The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-04-16
NEW CARBON PLANTS
ARE PUT UNDER BAN
VALUABLE RESOURCES WILL se
PROTECTED AND WASTE
CHECKED.
POLICE POWER MAY BE USED
Governor Parker FIatIy States Policy
of Louisiana Interests-Gas Fields
Are Liable to Be De-
stroyed.

Baton Rouge.-"One of the bigges
menaces to the gas fields of Louisian,
is that OF the carbon black plants. NJ
more of those plants will be licensed
In this State. Those companies nov
in operation will not be permitted tc
waste natural gas or destroy gas field,
by excessive use, and the police powe,
of the State will be brought into play
IL necessary to protect this valuable
natural resource"
This flat declaration Of the States
policy in dealing with the situation in
the Monroe gas district was made
Monday by Governor Parker to Reid
L. Carr of New York, representative
of the carbon black inteygAtS. at a
conference in the executite Z offRe.
Governor Parker also announced
that the Constitutional convention
would not be asked, as far as his in
dividual views are concerned, to go
any further than to adopt an article
empowering the Legislature and the
Conservation Department to handle
the conservation of gas in any manner
that may be deemed best in the public
interests. An enabling article of that
sort, the governor said, would give the
State ample authority to exercise its
police power in regulating the con-
sumption of gas or to prohibit the use
Of gas in any way that might be
classed as wasteful.
The governor told Mr.. Carr that he
had been informed on what he con-
sidered reliable authority that there is
no chance to get gas piped from the
Monroe field to the populous centers
tn the State unless the carbon black
companies are materially restricted in
the consumption of gas. Official re-
ports showed, he said, that the car
bon black companies are consuming
over S0,000,000 cubic feet of gas per
day. The governor considered this ex-
cessive and was of the opinion that
II should be curtailed within reason
able limits, otherwise, he said, the
gas fields are liable to be destroyed. |
Mr.. Carr said the carbon companies |
did not wish to destroy the field. and |
insisted that they stood ready to CO.
operate in the distribution of gas
through pipe lines. The carbon in
terests, he said, had organized the
Louisiana Gas Distributing Company
Tor building a pipe line to Alexandria !
and other places in the State He
said the carbon black companies were
the pioneers in developing the Mon
roe field.
II should be remembered" he said,
hat there must be development be-
lore gags can be supplied to any
bbody."
That is true" the governor re-
Piled, but it should also be remem-
0ered that if gas is wasted before or
after the development the field will
oe destroyed and there will be moth
ms left. II the rate of consumption !
oy the carbon black companies is kept ]
up the time will come when even those
communities in the State that are {
now using gas will be cut off from {
their supply. i
) Mr. Carr said the pressure of the {
gas In the Monroe district is so great e
mat 1t would be dangerous to close the O
wells. He believed they would run C
wlid, and thought the carbon COM a
p4nleS should be allowed To use the n