Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-27
COTTON CROP NEEDS
STRESSED IN TALK
! BY SENATOR HARRIS

GUllCQ SlclGS anu IilC HeCSSSIIy VI
Justice to the farmer in the matter
Of fertilizer, was stressed in the
n speech of Senator w. J. Harris, of
Georgia, speaking here recently dur.
Xng debate on the Muscle Shoals bill
Let us Go justice to the farmer
ih this Muscle Shoals development,
he urged. Regardless of anything,
L shall continue my efforts to help
the farmer in this matter and every
other way possible. Let us amend
this bill to give the farmer the prefer
1 ence under it's terms"
His speech follows:
IN Mr.. President, there is no differ
T@nce of opinion among senators
| about the development of Muscle
+ Shoals Tor national defense, but there
! is a very great difference among us
as to what shah be done with this
great power when it is not needed
for war purposes. Heretofore the
bills that have passed congress have
provided for government operation
suring war times and for the manu-
facture of fertilizer, or, rather, of
1 nitrate, during peace times, to be
/ supplied to farmers at cost.
During the last war Germany dis
covered that our weakest point was
\ in the matter of nitrate. We were
|dependent upon a foreign country
SSlile-to supply this. We are the
only government in the world of any
size that is really dependent upon
another country in that respect. SO
1--WE are all in agreement that the
i project should be developed to pro-
NHuce nitrate for the manufacture of
munitions during q war. Muscle
Shoals was selected by a board of
army officers appointed by the presi-
dent, upon the recommendation of
the secretary of war, and without
any favoritism whatever. 1t is the
greatest power that can be utilized
for this purpose east of the Missis-
sippi river and away from the sea-
coast where it could not be exposed
to attack The bills that have pass
ed heretofore have not only taken
care of national defense, but have
Notected the farmer. AS [ under
sthnd the pending bill, it does not
do that, and the amendments which
and others have offered to give
preference to the farmers in the sale
and distribution of fertilizers manu-
featured at Muscle Shoals were OBJ
1ected to by the senator from Ala
hama (Mr. Underwood and have
been defeated
Hopes for Amendment
Nj had hoped that I might be able
to vote for the Underwood bill, and
still hope that it may be amended so
that I may do so. Objection to the
amendment offered by the senator
from South Carolina (Mr. SMITH,
which | shall support, has been made
on the ground that President Cool
idge would probably veto it.
81 do not think there is anything
IN the presidents message that can
bS construed in that way. He stated
that he favored a desirable lease, but
failing in that he urged the govern
ment to develop the power The
Smith amendment is not one proYid-
ing for government operation. 1t
simply provides for the government
to develop the best way to rnanufac-
kture nitrate so as to manufacture
NertiliZerS cheaper in time of peace
AND for the manufacture of NUM-
tNns during the war, and then the
property can be leased. 1t is not in
tended by the Smith amendment, as
II understand it, to have government
operation permanently. [ am OPP
posed to government operation as a
tule, but there is no more of gov
Se1IlnGnC operation lIlNOlNGu III the
Smith amendment and the govern
Nent developing way to get cheap
a III abundant nitrate in time of war
and peace than there is in the gov
eminent developing the submarine or
aircraft or in building and maintain
inIg the Panama Canal There is no
difference whatever in the two prop
ositions. Neither one involves gov
eminent operation--both are for ma
tional defense.
One objection I have to the I'm
derwood bill is the defeat Of an
amendment / introduced. which al
Moved the farmers to have the pref
eAence or rather allowed the secre-
taNy of agriculture to distribute the
fertilizer to the farmer. AS | under
stand, the bill Of the senator from
Alabama, unless 1t is amended, in
stead of being n benefit to the farm
ers of the south in giving them
cheaper fertilizer. a lease could be
made under the bill to the fertilizer
thrust, who could raise the price of
fertilizers to the farmers. The fed
er5Al trade commission investigated
the fertilizer trust and found that a
fen companies fixed the price, or
rather controlled the price and the
other smaller, companies followed
There is nothing in the Underwood
bill as | see it that would prevent
half a dozen of the large fertilizer
corporations from leasing the prop
erty, and instead of lowering the
price OF fertilizer to the farmer they
could raise it and the farmers would
be helpless.
Competition in Power
The same thing is true in the mat
ter of power. | have an amendment
which l shall offer to prevent leas.
Ing it to any power corporation that
would come in competition with the
Muscle Shoals plant, because, Just as
In the case of the fertilizer trust, as
Have suggested. the power COM
panies in that section could get con-
troll of the property by a lease, and
INSTEAD of it being a benefit to our
people and lowering the cost o.
power, they could raise the price to
the consumers. | have an amend
msht that will allow them to lease
thA power at n price lower than
,thA corporations if necessary. The
reason | shall offer such an amend
ment is this: Suppose we have to
ease this surplus power to the Ala
oama Power company and the other
power companies, if they had sur
plds of power at times from their
own plant they would not take the
government surplus power. They
-Sould sell their own power and
eaxe ours to so to waste. During
.hetrainy season there would be
wice as much power as at other
INES l think we ought to be pro-
,ected and we ought not TO allow one
sf the power companies in competi-
ion with us TO take the property for
hat reason.
Favors Lease Transfer
The senator from Alabama object
"A ,r,tbNr Of A,,}pc