nj.
trates in time of war and unques
tionably should be used now for the
manufacture of cheap fertilizer for
the farmer
Pinchot said he saw no reason for
haste in this matter, the dams not
having been completed. He disagreed
with Senator Heflin, Democrat Ala
bama, that tie government plants
had been left for junk He said an
effort had never been made to adopt
a policy and ask for bids.
THE Ford offer does not do Justice
First Find Out Right
Senator Ransdeil said he favored
first finding out if we are right
and then going ahead"
II confess" he said, II do not
know how i stand on the PROPOSE
ton"
Senator Hefliu said it had been
rumored that Secretary Mellon was
interested with large aluminium in
terests, and was opposed to Ford
getting Muscle Shoals because he
would cheaper the price OF alumni
num-"
CONCIIluE IlUCHOl Salu he ala not
know about that and did not care.
Major +. Il. Stahlman, publisher
of the Nashville, Tenn, Banner, fol
lowed Pinchot on the stand aud read
letter from the mayor of Nash.
vile saying he favored acceptance of
the Ford offer and expressed this
as the opinion of the people Of Nash.
Vile.
He also read letter from the
judge OF Davidson county court say
Ing the people of that territory want.
ed the Ford bid accepted because il
would mean the development of that
section. Major Stahlman said he be.
came interested in Muscle Shoals in
1916
I'VE formed an organization to in.
vestigate Muscle Shoals from the
standpoint of power, fertilizer and
transportation. We employed the
best engineer we could find to in,
Nestigate the property" he said.
Engineers Laud work
THE very engineers who appear
ed here yesterday and opposed the
Ford bid We're the very ones who
Iauded our engineers work"
I want TO say to you that the
charge that we had spent $4,000 tc
lobby in Washington in favor OF the
Ford bid is not true. That $4,000
was used for something entirely for
elSn TO any such thing.
Ne haven't tried to bride any
body to have the Ford bid accepted
but. have sense enough to know
Continued on Page ), Column 81