The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-01
HOUSE TO TAKE UP SHOALS BILL
 NEXT TUESDAY
Committee Gives Measure Priority Over General ]. LegislatiOn

wAsHISGToN, Feb. %. The Me Keasie bill which would authorize ae-. ceptanee of Henry Ford,s offer for Muscle Shoals, will be taken up Tues day by the House under an agreement reached today.
 The rules committee reported a. reso- lution giving the measure priority over general legislation after disposition of the tax bill. Chairman Shell said gen. eral debate, which would be limited to 10 hours, would get under way Tues day afternoon.
 Representative Mckenzie, republican, Illinois, author of the bill, predicted He expressed confidence the measure would be passed without material change.
 Debating Time Allotted
 The rules committee decided that half of the debating time should be controlled by Mir. Mckenzie and the remainder by Representative MOrin, republican, Penn sylvania, who is opOpsed to the proposi- tion. Both are members of the mili- tary committee, which recommended &C., ceptance of the Ford bid.
 The agreement was reached providing that MT. Mckenzie should allOt half of his time to Representative Quinn, demo- crat, Mississippi, strong prOponent of the bill, while Mir. Morin is to permit a democratic member of the House Op- posed to the Ford offer to control half of his time.
 Decision of the rules committee to put Muscle Shoals ahead of appropriation bills on the legislative calendar, meets with the approval of Chairman Madden of the appropriations committee, who favOrs acceptance of the Ford offer.
 Ten Hours Is Maximum
 Previous to acting today on the Me KenZie bill, the rules committee held a hearing at which it heard several mem bers of the military committee. MT. Mckenzie urged that debate be confined to six hours, but made no serious Ob- jection to the suggestion of MT. Morin, Representative Hull, republican. Iowa, and Representative Hill, republican, Maryland, military committeeman op- posed to the measure, for 10 hours de- bate.
 Mir. Mckenzie said there was n sus- piciOn that sharp practices would be resorted to to put over the bill, which carries the Madden amendment pros viding for construction of plant at Muscle Shoals to replace the Gorgas steam plant sold recently to the Ala bama Power company.
 He recalled that Mir. Hull. now one of the most vigorous opponents to the Ford offer. two years ago supported him in his efforts to bring about a House vote on the Detroit manufacturer bid. | Mir Mckenzie also pointed out that no democrat on the military committee had himself as opposed to the bill and said it was imperative the bill be passed substantially as reported by the committed.
 To Fight To End
 In his argument to the committee Mir. l Hull said he was opposed to the Me Kenzie bill fin every way and an his determination to fight it line by he"
 COHSiuei llllS Dlli dS dDOul dS vicious as any ever brought before Con gress." he said, and added that he is op- | posed to putting the bill ahead of the naval appropriations measure.
 Mir. Morin said members of the House had not had sufficient time to study the Ford offer and the bids submitted by other interests, while Mir. Hull de- clared he was in favor of the Ford bill until he saw Muscle Shoals and since has been opposed to if.
 Chairman Shell said he was opposed fC the Mckenzie bill, but believed that the House should be given an opportun- ity to vote on it. A number of repre- sentatives interested in the Muscle Shoals question were present at today's hearing, among them Representative Almon, dem4crat, Alabama, in whose district the project is locatedI