Evening star., 1942-06-18
Florida Barge Canal,
Two Pipelines Win
House Approval
One Conduit Would Run
From Mississippi Field
To Charleston Area
B: the Associated Press.

- Nht AscoSAa<d EIcss.
Passed by the House after
long and heated debate, legisla-
ton for a barge canal and pipe
line across Florida and for sec
ond pipe line between the Tins
ley (MiSSD oil fields and the At
lantic faced stiff Senate opposi-
tion today.
The House faction late yesterday
! followed previous refusal to approve
the bill, which was backed by ad-
miniStration leaders as a safe means
of getting oil to the East. The bill
was passed on a voice vote after a
motion to recommit was defeated
205 to 1874.
The same issue which prompted
the House fight-claims that the
legislation was the opening wedge
in a new drive for construction of a
Florida ship canal-was expected to
come up in the Senate.
AS passed by the House, the bill
authorized e total expenditure of
$93,000000, which sl3,000,000 was
earmarked for the pipe line from the
Tinsley fields to the Charleston
Savannah area, and $50 900 900 for
the Florida canal and pipelines and
enlargement of the Gulf intercoastal
waterway and its extension to the
Mexican border.
An original provision for con-
struction of an inland waterway on
the Florida West Coast to connect
the projected barge canal with the
Gulf waterway was stricken from
| the bill.
The barge canal across Northern
Florida would take from Is months
to 3 years to build, Representa-
tive Mansfield, Democrat, of Texas
said, but he argued that the coun-
try should not gamble on short
war. To meet the objection that
a sea-level canal would contaminate
the ground water supply of large
part of Florida, Mr.. Mansfield in
troduced an alternate proposal by
Army engineers for a high level
water canal with five locks, three
at one end and two at another.
Terminal at Jacksonville.
The pipeline across Florida would
be 220 miles long and would be
built at an estimated minimum cost
of S3,500,00
Sponsored by the American Lib
erty Pipe Line Co. of Dallas, Tex,
the 8-inch line would be built of
salvaged pipe and have an est-
mated $4,000 barrel daily capacity.
Ofhcials estimated that the Gov
eminent financed project could be
completed 100 days after work is
started.
Just a week ago the War Produc-
ton Board approved immediate
construction of 24-inch steel con-
duit from Longview, Tex, to Mount
Vernon, Ind. The 550-mile line
would deliver 300, 900 barrels of oil
daily at Mount Vernon, from where
much of it would be transported by
tank cars, barges and Great Lakes
carriers to the Eastern seaboard.
The Florida line would have its
terminals at Port st. Joe on the
Florida Gulf coast and Jacksonville
ON the East coast. Gasoline, fuel
oil and other petroleum products
pumped through the line would be
trans shipped by barge north and
south from Jacksonville, through
the Atlantic intracoastal waterway
to supply the southeastern seaboard
States of Florida, Georgia, North
and South Carolina.
Relief for Northern Coast.
Petroleum coordination officials
expressed belief that the line would
also provide some relief along the
seaboard north of Norfolk, Va, by
enabling the Plantation pipe line,
stretching from Baton Rouge, La,
to Greensboro, N. c., to carry more
products farther north and by re-
leasing some rail tank cars for serv-
| ice there.
The petroleum agency emphasized, !,
however, that the Florida line was
not expected to result in lifting the
gasoline rationing in the Southeast
| ern area.
Because of the use of salvaged
pipe to be dug up in Texas no pri-
critics would be required.
Petroleum Co-ordinator Ickes an
nounced yesterday approval OF the
contraction of a pipeline across
Northern Florida and some inform
ed congressional quarters said then
that legislation would not be neces-
sary to build the line under the
terms outlined by Mr.. Ickes. Never
theless, the House went ahead with