Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-04

kinds of money have besieged the Con-
greSs. as has recently been shown in
the lobby investigation. In the mean
time Senator Norris reintroduced his
bill for Government operation OF its
own plant.
In my Judgment, If the Congress were
to approve the American Cyanamid
Co.'S bid, 1t would cost the Government
an enormous sum Of money without any
return whatsoever and would produce a
scandal of major proportions. Indeed
after a careful examination of the
American Cyanamid Co.'S bid, as shown
in this bill, in my Judgment 1t would
De better for the Government to deliver
warranty deed to the American
Cyanamid Co. on all these properties in
fee simple without consideration and
without limitation, let or hindrance. In
other words, as understand 1t, in the
American Cyanamid Co.'s bid we virtu-
ally do that with Muscle Shoals and
then agree to build Cove Greek dam
and dam No. 2 for the company at a
cost of some 100000 900. AS see 1t,
the plan is q prepoSterouS plan so far
as the interests of the Government are
concerned. Under present conditions
believe 1t would ruin any Congressman
or Senator who voted for 1t.
The Norris Plan.
The Norris bill provides for a Govern
ment corporation Of three members to
be appointed by the President and con-
firmed by the Senate, one belonging to
one political party and two to the other.
and to these gentlemen are to be turned
over the plants at Muscle Shoals, steam
plants, nitrate plants and Wilson dam
and a plant to be built at dam No. 8,
just above Muscle Shoals in Alabama.
and also the great dam to be built at
Cove Greek. q little north of Knoxville.
Under the terms of this bill. this cor
poration is to have general manager
and two assistant managers
One assistant Is to conduct the fertil-
iZer business under the terms Of this
act, and these nitrate plants and all
power necessary to conduct them for
fertilizer purposes or to conduct new
and up-to-date plants for fertilizer pur-
poses. are turned over to the fertilizer
managers. This first fertilizer plan as
set out In the bill is not only feasible
but 1t is the only feasible plan Of
securing cheaper fertilizer for the farm
ers of this country. have no doubt
that this organization will not only be
| able to make fertilizer out of nitrates
secured from the air, but that it will
soon bring down the price of fertilizers
all over the country and In that way
will do great and permanent good.
All other private ownership bills have
provided for the experimentation and
manufacture of fertilizers. But what a
foolish thing it would be for the Gov
eminent to expect a private company
already engaged in the fertilizer buSi-
ness to bring about system of manu-
featuring cheaper fertilizers for far
mers. 1t is such silly idea that It
seems to be preposterous. 1t would be
like caging a rabbit in a briar patch
OF course, the farmers would never get
anything out Of it if it were turned
over to a private company. But this
Government corporation, looking to the
interests Of all the farmers, will in my
Judgment, find q cheaper plan for pro-
ducing nitrateS and it Is certain that
fertilizers will be made cheaper. This
is especially true because just q few
miles away in the middle part of the
State of Tennessee. Is a vast and I'M
limited supply Of phosphate rock, the