The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-12-11
CONGRESS.
PL ANS z
BILLS
6uilding and Waterways Pro-
posaIs include Operation
Of Shoals Plant
BY WILLIAM HARD

BY WILLIAM HARD
Having fought through a sue.
cessful national campaign on the
issue of being against public
ownership and operation, The
dominant party at Washington
now finds itself forced into q
strong prospect of public owner.
ship and operation of the gigantic
nitrogen-fixation and fertilizer.
production and water-power.
development plants on the Ten.
nessee river at Muscle Shoals.
Also, having fought through q
successful national campaign on
the issue Of being in favor u
economy in Federal expenditures,
the dominant party at Washing
ton finds itself forced into a
strong prospect of enacting q
large rivers and harbors bill and
. large public buildings bill--the
two classic forms Of pork bar
reP' bills, simultaneously, for the
first time in many years.
Surprised By Situation.
These two surprising situations
form the subject OF outstanding
comment in Washington today.
They also have already begun to
call forth surprised and grieved
remonstrance from people back
home.
Why more public ownership and
operation, and why more unusual
expenditures, when those were the
very things that we voted against
when we voted for Calvin Coolidge?"
That is the tone and that is the
purport of the communications be-
ginning to arrive here from puzzled
and alarmed constituents.
Prefers Private Ownership.
The President would prefer pri,
vate operation at Muscle Shoals If
Il can be got.
AS for rivers and harbors. and
as for public. buildings, he is iu
favor of a bit of them; but there
is a large movement In Congress
to have a great deal more of them
than the President would like to
have.
Moreover. the Muscle Shoals
proposition itself is largely rivers
and harbors proposition, all compli-
Gated with great schemes for de-
Sn.ow knNN
ing and regulating and enriching
the Tennessee river and all the
territory adjacent to it at Federal
expense.
Assertions by Opponents.
Back of all the talk about manu-
featuring explosives and manufac-
turing fertilizers out OF nitrogen at
Muscle Shoals there is the good old
idea of developing a local river for
local benefit out of the National
Treasury and out Of the pockets Of
the whole nations taxpayers.
So say the opponents OF these
pro 5ects.
ON the other hand, their friends
come forward with fervent and de.
They say that it is proper for the
nation to spend vast sums Of money
to complete the Government dams
and the Government nitrate plants
at Muscle Shoals on the Tennessee
river in order to provide a sure
supply OF additional explosives in
time of war and in order to provide
cheaper supply of additional fer
filters for our basic industry Of
agriculture in time of peace.
Recall Democratic Bill.
They say that there has been no
Public Buildings bill since 1913.
The Republicans are especially
strong in pressing this point. They
call attention to the fact that in
1913 the Democrats were in power.
The bill Of that year, they say, ac-
cordingly looked after the South
quite well.
It was not SO favorable or sat.
isfactory, they say, to the North.
The time has come, they argue, to
put up some good post.offices in
the North as well as in the South,
Most people here note a strong
distinction between a Public Build.
ings proposition and a Rivers and
Harbors proposition.
Faces Housing Problem.
The former has to do with the
necessary business of the Federal
government, principally in the
matter Of the Federal postal serv.
ice. Most public buildings, so-called,
are buildings owned by the Federal
government for post-office business.
1t Is noted that when the Federal
government goes in for a Public
Buildings Bill, 1t is dealing largely
with the question of how it shall
house itself throughout the United
States.
1t is noted, on the other hand.
that when 1t goes in for a Rivers
and Harbors Bill, 1t is dealing with
local improvements which in the end
produce principally local private
benefits for local populations and
local business interests,
Therefore between q Public Build.
tngs Bill and a Rivers and Habors
BIZ there exists, it is held, a deep
difference.
However, in either case, 1t means