OCR Text |
Show viiobhtobcel: acceptance of fordwosal - Senator's Resolution Submitted Submit-ted to Senate Has Support of Republican and Democratic Demo-cratic Committee Members IF OFFER TAKEN UP FARMERS TO BENEFIT Review of Conditions of the Plan Shows Agriculturist Has Little to Hope for From Present Industry i WA8H1NOTON. Aug. 4 (By A. P.) Acceptance of Henry Ford's offer for purchase and lease of the government's vast nitrate and water-power projects a.t Muscle Shoala, Ala., was urged by Republican and Democratic senators comprlaing a minority of the senate mltted to the aenate today. Strong protest was entered by the senators against the acceptance of the government govern-ment ownership and operation plan proposed by Benator . Norrls, of Ne-braaka, Ne-braaka, the committee's chairman. The report was submitted by Senator Sen-ator Ladd. Republican of North Dakota, Da-kota, It la estimated the government had lost $1,000,000 at Muscle Shoala since the armistice and declared acceptance ac-ceptance of Ford's offer the quickest way to atop tho loases. The report waa read by Senator Ladd, Republican, North Dakota, and waa signed by Senators Capper, Republican, Re-publican, Kansas, and Harrison, Mississippi; Mis-sissippi; Caraway, Arkansas: Ransdell, I Louisiana; Smith, South Carolina, and I Heelin, Alabama, Democrats. ' In calling attention to charges that the acceptance of Ford's offer would give him a government auhsldy In the development of power and the manufacture manu-facture of fertiliser, the report stated, "If It la a subsidy It Is not such a subsidy sub-sidy as Is proposed by the administration adminis-tration In the ship subsidy bill." It waa argued that "the Ladd bill would coat the government 'practically 'practical-ly nothing a year, while the ship sub- eldy bill -would necessitate -"an annual an-nual expenditure of $41.600,000.' " After reviewing the conditions under which the Ford plan would be controlled. con-trolled. If accepted, the report stated: "A fair consideration of all the facta leads unmistakably to the conclusion that under the Ford offer the cost of fertilisers delivered to the farmers can bo materially reduced." The report added that "from the present pres-ent fertiliser Industry the farmer might expect but little In the reduction of prices, and stated that other fertilizer lntereata refused an offer by the gov- eminent to run the Shoala plant, even 0 when the companies were offered the use of the works free of charge under an agreement allowing them per cent profit on Invested capital and an equal dlvlaion of profits with the government on profits above $ per cent. In conclusion the report stated: "If Mr. Ford'a offer la rejected, the farm-era farm-era will have lost their fight at Muscle Shoala and the Alabama Power company com-pany will have won Its fight for a complete com-plete monopoly In the rivers of Alabama |