Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-24
RIVAL FORD BIDDERS
PLEDGE |NSECT|C|DE
EXPERIMENT WORK
Government Would Get
S3OO,OO0,0O0 as Against
S90,000,0O0 From Ford,
Say Friends Of Hooker Bid

WASHINGTON, April 21.-Ex
perimentation in the production of a
chemical to destroy the black wheat
rust insect would be made at the
Muscle Shoals plant if the Hooker
bid is accepted, A. B. Hooker, chem
ist, associated with the bidders. told
the senate agriculture committee
today.
The bidders also plan to produce
on a large scale at Muscle Shoals
"paradiclor of benzol," an insecti
eide now used to kill the peach Dor
er, and calcium arsenate, used
against the cotton boil weevil, Hook.
er said.
While experimenting for a remedy
against black rust, the Hooker
chemists also will attempt to dis
cover an insecticide to prevent black
spot in tobacco crops, the witness
said.
The black rust experiments are
now being made at the request of
large milling corporation, he
added.
Mr.. Ford informed the committee
today that it would be impossible
for him to appear in person before
the committee to explain his Muscle
Shoals bid.
The committee received a letter
today from E. c.. Leibold, Ford $
general secretary, saying that W..
B. Mayo, Fords chief engineer,
would appear instead.
The Ford letter addressed to
Chairman Norris, follows:
Your letter of 14th received.
"Mr. Ford has asked the writer
to inform you that it will be i'm
possible for him to appear before
the committee in view of the fact
that he is leaving the city next
week.
"We are, therefore, communicate
ing with our Mr.. Mayo and suggest
that he get in touch with you and
arrange a suitable date for a con.
ference"
The committee has not yet set
a date to hear Mr.. Mayo.
Chairman Norris had written Mr..
Ford that the committee desired par
ticularly to discuss With him various
proposed notifications OF MS Dill.
The letter called NJr. Fords attention
to the fact that Mr.. Ford had not ap-
peared in person before any COM
mittee in congress, although the bid
had been pending a long time.
1T is the intention of the commit
tee" Chairman Norris wrote, to
close the hearings on April 20, and
inasmuch as that day had been liked
for hearing Governor Pinchot, 1t Is
desirable to have your representative
appear some time during the week
before the 29th.'
Would Net S305, 163,700
Francis r. Weller. consulting en-
gineer interested in the Hooker
White-Atterbury proposal, reiterated
before the committee today that
under the proposal the government
would receive total net income of
S305, 163,700
Earnings for each operating year
under the Hooker bid, Mr.. Weller es-
timated, would be as follows:
First year, $1,03S,60 second, L.
sos, 500; third $3,044,000; fourth, 49,
S2O.6CO; fifth, $4,O94,00O; sixth, $4,-
100, 500; seventh, $3,635,000; eighth,
1881 500: ninth, $4,21S,300; tenth,
SASH 500; eleventh, 1884, 300;
twelfth, $5,727,9OO; thirteenth to for
ty-second operating year, inclusive,
$3.50, 510,000; forty-third to fiftieth,
$44,S92, 900; fifty-first to fifty-siXth,
$34, AIS, 900; total, 1906, 163, 700.
If the government income from
sale of fertilizer is omitted, Weller
said, $85,526,000 should be deducted.
In addition, he said, the total paid
the government for research during
the lease period would be $40, 300,O 900.
On the same basis of estimates,
Weller said the Ford proposal would
yield the government only $90,99S,-
500 snd the bid of the associated
power companies $136, 100000.
Guarantee Question Up.
Weller said one objection to the
. Ford bid would be the drawing of
labor from the southern farms to
Muscle Shoals, where Ford, he said,
planned to build up great indus
trial center. He said he did not be-
lieve farmers in the territory ould
get cheap power under the Ford
lease, because Ford would use most
OF the power in his plant.
Senator Harrison, Democrat, Mis-
SlSSIDDl, dShGu w CAlGl IL liS iAOCNCA
bidders would guarantee 20 the gov
eminent 100000, 900 as Ford did.
Weller said he did not think any
body could make such guarantee,
and did not interpret the Ford bid
as making such a guarantee.
Senator Ralston. Democrat, In
diana, asked Chairman Morris If he
understood that Ford had made
such a guarantee.
The chairman said he did not. but
when the Ford bid comes up in the
senate he intended to offer an amend
ment to make clearer that Ford was
making the guarantee"
Senator Harrison expressed his be
lief the Ford bid already makes the
guarantee.
Chairman Norris said the only way
to decide it was to nut Ford on the
stand personally and ask him the
question.