Evening star., 1933-08-16
yALEY PLAN HELD
ECONOMIC LIFE AID
D. Arthur &. Morgan, Ten
nessee Authority Chairman,
Forum Speaker.

The Tennessee Valley plan was de-
scrfbed as an effort Ito bring about an
orderly and wholesome development in
social and economic life" by DR.. Ar
thur Z. Morgan, chairman of the Ten
nessee Valley Authority, speaking last
night in the National Radio Forum
arranged by The Star. and broadcast
over a coast-to-coast network OF the
National Broadcasting Co.
THE per capita economic wealth OF
This region probably is not more than
a tenth of that which could be devel-
oped by the virile population and the
great natural resources, If these could
but be developed in accord with long
range social and economic planning
the speaker amplified,
In this vast project. which includes
operation of Muscle Shoals, DR. Morgan
visualized a guide for the upbuilding
OF many rural areas in this country
Text Of DIR. Morgan's Address.
The text of Dr. Morgans address
follows:
The act Of Congress creating the Ten
elimination and consolidation of several
efforts in the public interest.
Most prominent in public attention Is
the Muscle Shoals power development.
This was begun as a war measure IN
1918, but was only well started when
the war closed Its construction was
interrupted by political opposition. spon-
sored by the private power companies.
After a stormy political contest, its COM
pletion was provided for by Congress.
When the dam and power plant were
finished in 1926, the entire investment
lay idle again while these favoring Gov
hi n
those opposing 1t again fought out their
battle in Congress. On two occasions in
1928 and in 1881, Congress enacted leg
islation providing for public ownership
and operation. and in each case the bill
was vetoed by the President Finally, in
1888, at President Roosevelt'S S suggestion.
provision for the public ownership and
operation of Muscle Shoals was incCr-
porated in the Tennessee ValleT A''c3Or-
ity law This provision may make pos
sible the carrying out Of one Of PreSi-
dent Roosevelts policies-that OF pro-
viding a publicly owned and operated
power system as as yardstick" by which
to measure the relative economy and
efficiency Of public and private owner
ship and operation.
The present program calls for the
construction of the Cove Creek Dam on
the Clinch River, renamed the Norris
Dam. This dam will store 100000
acre-feet Of water and will more than
double the prime power available at the
Wilson Dam at Muscle Shoals and at
other dams on the Tennessee River.
The building of this dam will be done
partly by contract and partly by the
forces of the district. The Dartou
f1ood-control project costing S35 100000,
was very successfully constructed chiefly
without the use of contractors.
Another public interest incorporated
IN the Tennessee Valley Authority law
Is the provision for cheap fertilizer
Especially in the uplands of the South
ern State chemical fertilizer is essential
to successful agriculture. At prices
which prevail the cost of fertilizer so
nearly balances the increased value of
crops that Southern agriculture is still
in precarious condition.
Two Nitrate Plants.
Two nitrate plants had been built at
Muscle Shoals during thA war. as a
source Of fixed nitrogen for explosives.
But the first was obsolete almost by the
time it was built, and the second was
not finished until after the war closed.
1t was run for only few weeks, simply
to insure that it was in operating con-
dition. Within a few years the art Of
nitrogen fixation had progressed so
rapidly that this plant, too, was rot