Evening star., 1931-12-03
Muscle Shoals Controversy
Revived by Official Report

Fireworks tn Congress are expected
over the report recently submitted by
the commission appointed by President
( Hoover some months ago to study the
question OF ownership and operation of
Muscle Shoals. Differences of opinion
are as emphatic as ever and 1t is be-
lieved likely that the varying views will
be strongly advanced during the session.
AS to the political aspects of the mat
ter, the Yakima Morning Herald says:
Despite the recommendation of the
civil commission that. the Government
lease Muscle Choals to a private cor
poration, Senator Norris and his follow
ers in both houses of Congress intend
to press their demands again that the
Government take over and run the
plants for the manufacture of fertilizer
! and the creation of electrical energy"
Expressing its own viewpoint, this paper
continues: THE people and the Gov
ernment would be well rid of the project
if it were given outright to some private
corporation, or If 1t were sold at ridic-
uously low price. As long as the Gov
ernment retains ownership Muscle
Shoals will be drain on the Treasury"
The Wheeling Intelligencer, on the
other hand, argues for public operation.
stating: "As long as this plant Is pub
lie property it should be operated for
the public benefit. If it Is to be oper-
ated for the public benefit, it must be
under public control. If there is to be
public control, why not take the frank
and direct method of public operation?"
This paper also indicts those who have
handled the matter, stating "A Gov
ernment which Is inca pable of settling
an issue of this kind In IL years is in
competent. The waste and obstruction,
the fragrant disregard of public welfare
which marked the whole course of this
Muscle Shoals fiasco would be tolerated
in no other country on earth"
Answering the suggestion that the
Presidents commission was packed"
the Manchester Union points out that It
was composed of one representative Of
organized agriculture, two members of
the War Department, end three mem
bers each appointed by the Governors
and Legislatures Of Alabama and Ten
nessee," contends that "a fairer choice
could not have been made" and voices
its belief that obviously Alabama and
Tennessee should have a preferred voice
in the matter, and there is no reason
why an organization of farmers should
not be able to provide expert manage
ment for the enterprise"
This last reference Is to the Sugges-
tion by the commission that the dam
and nitrate plants be leased preferably
to "a corporation exclusively owned and
controlled by organizations of farmers,
operated without profit" To this the
Baltimore Sun answers: PITY the
farmer! The news that he, at last, is
to be the goat IN the Muscle Shoals
problem must arouse pity If anything
he az ir
but cruel one, from the farmers stand
point" Holding the idea lin theory
about halfway between public and pri-
vate control" the Sioux Falls Daily
Argus-Leader thinks that "the sensible
solution OF the Muscle Shoals business
is the sale OF the project to the highest
bidder, with proper restrictions to pro-
tect the Government In time of war"
and contends that "if President Hoover
drummed up enough courage to adyo-
cate such a plan he would win consid-
cradle commendation and at the same
time be doing real service to the great
Nation which he heads"
The New York Herald Tribune de-
Scribes the Government ownership
lads" as having already started beating
the tom-tomS and crying that the peo-
pies property Is about to be given to
the power trust There are moments"
ccnfesses the Tribune, when one could
only wish that 1t would be, for If
Muscle Shoals were only tied into
public utility system somebody, at any
rate, would get some real and economic
use out of it--a consummation when
would appear to be improbable under
any other arrangement"
*
Pointing out that ''it Is Senator Nor
ris contention that the commission has
produced a power trust plan" the st.
Paul Pioneer Press asserts: ''Whatcyer
merit thereit In Senator Norris claims,