Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-01
FACTS, NOT ISSUES,
|. TO DECIDE HOOVER
/. ON MUSCLE SHOALS
Engineering Examination and
Study of Policy Involved
to Write Bills Fate.
PRESIDENT EXPLAINS
POSITION IN STATEMENT
Answering Demands for Views,
Executive Sees Political SYM
bolism" in Measure.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
President Hoover, in q formal state
ment yesterday. said he was submit
Norris Muscle Shoals bill ito the cold
examination Of engineering facts"
The President said It was obvious
from the debate, press reports and
communications that the Muscle
Shoals legislation was no longer .
question of disposing of war activity
but was emerging ''as the test Of views
upon Government operation and dis
tribution of power and Government
manufacture of commodity"
without stating whether he would
veto or sign the bill. Mr.. Hoover said
that he had to consider In acting on
1t whether sit is desirable to adopt d
change in Federal policies from regu-
lation of utilities to their ownership
and operation: whether the lease pro-
vision in respect to the fertilizer plant
Is generally workable and whether the
method proposed in this bill will pro-
duce cheaper fertilizer for the farm
ers."
kilograms Urge Approval.
The Norris bill provides for Govern
ment operation of the Muscle Shoals
power plant and the lease Of the nj
trate plants for fertilizer production.
If no satisfactory lease Of the latter Il
made within a year, the Government
would operate the nitrate plants for
experimental manufacture of fertilizer.
The Presidents statement follows:
II have received q multitude OF tele-
grams from governors and citizens In
the Southern States, urging approval
OF Senator Norris Muscle Shoals pro-
ject, and requesting that I express my
views upon it. Some of them express
dissatisfaction with its principles, but
consider it expedient to approve it.
have also many kilograms from citt-
Gems Of the Southern States and other
parts of the country protesting against
the principles Of the bill.
1T Is obvious from the debate, the
press and these many communica tons
that Muscle Shoals legislation Is no
longer a question Of disg1osiuQ of war
activity to the advantage of the people
primarily concerned. IL has by this
legislation been transformed into q
political symbol and is expected to be
a political issue.
Enmeshed In Political Issue.
ITO be against Senator Norris bin
appears to be cause for denunciation as
being In league with the power COM
panies. It appears also to be emerging
as the test of views upon Government
operation and distribution of power
and Government manufacture OF conn
n1odities
In other words, its adaptation to the
use Of the people Of the Tennessee
valley and to farmers generally Is now
enmeShed in an endeaVor to create a
national political issue.
One side of the issue of this uoli-
tlcal phase is the use which has been
made OF Muscle Shoals to side track
effective action on the Federal regllla-
ton OF interstate power in cooperation
with the States.
Before and since taking office I
have proposed this as a measure Of
essential protection to the rs 600 600
consumers and several million inYes-
IorS In power securities in all walks of
lie, who use and own the IS 900 900
horsepower Of the country.
IhlS public necessity had been held
aside for Is months and the time Of
congress given to / per cent of the
power and the interest of 1 per cent of
the people of the United States. which
is the proportion of the Muscle Shoals
problem to the whole.
The bill calls for expenditure Of
ninety or q hundred million dollars
from the Federal Treasury to expand
a power plant which has been : BIZ
product Of other major purposes of nav
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