Evening star., 1928-03-16
MUSCLE SHOALS
VOTE bLAzES TRAIL
McNary Holds Senate Action
Is Landmark of Eco.
nomic History.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

New economic history was written IN
Washington this week when the United
States Senate by IS TO IS went IN
record in favor of government opera
iion of the Muscle Shoals power plant.
1t represents something more than n
personal triumph for Senator Norris,
Republican progressive OF Nebraska,
who. almost Single-handed, has been
battling the Interests" to which he
attributes plot" to grab the hydro
electric resources Of the nation.
What the Senate has done. ana VIVA!
the House may do. is to blaze the tran
for country-wide government operation
Of power. If the lower branch OF Con-
cvess concurs i'll the Muscle Shoals
action of the Senate, the day would
approach when other mighty power re.
sources throughout the country wouio
be brought under Federal maintenance
I'm other words government operation
at Muscle Shoals would De IoiloWeo .?
government operation OF power proouc-
ton in the Boulder Canyon. along the
ST lawrence River, in the vast Column
bin River basin in Oregon and tn"
northwest, and in numerous other re-
gions of the Union.
Held Real Landmark"
Senator McNary. Republican, OF Ore
EpN. Clld1I IIlsiA4 VA 64tS A1~AASe~
on agriculture, said that the country
cannot oevrestimate the possibilities
Of the Muscle Shoals vote. Its a real
landmark" Senator McNary declares.
1T has put the Senate OF the United
States uneouivocally on record In favor
Of the basic principle for which Norris
has been standing. That principe Is
the contention that the Federal Gov
eminent can. If it wants, furnish elec-
A-s~ 90 lac at prices
and under conditions more faVoracie
han are now obtainable at the hands OF
private corporations.
'sIf the Senate vote leads eventually
TO actual Government operation oi
Muscle Shoals under satisfactory con-
ditions, it must inevitably mean tnat
the experiment there initiated VIII pe.
duplicated elsewhere-whereVer tnere
is power now under Federal super
vision that could be brought unoer req
eral operation. For the moment. the
signifcant thing is that the Senate has
approved. in principle. that for which
Norris has been fighting. 1t Is an
event of far-reaching importance
The Norris resolution, 0. k ov the
Senate. provides for Government opera
ton of Muscle Shoals as nitrate plant
IN time of war, and as fertilizer rae
tory and power production plant IN
time Of peace. What the Nebraskan
has always had primarily, and almost
exclusively. in mind during MS long
struggle for Muscle Shoals Is the oroi-
nary household consumer OF electric
mower. He wants to enable the average
burner of i,candescent lamps and the
average user of electricity in any lin
tied quantity to get his Juice" at lower |
rates than are now available. MOTIFS |
thinks that can be done, not only |
throughout the region that Muscle |
Shoals would serve, but IN any otner |
region where power could be put TO |
work under Government operation.
Made Long Study.
The Nebraska Progressive schocieo |
himself for the long Muscle Shoais |
campaign by hard work and hard study
He visited Canada periodically, TO learn |
al first hand of the operation OF gcT-
eminent power In the Province OF
Ontario. He has pored over chemistry
books. He has made himself an expert
In the purely financial side oi hyoro-
electric power production. Unceasingy
Norris has insisted that his way vas
blocked by the power trust" II was
his resolution to investigate that alleged
octopus upon which the Federal Trade
Commission acted two or three years
ago, finally reporting that there Is no
power trust" in the sense Norris
claimed
Not the least of the victories which |
his friends attribute TO Norris In the /
Muscle Shoals fight was his successful |
opposition 10 Henry Ford's ambition |
10 secure possession of the great war |
built power plant Of the South. Ford /
would have obtained for his private |
use and gain roundiy 1000, 900 of /
vdro-eiectric horsepower at Muscle |
Shoals had the bill which Norris fought /
eTer become law The Nebraskan Is |
equally opposed 10 the Wiilis-Madden |
bill providing for transfer Of Muscle |
Shoals to the American Cyanimid Co, |
whereby that corporation would also |
eventually come into control on its own |
account Of some 900 900 horsepower. |
aCouyright. 1881