Evening star., 1942-12-10
1exas-|lIinois Pipeline
Delayed by Lack Of
Pumps, |ckes Reveals
Demands Rail Leaders
Make More Tonk Cars
Available for Eost

petroleum Administrator Icke,
said today the 550-mile, 24-inch oil
pipeline from Texas TO Illinoi.
would be fully installed some time
next week, but that it might lie
useless more than a month for q
lack OF pumping equipment.
AT his first press conference since
the President gave him wide new
powers over the oil industry, Mr.
1ckes also expressed dissatisfaction
with the current rate of railroad
movements of petroleum to the
East.
Rail Leaders Told to Act.
I have told railroad leaders they
would have to do a damn sight bet
ter JOB than they have been doing
IN making tank cars available, and
! VIII have a conference with them
IN the near future" Mr.: Ickes de-
clared at a press conference. He
aoded that oil companies already
have been told they must do a more
emcient distribution job at ter
minals.
Mr. Ickes emphasized he had re-
quested WPB Chief Donald M. Nell
son to allocate to oil transportation
substantial portion of &c, 900 tank
cars not now hauling oil products.
Asserting that second pipe line
to the East is needed, Mr.. Ickes said
ne had urged Mr.. Nelson to speed
this project and that Mr.. Nelson
had requested additional details,
Mr.. 1ckes estimated it would re-
quire from 10 to IL months to COM
plete this second line.
Something Went Wronr.
The petroleum administrator said
that because something went
wrong" in the manufacture of
pumping equipment at the steel mill
the Longview. Tex, to Norris City,
Ill. leg OF the Texas-to- New York
Oil pipe line probably would be un-
able to move oil before February
!, instead Of moving it by Decem-
Der Is, as had been scheduled.
M. Ickes said he did not know
exactly what had gone wrong and
that he had learned about 1t only
yesterday.
Meanwhile, he continued, the work
OF laying the 857-mile Eastward leg
OF the pipeline from Norris City to
the New York-Philadelphia refining
area would get under way within a
few days and would proceed with
out interruption. This leg is sched-
uled for completion by June /.
Mr.. 1ckes reported that the rail-
roads moved an average of 767,O58
barrels OF oil daily to the East dur
Ing the last week for which figures
we're available, against 1882 the
previous week, continuing a series OF
slight declines in recent weeks.
Must Step Up Oil Supplies.
Mr.. Ickes conceded that a falling
OH in tank car oil supplies to the
East was expected, with railroad
traffic achieving its peak" How
ever, it is imperative, he added, that
the present movement of 68, $50 tank
cars a week be stepped up to help
relieve the fuel oil shortage. He de-
clared that he had made no recon-
mendation to lower the value of an
"A' coupon to two gallons OF gaso-
line.
He said he had not ordered COM
pulsory conversion from oil to gas
by industrial users, but said tenants
certainly have a right to be kept
warm. He admitted, in reply to
question, that compelling landlords
to convert their heating facilities
would bump into OPA price CELL
ings"
What if landlord says he lacks
the money to convert from oil to
coal?" Mr.. Ickes was asked.
Il would tell that landlord to tell
1t to Jesse H. Jones, chairman OF
the RFC," Mr.. Ickes replied. Asked
If RFC loans were available for this
purpose. Mr., Ickes asserted there
should be some way of working it
out"