The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-12-05
LADD on MUSCLE SHOALS
Grand Forks Hera,d)

Two articles on Muscle Shoals
prepared by Senator Ladd, of
North Dakota. have recently APP
peared in the Saturday Evening
Post. In these articles Senator
Iadd sets forth the reasons why he
favOrS the transfer of the Muscle
Shoals property to Henry Ford
substantially on the terms pro-
posed by Mr.. Ford. He takes is
sue sharply with the Norris report
which recommended the rejection
OF the Ford offer, and he makes
out a fairly convincing case.
Senator Ladd devOtes a consider
able part Of his argument to the
chemical phases of the subject, in
which he is within his own fielu',
chemistry having been his specially
in college work. 1t is interesting
to note the manner in which his
chemistry Influences his econom-
les. Ever since the advent OF the
Nonpartisan league he has been an
ardent advocate OF public owner
ship But his experience as Il
chemist convinces him that in the
operation of a chemical plant the
government would be out of its
element, and he feels sure that sach
an activity shoult' be conducted by
private enterprise. Equal tamil
iarity with the milling, packing
and banking Zines might have
caused him to hesitate before adj
vocating government control OF
those activities.
Referring to the theory that the
government should sell the prod
uct OF the Muscle Shoals plant di-
rectly. Senator L.add asks when
will the department OF agriculture
have a selling agency equal to Mr..
Ford's 10000 successful agencies:
That is pertinent question. 1t
pre-suppOses the fact that produc-
ton is not the only element that
enters into the successful manage
ment of Il manufacturing business.
The produce which is made must
also be sold, and the sale OF gooi..;
requires maintenance Of sales
organization. Such an organiZa-
ton adequate to dispose OF the
product of large factory cannot
be created in a day. Yet in the
inauguration Of the North Dakota
state mill and elevator, of which
Mr.. Ladd was one of the advo-
Gates, the original organizers APP
parently gave not a thought to the
question of selling the product OF
the plant. The idea seemed to be
that it was necessary only to buy
wheat, grind it, ant! have the world
come and get the flour. 1t was
found that flour does not sell it.
self. There are many people en-
gagged in the business of milling,
and all of them are actively en-
gagged in selling their own flour.
Some OF them nave been building
their sales agencies for genera
ton CIR more, and they are not pre-
pared to stand aside ana make
J room for North Dakota state flour.
/ The North Dakota plant started
ont with a manufacturing capacity
! of 1000 barrels a day anL' no mar
ket at all. Ii the management had
| waited for customers and had con-
.inued to grind. the prairies by now
would have been covered with
flour awaiting sale. 1t was neces-
sary to create a sales agency equal
to the manufacturing possibilities
of the mill, and the management
had before it the problem of doing
in a few weeks what other institu-
| lions of like character had been
doing gradually for many years.
Senator LaGH thinks that sales
agency for the distribution OF
chemical products is very essen
tial thing, and something which a
government department cannot
handle advantageously or quickly
| as compared with business al
ready we'll established. 1t seems
! not to have occurred to him that
he same consideration operates in
the distribution of flour. q.