Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-18
KEY: PROBLEM seen
IN MUSCLE SHOALS
Question of Public Versus
Private Operation May Be
Big Issue in 1882.
BY MARK SULLIVAN

Omitting pfOhlbit1on, the key TO prac-
ideally everything In current politics is
Muscle Shoals. One might reasonably
add future politics also. Muscle Shoals
and the principle involved in it COM
poses the most acute national political
issue, again excepting only prohibition.
Muscle Shoals and the principle OF
public ownership Is acute in the con-
gressional situation and Is the key to
whether or not there will be a party
truce It is acute in the national sense
and the principle involved will be the
second most important issue, II not the
first, in the presidential situation IN
1882 The decisive step in 1t is just
now in the making.
Main Issue Outlined.
The issue is between public operation
of Muscle Shoals and private operation.
Between these a historic battle Will rage
In the session of Congress Immediately
ahead of us. If the battle should come
to a decisive and prompt end there
may be no special session Of the new
Congress. II the battle is not conclu-
sfve, there will probably be special
session with the considerable conse-
cuences that would follow.
To bring the situation up to the pres
emit moment, the Progressive Republi-
cans In the Senate, led by Norris OF
Nebraska together with a majority OF
the Democrats, are and have been earn
est crusaders for public operation OF
Muscle Shoals. 1t is almost a religion
with them.
A bill prepared by Norris for public
operation passed both Houses in 1928
but was vetoed by President Coolidge.
Then last Spring Norris again carried
his bill through the Senate by vote
of as to %. In the House, however,
determined opposition developed against
public operation. The House passed
bill of its own for private operation by
a vote of 1877 to ia. Specifically 1t
was deadlock between House and SEN
ate Fundamentally 1t was deadlock
between the principle of public owner
ship of utilities and the principle OF
private ownership. The deadlock con-
tinues and composes the central situa-
ton in the coming Congress.
Questions Considered by Voters.
Meantime through the Summer and
Fall came the primaries and elections.
In those elections, public sentiment de-
veloped not on Muscle Shoals specif1-
cally but IN favor of the principle OF
public ownership which Is the heart OF
the question. In the elections in Ore
.gon Pennsylvania. New York, Ten
nessee and several other States, ver-
diets were rendered which are inter-
preted as strongly fayoring the public
ownership side of the electric utility
question. More accurately, these cleo
tons expressed a strongly critical atti-
tude toward private public utilities as
now operated Candidates running for
Offices on platforms favoring either pub
lie ownership or stern regulation of pri-
vate ownership won sensational VIC
tories Politicians of both parties and
all shades of conviction are convinced
by study of the elections this month
that public ownership as a principle, or
at least some approximation toward 1t,
has made strong Roadway toward be-
coming a national issue in 1892.
In this state of facts, and with the
encouragement of this months elections,
the progressive Republicans in the Sen
AL, .ogether with some Democrats, are
now determined to force Muscle Shoals
TO vote in the session of Congress
opening next month. BY doing that
they are collaterally, though more fun
damentally, determined to force the
broad principle of public ownership into
the next presidential election.
Intimidation Held a Factor.
They think that some members of the
House who resisted public operation of
Muscle Shoals last Spring may have
been inundated by the handwriting on
the wall Of the elections. Scores of
Representatives have local public util-
tty issues analogous to Muscle Shoals |
In their own home States.
The progressive Republicans wish also |
and very strongly, to force President |
Hoover TO veto or sign public opera |
ton bill and thus mt him m record l