Evening star., 1943-02-16
Senator Clark Fears
Postwar Oil Combine,
Fights New Pipeline
eost Texos-to- Chicago
Tube Hurts independents,
Missourion Charges
Ey The Associated Press.

Ey tn. Associated Press.
A charge that construction of
a new pipeline from East Texas to
the Chicago area would put in
dependent Midwestern oil pro-
ducers and refiners 'over the
barrel was made today by Sena-
tor Clark, Democrat, of Missouri,
leader in a congressional fight to
prevent laying of the line.
Senator Clark. who contends that
II any new pipeline is built it should
be constructed from the Midwest
to the Atlantic Coast, told reporters
he had no doubt that another
Texas Chicago line would give the
large oil companies a monopolistic
grip on mid-continent production
: after the war.
What use would the Government
have for a line like that after the
ware" he asked 1T would be sold to
the big oil companies for cents on
dollar Then, controlling the out
let's from the big Texas fields they
would be able to transport oil and
gasoline either by tanker or pipeline
( Questions Advantage.
"The small producers and refners
+ In the mid-continent area wouldn't
have a chance. They would be
; frozen out"
Senator Clark said he was as in
terested as any one else in getting
more petroleum to the East. but
/ he contended that because of Il rail-
way bottleneck this side of the Mis-
sissippi River the existing pipeline
from Texas to Chicago is not being
used to full advantage.
/ The effort to prevent Petroleum
Administrator Ickes from ordering
construction of the pipeline from
Texas to Chicago was opened yes
terday by nine Senators as others
, criticized Government "bungling"
which, they said, had failed to avert
a fuel shortage in New England.
Senator Clark was joined by SEN
ators Reed. Republican, of Kansas;
/ Thomas, Democrat, of Oklahoma;
Moore, Republican, of Oklahoma;
. Lucas, Democrat, of Illinois, Kill
gore, Democrat, of West Virginia;
Burton, Republican, of Ohio;
Wherry. Republican, of Nebraska,
end Capper, Republican, of Kansas,
in introducing a resolution calling
FOR an inquiry by the Truman Com
/ mittee into the circumstances sur
rounding the decision to construct
/ line from Texas to Indiana.
Chairman Truman told the Sen
ate that the committee already had
made preliminary inquiry and in
tended to summon Mr.. Ickes to-
morrow.
Would Block Order.
Senator Clark said frankly his
objective is to prevent Mr.. Ickes
from issuing the order for the pipe
line. He asserted construction of
the line was likely to have the post
war result of turning the whole
control of the petroleum industry
over to the big companies"
Senator Thomas said an exist
Ing pipeline from Texas to Chicago
was full of gasoline" which could
not be taken out because there was
no storage available and transpor-
tation was lacking for carrying it
East.
New England Senators joined in
criticizing the administration of
fuel oil rationing in their section,
Senator Lodge, Republican, of Mas
sachusetts asserting the lack of fuel
there was menacing health and
causing war plants to close.
Meanwhile, a measure by Repre-
sentative Izac. Democrat, of Cali
tornia to investigate the connection
Of oil producers with pipeline sys-
TENS was stymied in the House by
jurisdictional squabble among COM
mittees.
Mr.. Izac, who seeks an immediate
inquiry by the Attorney General
into the relationships of petroleum
transport companies with existing
pipe lines, said, There are numer-
Gus cases where independent oil
companies are frozen out" Of pipe
line facilities by the big firms.