The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-02-04

was required in his own Gil
Gas and Electric Corp.
At the same time, Mr..
invite Gilbert F. Wagner, Oh
ing stockholders in the suit I
put the MiSsouri-Kansas Pipe
Mr.. Smith said Attorney
mittee with the information Il
monopoly is being plotted by
tend to form a monopoly,
charge mOnOpolistic prices
and set one city against an
other in the matter of rates. "
Mr.. Smith was to have appeared
today before the committee to offer
that testimony, and the committee
had agreed to meet at his con-
Venience.
Committee Takes Recess
The committee, having no Sched-
uled witnesses now, recessed for an
indefinite period to decide on its
next step. 1t had before it to con-
slider while it recessed several new
and apparently unrelated develop
ments in the natural gas business in
the area.
Pipe line companies are not now
under regulation OF either the Inter-
state Commerce Commission or the
Indiana Public Service Commission.
1t was suggested by some legislators
that the bill might be an attempt
TO throw the whole situation back
into the courts and further hold up
the proposal of the city to buy the
property Of the Citizens Gas Co. and
operate it.
Meanwhile, The Indianapolis
Times obtained over the week end
from j. H. Hillman Jr., Pittsburgh
banker and capitalist, statement,
that his companies or interests were
in no way linked with the Users
Gas CO.
Givan Makes Statement
Clinton H. Givan, Users attorney,
Saturday told The Times that his
company could, among other things,
get natural gas from pipe lines ex-
tending to fields in Texas and
Oklahoma, Kentucky or West Vir-
ginia.
Mr.. Hillman said he and his as
Gas pipe line, whose northern
terminus is Terre Haute. He said
this is the only pipe line company
existing and operating that could
bring gas into Indiana from Ken
lucky fields.
Moreover, Mr.. Hillman said he
was interested in Columbia Gas &
Electric Corp, and that it would not
furnish Users with natural gas. CO.
Iumbia Gas 81 Electric and its sub
salaries he said. own the only pipe
lines existing and operating that
could bring natural gas to Indiana
from either the West Virginia fields
or the Southwestern fields.
The Panhandle Eastern, built in
1880 and 1881 at a cost of $4,000 900
is the only existing and operating
pipe line extending to Oklahoma and
Texas fields, he said. 1t and the
Kentucky line were originally SUBJ
salaries of the MiSsouri-KanSaS
Pipe Line Co, but we're taken over
by Hr. Hillman and the Columbia,
according to Frank Parish, Missouri
Kansas president.
Columbia owns the main pipe line
extending to the West Virginia
fields he said.
Also, over the weekend. the pur-
Chase Of the Indiana Southwestern
Gas Corp. by an Indiana syndicate
was announced by Raymond D.
Brown Of Indianapolis.
Gas and OIL leases, wells, operat-
ing equipment and many miles of
pipe lines. of value estimated at
Sl.5OO.OO0 we're involved in the sale.
Dyer Among Directors
The company supplies natural gas
distributed by public utility COM
panieS serving Vincennes, Washing
ton. Evansville. Oakland City. Fran
cisco, Wheatland, Monroe City,
Bickneu. Princeton and other
southwestern Indiana cities.
Mr.. Brown is president Of the new
firm. Andrew NJ. Hatfield. who will
move to Vincennes from New York
shortly. is vice president and
treasurer: and d. L Rinehart, In
dianapoliS, is secretary. On the
board Of directors are Frank E. Nc
Kinney. president Of the Fidelity
Trust Co. and county treaSurer-elect,
and state Rep. John Napier Dyer
Cd, VincenneSl.
A well-foun6ed rumor was current
this morning as the Legislature re-
convened that a bill would be intro
duced. perhaps today. that would
classify natural gas pipe lines as
common carriers and a public utility
and hence, bring them under the
supervision Of the Indiana Public
Service Commission.
BackerS of the bill were not iden-
titled. and ii became. so far as the
probe was concerned, a new and
untitled piece in the entire jig-saw
puzzle with which the Legislature is
cfrtsco1fy,C