Evening star., 1946-12-01
Decision Near on Use
OF Pipelines for Gas
During Coal Crisis
By DON S. Worren

A Government decision is expect
ed this week on whether it would
be worth while tospump Texas nat
ural gas through the Big Inch and
Little Big Inch pipelines to ease
Eastern coal shortages.
. The Interior Department an
nounced yesterday that conferences
on temporary gas use Of the lines
during the coal crisis are under way
with experts both in and out of
the Government.
Ralph K. Davies, acting director
of Interiors Oil and Gas Division,
stressed that the discussions con-
cerned only temporary operation Of
the lines during the present crisis.
They have, he said, mo bearing
on the ultimate disposal Of the
lines" by the War Assets Admin
istration.
"Star Witnesses" 10 Testify.
Debate on both temporary and
permanent use of the costly war
time pipelines will be resumed be-
fore the House Surplus Property
Committee this week. with five
star witnesses" to be heard Mon
day and Tuesday.
Secretary of the Interior Krug, in
charge of the soft coal mines, Isl
scheduled to testify tomorrow after
noon, after several oil bidders are
heard in the morning.
Last Tuesday, in an unusual move,
the committee served Mr.. Krug with
q subpoena when he failed to appear
on invitation. The Interior Secre-
tary was tied up in coal talks at the
time.
Jesse Jones, former head of the
Reconstruction Finance CorporationI
and the Commerce Department; w.
Stuart Symington, whose report for
the Surplus Property Board last
January laid down basic policies for
disposal of the wartime pipelines;
and Admiral F. j. Horne, chairman
of the Army Navy Petroleum Board,
will be heard Tuesday morning.
Ickes to Appear Tuesday.
Harold L. Ickes, former Secretary
of the Interior and Petroleum Ad-
ministrator for War, who is fighting
for both emergency and permanent
use of the lines as gas conveyors, Is
to testify Tuesday afternoon.
Mr.. Davies announcement dis
closed the Interior Department is
discussing temporary gas use with
the Big Inch Natural Gas Trans
mission Co., Big Inch Oil, Inc, the
Tennessee Gas and Transmission
Co., and the Trans Sentimental Gas |
Pipeline Co.
Taking part in the talks are ON
cials of the Federal Power Com
the Army-Navy Petroleum
Board and the WAA as well as the
Interior Department. Max w. Ball,
petroleum geologist and formerly an
official of the Petroleum Admins
tration for War, and P. Mcdonald
Biddison, consulting engineer, have
been called in as consultants for
the Interior Department. /,
Permanent Use Still Uncertain.
The Surplus Property Board re-
port of Mr.. Symington, who later t
was named Assistant Secretary Of
War for Air, gave first preference
In the ultimate disposal OF the war
built lines for transportation of oil.
Use of the now idle lines for gas
was not ruled entirely out of the
picture in the Symington report.
but it said such disposal would be
favored only. if the national Sc
curity appeared to be- sotherwise ade-
cuately protected.
At recent hearing, however,
when War Assets Administrator
Robert M. Littlejohn announced
cancellation of all pending bids for
the lines, he quoted Admiral Horne
as saying the Army Navy Petroleum
Board was not expressing any
preference" as between gas or oil
nco