The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-10-16
EVENING NEWS AND FORD OFFER.


appear to be good investment.
| -
EVENING NEWS AND FORD OFFER.
If any lingering doubt had existed as
to the latent hostility of the Birmingham
Evening News towards the Ford offer
PEELED by the News denunciation of Ford
and his offer in its Tuesdays issue. AS
long as the outcome was in allegiance, the
Evening News carefully yelled its hostil-
ity, and even at times sought to recon-
mend the offer. Particularly was this
the case during Mr.. Underwood's cam
paign when the News besought the peo-
Pile to support Underwood because he
was for the Ford offer. To be sure, that
was a worthy reason for supporting Mr..
Underwood, but it is obvious now that
the News appeal was made, not because
the News favored the offer, but because
it thought the argument would bring
more votes to Mr.. Underwood.
Also at divers times the News, while
on the one hand not then openly decry-
ing the Ford offer, yet warmly praised
the offer of the Alabama Power Com
pany, thus revealing where it's real in
clination lay, even if it did not choose to
say so frankly. 1t has long been the
custom of the Evening News to say a.
good word for the monopolies at all IA
vorable times, but to maintain deep
journalistic silence when any utility sell
fishly sought to levy unjust tribute upon
the people of Alabama. When the Ala
bama Power Company tried, and almost
successfully, to establish valuation for
Irate-making purposes many millions
higher than the true figures warranted,
the Evening News said not word in the
defense of the people of Alaoama. When
the Alabama Power Company attempted
to confine the state commissions at
tention to an ex parte statement of its at
fairs, and tried to block the commission
from an examination of its bona fide rec
ords, the Evening News was mute. The
Power Company could evade the law and
lay heavy and unjust tribute upon the
people of Alabama if it so desired. The
Evening News would not place stone in
its road.
And so it is not surprising. that The
Evening News should on Tuesday, not
only at last reveal it's real sentiments to-
wards the Ford offer, but also on its
front page carry a story advertising the
Power Company's readiness to step in
and take the Muscle Shoals cake. 1t
makes no difference to the News that
the power would be exported out OF Ala
bama, and that the state would thus lose
the millions of taxable values which in
dustrial development at Muscle Shoals
would entail. The News is for monopoly,
no matter at what sacrifice of the public
interest.
But the News is not content with be-
laboring Ford and his offer. 1t must also
impugn the intelligence and good sense
of all the Ford offers supporters by say
ing they were the victims of an "obses-
sion." The good business men and lead
ers of the Tennessee Valley, who were
almost unanimous for the Ford offer,
who had given it deep study, and who had
spent much effort in it's behalf, were the
victims of an "obsession." Strange that
the News should have waited until 1t
was all over to tell them that. The peo-
pie of Montgomery, who voted In The
Journals poll over thirty to one IN favor
of the Ford offer, were possessed OF an
"obsession." The people of Mobile, who
voted more than 1900 to IT in The Reg
ister's poll for the Ford offer were seized
of an "obsession." The people of all Ala
bama, who were overwhelmingly in ia
vor of the Ford offer, were laboring I'M
der an "obsession," little matter which
the News kindly kept from them until the
offer by which they were delQded was
withdrawn.
The venom of the Evening News to-
wards the offer is we'll illustrated by the
following passage from its editorial:
Mr.. Ford has no one but himself to
blame He has not been frank, he has
not been open and above board, and he
has not made any guarantees worth the
paper they were written upon relative to
the production of nitrates or the sale OF
fertilizer. What offer he did make on
these subjects had Joker" in it. There
has been a tremendous ballyhoo about
what Ford was going to do, but when it
was traced to what Ford actually COM
mitted himself to do, there was precious
little-for anyone but Ford
1t almost seems as if the News pos
sesses an "obession" against Mr.. Ford.
Because Mr.. Ford, after having sub
mitted and carefully explained his offer
to the secretary of war, who had request
ed him to make it, and to others, refused
to play politics with congressional COM
mittees seeking to thwart him, the News
upbraids him for "contemptuous treat