Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-03
FORD BID ADVOCATE
SAYS TENNESSEE IS
M|SREPRESENTED'

| u, b. Stanlman, puDnSler Oh lie
Nashville (Tenn) Banner resuming
his testimony today before the SEN
ate agriculture committee on Muscle
Shoals, said testimony given by 9TH
er Tennessee witnesses did not rep
resent the true sentiment in the
state. He said one of them, Dan
McGugin had conducted propaganda
against the Ford bid. McGugin, he
said, did not state fairly the Ten
nessee attitude on the Ford bid.
| The arguments made before the
house committee by Mr.. McGuSln
and his associate, Mr.. Wilkins, of
| Tullahoma, Tenn, went uncontra-
dicted by anyone from our section,
but regardless of that the house
committee ignored their testimony
and voted favorably on the Foro
proposition" Stahlman observed.
propaganda, instead of being in.
augurated by Mr.. Ford, was or
ganized by the power companies and
Mr.. McGugin acted as their agent,
he said.
Would Ignore Act
"On or about the first OF Janu-
| ary, the president of the Tennessee
| Manufacturers association, of which
Mr.. McGugin is general counsel, APP
| pointed Il committee to so into the
Muscle Shoals situation. A meeting
| was called by the association and |
| learned that Mr.. EdgertOn, presi-
dent of the association, had been on
an eastern trip and returned with
! the notion that it would be danger
Gus to have FOrd's bid accepted,
feeling it would hamstring the
south"
The meeting of the Tennessee
| Manufacturers association did not
give opposition to the Ford bid, but
| favored bringing Muscle Shoals I'M
der the federal water power act, he
asserted.
Stahlman said he did not favor
| placing Muscle Shoals under the
federal water power act, as this
would limit Ford's bid to fifty years
and Ford would turn it down.
He said the Tennessee Manufac.
turers association did not indorse
the power companies bid.
Il am trying to impress upon you
the adroit methods these gentlemen
-McGugin and his associates-used
in trying to impress the public that
they represent the Tennessee Ianu
facturers' association" he declared.
He said they uhed elaborate
means in an attempt to convert the
Tennessee Manufacturers associa-
ton to their way of thinking, but
| they had not succeeded.
Propaganda Pamphlets
Stahlman exhibited numerous
pamphlets which he described as
| &, Il IF ho
MES which were trying to kill the
| tributed by my altruistic friend
McGugin."
yet when McGugin was on the
stand here he accused us of shock
ing propa ganda when he was
spreading it all the time" he said.
and added "McGugin says he is not
in any way in any power company
or fertilizer trust, but represents the
president OF the Tennessee Manu-
facturers' association.
"The power companies, several of
them, not only Tennessee cOmpa-
nies, but Alabama companies as
we'll, have become members OF the
Tennessee Manufacturers aS5Ocia-
ton and paid in enough money to
keep this propaganda going. and
that money was passed over to Mr..
McGu2in to make use of as he saw
fit to carry on this propaganda"
Would Defer Inquiry
Stahlman read a letter from the
Tennessee farm bureau federation,
dated March |, 1924, addressed to
Representative Davis, of Tennessee,
saving the farmers faVorede the Ford
I, i h11
to have the Tennessee Manufac'
turers' association pay the railroad
fare to Washington of delegation
of farmers belonging to the farm
bureau.
stahlman said he presented the
| letter ito show the widespread pro
paGanda spread by McGugin.
He said McGugin had gone to Ala
bama and "acted like one inspired
from above to save the country"
! Senator Harrison, Democrat, Mis-
sissippi, said he was very anxious
to have the bill voted on in the SEN
ate before adjournment of congress
and suggested the propaganda in
! vestigation be deferred.
Relieves FOrd's Word
THE Muscle Shoals association
created for development of Muscle
Shoals was organized in 1916 as a
result of a meeting al Nashville of
| people from Tennessee, Kentucky
and Alabama, and we raised about
! $4,000 to cover the costs If employ
/ ing an engineer to so to Muscle
| Shoals and make a survey the wit
ness said. contributions were made
| year after year to cover operating
expenses and not for propaganda. "
/ The expenditures were made to OBJ
tain information for the members Of
! the association and not to influence
anybody on Muscle Shoals, he said,
/ and added nobody can buy an edi-
( torial in my newspaper. l wish there
/ were more newspapers in the country
! that could say the same. l believe
| in Henry Ford. I believe he will
give the government the best return.
/ Il am hostile TO the nasty fingers
of the power companies in this
/ thing" Stahlman said. Where
| does all this opposition to Ford
come from? From the power com
panies and the fertilizer trusts. If
/ Ford did not live up TO his contract
| would lash him as l would the
scoundrels who try to bride M
But Ford is an honest man. He
will live up to his promises"
Stahlman urged the committee
not to cripple the Ford bid by max
I ing changes in the contract. He
said Ford would not cripple the
farmer IN the south: he wants TO
so on with this work and make a
/ success of it.
/ Stalhman declared the government
could not operate Muscle Shoals
without getting into politics,
EXPrisOner on Stand
w. ], Cummins, president OF the
Bon Ar Coal and Iron company fol-
lowed Major Stalhman on the stand
and identified himself as the man
who was sent to Sing Sing by
District Attorney Whitman on the
+ charge Of wreckins the Carnegie