Evening star., 1929-10-06
Continued From Third Page)

tCOnGlIlueQ
costs. have declined somewhat since
1925 but it is net unlikely that manu-
featuring cost at Muscle Shoals would
likewise be somewhat less than during
that year.
OF course, no development or opera
ton at Muscle Shoals could succeed.
from an economic or commercial stand
point, unless the right type Of men, as
well as equipment, were used IN the
operations there.
It Is a certainty, however, that ar4
rangements can be made for operation
of Muscle Shoals that will yield re-
turn to the Government and to the tax
payers who supplied the money for the
original development. Scientific opera
ton on q commercial basis will result
in the production of high-grade con-
centrated fertilizer at prices below
present levels. Such production would
be a constant check and regulator to
hold fertilizer prices generally at the
lowest levels made possible by science
and consistent with good business prac-
tice. The farmers are not asking for
subsidy; but they do ask and are en-
titled to the benefit Of the Governments
investment and the natural resources
available for the benefit of agriculture
It has been a source Of great regret TO
me that the dilatory action OF Congress
i'm dealing with Henry Ford several years
AGO resulted in the withdrawal OF the
rord offer. l supported the Ford otler
and believe that If that offer had been
promptly accepted We would now pe
enioying the benefit Of much lower
price6 fertilizer for farmers. Mr.. Ford's
demonstration at Muscle Shoals, under
the per cent profits limitation proVi-
sion. soon would have forced otner
fertilizer manufacturers in the united
States to adopt advanced chemlca!
methods and the entire business woulo
bv this time be on sound OASIS IN
stead of on the present precarious basis,
with manufacturers losing large sums
of money, according to the testimony OF
a representative of the industry before
a congressional committee last spring
Because of the great bulk and rela-
lively low plant food content OF most
of the fertilizer distributed in the
United States today, transportation ana
handling charges make up large
percentage of the final costs PAID py
the farmer by the time this material Is
spread out on his land ready to AID
crop growth. Most of the fertilizer
manufacturing plants are for this same
reason located as near the user as pos
sible. This tends to keep plants small
and inefficient, but still does not
eliminate the necessity OF Transporting
heavy and bulky raw materials to the
processing and mixing plants. This
big freight and handling cost Is unqueS-
tionably one of the very important
reasons why farmers west OF the
Mississippi River are not yet using
fertilizers to any great extent.
a IeAl
breaking away from old-time productioln
and distribution methods and the utlil-
zation of modern developments In the
way of cost cutting, both in the Ter
tiiizer factory and in the methods OF
getting it to the farms and on the helos.
We shall probably see big changes along
this line in the next decade or so. but
something like the Muscle Shoals pianC
seems necessary to crystalline this hne
of action and make real progress.
Painted as Power Project.
Unfortunately Muscle Shoals has been
painted in recent years as primarily a
mains that we spent the taxpayers
money at Muscle Shoals for the declared
purpose of producing nitrogen for ex-
nlosiyes in time of war and fertilizers In
time of peace. Nothing short OF q run
damental change in relative needs, from
the standpoint of the Nation and the
Individual taxpayer, could justify alb
rogation of this declared purpose.
Certainly we still need Government
nitrogen plant for purposes OF national
defense. Certainly we still need nitro
gen for fertilizers. So long as We I'M
port million tons year of nitrate OF
soda from Chile. no one would under
take to argue that we have no need OF
nitrogen. Certainly the farmer was
never in greater need Of cheaper ferti-
lizers as a means of reducing his pro-
duction costs.
we have been told also that Muscle
Shoals electric power is too valuable
To be used in producing fertilizers; that
this current should be saved for electric
lighting and small motor uses. This
sort of propaganda falls little nat on
congressional ears today, when we are
finding It impossible to sell most Of our
current at any price, and when what
little we sell at Muscle Shoals goes at
about mills per kilowatt hour.
Shoals Is capable Of producing approxi-
mately 5000, 900 kilowatt hours Of elec-
tricity daily, with the exception that for
a few DAYS in the dryeSt season 1t may
drop down to around 10000 kilowatt
! hours. But according to the records
kept by the War Department at no time
: has the present purchaser and distribu-
tor of power-the Alabama Power Co.,
which serves all that area for hundreds
of miles-used as much as so per cent
of the total amount available.
During the year 1928 only 1885, 900
kilowatt hours Of power were used out
| of an available total Of 1,776, 1876, 900
I kiiowAtt hours. Since January Of the
A. "a A~.k