The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-02-20
FATHER WINS CUSTODY 3 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER
MUSCLE SHOALS
 TEN YEARS FIGHT
 MAY BE ENDED
Compromise Bill May Go
 Through the House, Bee cause the Leaders Bee lieye Hoover Will Veto It
BY THOMAS l.. STOKES

Limited Press Staff CorrespOndent)
 Washington, Feb. 20.-(UP).- Another solution for the ancient Muscle Shoals problem came before the house to-day for a vote, with even it's opponents predicting ap- proval of government operation of the Alabama power plant.
 Speaker Longworth and other re- publican leaders opposed to the compromise are counting upon a veto by President Hoover to kill the legislation again as the original gov ernment operation bill of Senator Norris, republican, Nebraska, was killed by President Coolidge.
 They do not count sufficient votes in the house to pass the controver- sial bill over a veto.
 The conference report embodying the compromise between the Norris ed by the senate and the Reece pri- vate operation bill passed by the house was to be called up about 3 o'clock to-day. by Representative Wurzbach, republican, Texas, one of the conferees.
 An hour of debate is permitted under the rules and then the house
 
 crats and a good quota of republi- cans is expected to result in adop- tion. Longworth apparently has made no attempt to organize his forces against it.
 He expected many members to vote for the compromise without studying it's provisions-"just to get the matter out of the way" as he
 Congress has considered the leg islation in a serious way for ten years, and had considered the prob lem long before that. It came ac- lively to the attention of congress as a result of development of nitrate plants there during the World war.
 It was the disposition of the ni- trate plants for the manufacture of fertilizer that has been the principal stumbling book in the way of an agreement for the last few weeks The compromise considered to-day allows a year for lease of the nitrate plants for private operation. If they are not leased in that period, then the government operates them as we'll as the power plant.
 Under the agreement, 15 per cent of the amount of power used for manufacture of fertilizer may be purchased by the essee for other purposes, ostensibly for operation of an electro-chemical plant for the manufacture of by-products.
 It was proposed to establish a large electro-chemical industry at Muscle Shoals. Representative Reece, republican,, Tennessee, author of the house private operation bill, favored that. Norris was opposed to it. visual izing the project always as pow CT project. The bill permits the gov ernment not only to operate the power plant but to build transmits sion lines.
 Longworth said he doubted that the small amount of power allocated for the by-product pant would be sufficient to attract a bidder. Chair man Shell of the house rules com mittee, in expressing his opposition to the compromise, said it lis worse than the original Norris bill"
 The compromise came before the house with the approval of all 10 house and senate conferees except Representative Ransley, republican. Pennsylvania Reec finally signd the report, saying it represented the best compromise that could be reached under the circumstances. There will be no need to build gov ernment transmission lines, he con- tended, as most of the power will be used for fertilizer manufacture.
 Representative Taylor, republican, Tennessee, has introduced a bill to appropriate $10.O0O,O00 to begin work on Cove Creek dam in Ten nessee, an adjunct of the Muscle Shoals project which the compromise bill authorizes. It will cost $60, 0,000,- 900 when completed.