Evening star., 1925-01-15
SHOALS STRUGGLE
! IS BACK IN HOUSE
Bill to Go to Committee or
Conference-Senate Votes
Underwood Measure.

The Muscle Shoals problem was bach
today in the House, where the four
year-o1d fight over disposition of the
property started.
IL was returned by the Senate fr
the form of the Underwood privat:
leasing bill adopted as a substitute
for the House measure proposing q
lease to Henry Ford.
Whether this measure will be sent
direct to conference between the two
houses or will be referred to the mil
ftary committee rs the first question
the House must determine. Obje ctior
by a single member would serve al
least to delay the sending of it to
conference. Supporters of the Under
wood bill will make every effort to
get it before managers of the two
houses in the hope that some sort OF
legislation finally disposing OF the
question will be enacted at this ses-
sion.
Opponents want to have il referred
TO a comm ttee in the belief that this
step would result in ths m"tter 60
ing over for disposition by the new
Congress.
May Meet Coolidge Views.
Should the legislation be referred to
conference. it is generally believed
that it will be rewritten in large
measure TO conform to tn views of
President Coolidge. as Ou lined in his
annual message to Congress last De-
cember. He proposed either sale or
lease and, as a last alternative, Gov
ernment operation.
Extricatfng itself from the parlia-
mentsry morass into which it became
begged Tuesday. the Senate late yes
terday substituted the Underwood
measure for the Norris Governme Mt
operation plan, and then rejected all
substitutes for IL that were proposed.
These included one by Senator Jones
of Washington, the Republican whip,
to refer the matter to a presidential
commission for a report and recon-
nlendation for disposition next De
cember, and another by Senator Nc
Kellar, Democrat. Tennessee, to give
the President unlimited authority to
dispose of the plant
Maneuvering Was Needed.
Immediately after the Senate met
yesterday the Underwood bill was ac-
cepted for second time, IS to 33. as
z, substitute for the Norris Govern
mont operation plan, which had been
previously approved, 40 to SO, over the
Jones proposal to refer the problem
TO commission.
with the Underwood measure back
before the Senate, Senator Jones, the
Republican whip. reoffered his pro-
posai which displaced the Underwood
bill Tuesdav, but it was rejected. 43
TO SO. 10 of the administration Re
publicans who had supported it de-
serting it for the Underwood plan.
Although Senator Norris previously
had announced he would not again
offer his bill TO the Senate, opponents
of the Alabama Senator leasing bill
did not give up the fight. Senator
McKellar. offered his substitute pro-
posing to refer the question to Presi-
dent Coolidge for settlement with
out congressional restriction. 1t was
voted down. 81 to %.
With this measure out of the way,
the question came up on the final pas
sage of the Underwood bill and this
prevailed after Senator Norris had
made last plea to the Senate to
withhold it's approval.
Line-Up on Bill.
Opposing the Underwood Bill on
the final vote were 13 Republicans
from Western States;16 Democrats
mostly from southern and Western
States, and 1 Farmer-Labor. Thirty
four Republicans, IA of them from
Western States, and 16 Democrats,
of them from Western States,
voted for the bill.
The Underwood bill as finally ap-
proved would provide for the LEASING G
of the gigantic Government power
and nitrate plant on the Tennessee
River to private corporation for
not more than so years. with an
added provision for Government
operation until a lease had been ne
gotiated by the President.
The terms of the lease would be
on minimum basis of per cent
annually on the cost of the construc-
tion of dam No. and of the hydro
electric machinery installed there
The lessee would be required to pro-
duce 10000 tons of nitrate annually
during the life of the lease after the
fifth year from its effective date
This nitrate would be converted
into fertilizer during peace time, but
in the event OF war the Government
would have full authority to COM
mandeer the property on five days
notice and convert it for the produc-
tton of nitrate for explosives.