The Omaha morning bee., 1924-05-02
CmahdNhcve theNbst is al its Best
MUSCLE SHOALS AND MERE TALK.

MUSCLE SHOALS AND MEkt IAIk
The haiti. that rage. around Muscle Shoals al
present has nothing to do with whether or not the
farmers shall have cheap fertilizer. This Is most
vital point for the southern farmer and to some
degree ID il one Of the dominating problems of agri
culture. When The war was on and the supply OF
potash from Germany was cut of, fertilizer scared
To such height of price to give IL even greater em
phssis than ever Cotton was imperatively needed
and TO produce cotton fertilizer must be had. Ne
braskas potash lakes helped solve the problem, but
when the over, and the supply from Ger
many again available, the price dropped TO point
where Nebraska could not compete.
Il was the war need that suggested the great de-
vslopnent at Muscle Shoals. modest hydro o-eec-
trio scheme was magnhed tenfold and the humble
0000, 900 originally asked for became s125000,-
000 and still the end is not yet So magnificent was
the undertaking that now. FIVE and one-haf years
after the war has ended it is unready to produce
Yet it can produce the nitrates that needed.
Whether or not the United States is engaged
in another war need not be debated. Fertilizer will
he necessary long cotton is raised in the SOUTH
and cotton is essential to human existence.
The conservationists have twisted the Muscle
Shoals plan from its original purpose They have
now connected 1t with great superpower vision that
connects the east with the west, the south and the
north in one great system that will provide energy
for driving all the wheels Of industry. No more at
tractve picture was offered than Is painted by
the advocates Of this dream Of government own
ershp. 1t goes just little beyond the Plumb plan
for dealing with the railroads. because involves all
industry.
When the water power bill was made into law
after long and earnest consideration, IL re-
esyded A. q triumph for the theory Of conservation.
Just a. the mineral and oil land leasing measure was
expected 10 work, the water power control law was TO
produce great benefits for all mankind Just as the
government undertook TO lease naval oil reserves.
and thereby draw the sternest Of condemnation from
the conservationists, 80 the water power has been
80 jealously guarded that development has taken
place. Now the move IL direct for government oper-
alton Of the big enterprise.
II the people are ready to enter into the general
scope Of government ownership and operation, the
entire program Of naturalization Of industry, no
better place TO start be found than Muscle
Shoals. All that is there, save the Gorgas steam
plant. worth about s5,000,OOo, Is owned by the gov
ernment While this Is being debated, and cham
pioned by Senator Norris, Governor Pinchot and
others, the farmers waiting for the promised re-
lief In the fertilizer situation.
From Chile comes part Of the nitrstes that are
used, produced and sold down there under such
strict regulation amounts 10 government Dnonop-
oily. Cotton farmers Of the south pay tribute TO
the Chilean government The bulk Of the supply
comes from the great deposits that lie partly in
Germany and partly In France, and which are In the
hands Of strong companies that backed by the
respective governments. To these all farmers who
use fertilizer, for Whatever purpose, pay tribute.
Our crops are raised by Of foreign Of
potash deposits lying In foreign countries The cost
of producing whatever the farm turns ont il regu-
lated by agencies over which have and ex-
ercise no control.
" requires no especial exercise Of the pagns-
ton 10 note the sstisfaction with which these foreign
rnonopoists see the dispute Muscle Shoals 20
on, day by day, further delaying the hour when they
will no longer dominate American agriculture
Governor Pinchot shudders at the thought Of al
lowing Henry Ford to control the great plant at
Muscle Shoals. Such a monopoly Is dangerous, he
says, Yet he does not seem anxious TO break the
hold Of the foreign producers from where farm
ers purchase millions Of tons annually at prices they
have no voice in making.
While farmers Of the north waiting for the
relief that will from the passage Of the Nc
Nary-Haugen BILL those Of the south are looking for
an escape from the clutches Of the foreign fertilizer
producers through the starting up of Muscle Shoss
Why should the debate in congress be prolonged
while theories are being balanced against need? Let
Us have little action that will amend bad stua-
fion, give aid 70 angushng agriculture all the
land, and then will be time to talk about mt
ownership Of superpower plants. Just the farmer
wants help. He can not fertze his own soil with
...xds mr. mill fns tall rnsks avLet for him