Evening star., 1933-03-28
0|L MEN TO ASK
ASSISTANCE or U. S.
Governors Conference Will
Seek Federal Control of
Interstate Trade.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Agreement was reached today by ma
jor groups at the governors oil confer
ence to ask the Federal Government to
prevent the transportation In interstate
commerce Of oil produced in violation
Of State laws.
Writ Franklin, president Of the In
dependent Petroleum Association Of
America and member of the Commit
tee Of Fifteen named to formulate q
program for sterilization Of the oil in
dustry, said the group was In accord
on this and on an adequate competi-
tive tariff" for crude petroleum and
petroleum products.
Broader Plan Considered.
A broader plan for Federal regulation
was under consideration, however, and
this has delayed presentation Of sta
biization program to Secretary 1ckes,
who called the administration -spon-
sOred meeting.
Franklin said he could give no de-
tails of additional plans for Govern
ment supervision, but 1t was under
stood its scope was very broad and dis
cussion Of details had prevented franz
ing Of the sterilization plan for PRES
entation to the conference proper.
Some members attending the con-
ference said plans proposed for FUR
ther governmental powers were so dras-
tic that there was no certainty the
committee would present them to the
conference without changes.
The committee drawing the program
is composed of representatives OF OIL
producing States. the major oil COM
panies and some Independent producers.
Some of the independent group have
broken away and today presented Sec
retary Ickes with series OF resolu-
Of the industry.
The group, which has withdrawn tenn
porarily from the Governors confer
ence, called In an effort to bring stabil-
ization to the industry through Federal
cooperation, presented several resolu-
tions to Secretary Ickes, one Of which
said:
I'VE ask the Federal Government to
leave in the hands of the respective
States the duty and rights of regulating
their internal affairs as to the produc-
ton of petroleum"
Agreement Held Unlikely.
Members of the delegation said they
had been convinced by developments Of
yesterday and today that there was no
possibility Of an agreement with other
producers attending the conference.
An investigation of the oil industry
by the Government Ito the end that
its monopolies and trusts may be prose-
cuted and eliminated" was asked by the
group. led by John B. Elliott.
Other resolutions presented to the
Secretary included:
I'VE ask the National Government
to r1gidly enforce the antitrust laws
to the end that agreements in restraint
Of trade and price fixing may be pro-
hibited and those guilty may be pun
ished.
I'VE ask the National Government to
protect the American market from the
importation Of foreign oils by the impo-
sition Of a proper tariff.
"Ask No New Boards"
I'VE ask the National Government to
create no new boards and commissions,
but to eliminate and consolidate many
Of the existing cnes, to the end that
the administrations policy of rigid
economy may be carried out and the
petroleum industry may be relieved Of
overburdensome taxation.
cur national resources and favor rea-
sonable regulation by States, to the end
only that physical waste may be pre-
vented.
I'VE favor the divorcement Of pipe
lines from refineries. distribution and
production in the petroleum industry"
A meeting with the representatives
Of Governors and producers in 13
States with Secretary Ickes followed
that with the Independent Petroleum
Association members.
Pleased by Effort to Agree.
Despite the stand taken by the Elliott
group, Ickes has said he was pleased
with the evident attempt Of most Of
those attending to reach an under
standing on a plan to stabilize the In
dustry.
Gov. Alf M. Landon Of Kansas has
indicated he believed the State execu-
tives would accept strict Federal regu-
lation Of the oil industry.
The group which met with Ickes after
the Independent Petroleum Association
members included six representatives Of
the Governors, the major oil producers
and independents who had drafted q
tentative program to accomplish the
end sought at the meeting.