Evening star., 1947-01-21
House Unit S Decision
Due Friday on Delay
I'm Inch Lines Sales

/ Despite a Senate Armed Services
Committee vote to table a bill which
would delay sale of the Big Inch and
Little Big Inch pipelines for 80 days,
| the House Interstate and Foreign
Commerce Committee moved today
toward decision Friday on similar
measure prohibiting such sale for at
least six months.
I'VE are not basing our action on
what the Senate does" Chairman
Wolverton said. "The House Commit
tee feels it should have fundamental
information because there have been
varied charges that the transmission
of natural gas through the pipelines
would affect the national economy" J"
An all-day House Committee hear
ing on bill requiring the War Assets
Administration to postpone sale OF
the pipelines for which bids would
otherwise be opened February 10
turned into a dispute between wit
nesses for and against use of the
lines to send natural gas 1,500 miles
from Texas to the Northeast.
Data to Be Submitted.
Federal Power Commission Chair
man Nelson L. Smith promised to
submit data to help the Committee
decide whether a long delay in dis
posing of the pipelines would be
justified.
He declined to express an official
or personal opinion on the natural
gas transmission question or on the
bill, sponsored by Representative
Walter, Democrat, of Pennsylvania
to prohibit WAA from selling the
pipelines until FPC sends Congress
a report of its current study of the
entire naturas gas situation. Mr..
Smith said the full report would not
be ready for at least six months.
Other witnesses late yesterday in
cluded Charles Francis of Houston,
Tex, representing E. Harley Poe &
Associates, bidders for the pipeline.
The group proposes to use the facil-
tiles for natural gas.
Denying that such use would cause
displacement of large quantities of
coal in this part Of the country, Mr..
Francis declared, 1--WE shouldn't
Balkanize the United States" by
preventing development of the
Texas natural gas industry and
shipment of gas to the Eastern
market.
"Hasty Action" Opposed.
r +. McGarth. representing the
National Coal Association, Eastern
Gas Association. and the Chesa-
peake & Ohio Railroad, advised the
committee to avoid "any hasty &C
ton" in transferring the pipelines
to a competitive industry unless
clearly shown to be in the public
interest"
Malcolm S. Langford, an attorney
representing the Big Inch Gas and
Oil Corp, urged the committee not
to delay sale of the pipelines beyond
60 days His concern, he said, plans
to bid for the pipelines for trans
mission of natural gas.
After an executive session, Chair
man Wolverton announced that
| other witnesses may be called FIJI
day. He said the Senate Commit
tee vote would not deter the House
Committee from getting as much
information as it could and approx
ing the proposed delay If deemed
advisable.
Favorable action by the commit
tee and the House, he added, might
not result in similar approval by
the Senate, but it could be regarded
as suggestion" to War Assets
Administrator Robert M. Littlejohn
to postpone sale of the pipelines
pending further study.
Soon after the Senate Armed
Services Committee voted 6 to l.,
to shelve the resolution for delaying
sale of the pipelines for 80 days,
Senator Hawkes., Republican, of New
Jersey, introduced a resolution to
prevent such sale before August 3.
The resolution also provided for a
full investigation of the question OF
selling the pipelines to private in
tereSts.