Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-06
u. 5. Ban Seen )
On New Natural
Gas Equipment
Drive Pushed Here
To Cut Off Expansion
Of Heating Facilities


freeze on new equipment using
natural gas for heating purposes
today overshadowed drive to cut
off expansion of gas heating facil-
tiles in the District.
In the face of stepped-up de-
tense needs, growing concern over
natural gas supplies were reflect
ed in these two separate develop
mentS:
/. The Petroleum Administra-
ton for Defense disclosed it has
drafted a tentative nationwide
order" to shut off installation of
new gas heating equipment and to
require Federal approval of any
new large-volume users of natural
gas. The heating restriction also
would cover conversions to gas
from other types of fuel.
2. Suppliers of the Washington
Gas Light Co. formally asked the
District Public Utilities Commits
sion to schedule a hearing on a
requested shutdown on new gas
heating facilities within the city.
Decision on Hearing Next Week.
Commission Chairman James H.
Flanagan said he does not. expect
a decision on the hearing request
until next week.
The SupplierS earlier this week
filed similar petitions in nearby
Maryland and Virginia, but cor
respondence failed to reach the
PUG because it was addressed to
the District Public Service Com
mission" Mr.. Flanagan Said.
Disclosure of the Governments
plans brought an immediate pro-
test in the form of a barrage of
kilograms to the Senate Small
Business Committee. Committee
aides said more than 100 wires
were received, chiefly from dealers
and distributors of gas appliances.
Meanwhile, Federal officials
stressed there is no definite de-
cision to issue the tentative Ma
tion-wide draft, and they saw little
likelihood that definite action
would be taken before the end of
the month. 1t will be discussed on
Monday with gas industry repre-
sentatives and again on July %
by the Interior Departments Gas
Industry Advisory Committee.
"But I can say this" one top
official told a reporter-'1 think
it wouldn't have gone this far I'M
less we considered it very likely
necessary"
Prompt Exemptions Seen.
Deputy Petroleum Administra-
tor Bruce K. Brown said it is lex
pected that there would be prompt
exemptions from or notifications
of such an order, if it is issued,
where ever the natural gas sup
plies are adequate
There is no intention here of
working hardship on any one,
he said. But it is obvious that to-
protect both industry and the
home consumers of gas from harm,
some action must be- taken i'm
mediately." r.
c. P. Rather, deputy admins
traitor for gas, said the present
thinking is that any such order
should apply nationally, with sup
pliers able to ask for relief from
the order where adequate sup
plies prevailed. The reasoning
behind this, he explained, is the
difficulty in "pin-pointing" the
adequate areas. However, after
discussions with industry leaders,
he said, it might be possible to sin
gle out such areas beforehand.
Applies Only To New Uses
The official stressed that the
draft would not restrict use of gas
for cooking. water heaters or re-
frigeration and would not apply
retroactively to existing commit
ments. So far as home owners are
concerned, it would apply only to
new installations or conversion
after certain date.
On both the local and NATIONAL
levels, officials behind the restric-
tive moves cited the need for adj
vance planning to protect present.
consumers of gas. Cutbacks I'M
present use by large-volume users
or home owners will be avoided
at all costs. if possible, they said.
Mr.. Brown put the blame for
the basic situation" on inadequate
amounts of steel available to COM
plete essential pipelines during the
third quarter of this wear, ard he
warned that, unless some prompt
action is taken, "a serious gas
shortage almost certainly will con-
front us next winter"
Unable to Complete Projects.
He said steel available for gas
transmission amounts to only sci
per cent of the absolute minimum
needs as determined by PAD,'I
which is not enough to complete
"even the higheSt-priority projects
already under construction and
essential to meet this winters
requirements
Meanwhile" he declared, do
mestic, commercial and all in
dustrial uses of natural gas, asI
well as new uses definitely-re-
lated to national defense, are
growing by leaps and bounds.
PAD recently made a spot survey
of estimated peak demands for
natural gas this winter as COM
pared with last. Companies scat
tered all over said they
looked for increases from IL tot
% per cent above their last winters
peaks.
eve can only hope that suf-
ficient steel will eventually be
made available by the Defense
Production Authority to correct
the basic situation"
The term natural gas" as used
in the PAD order draft, means
either unmixed or any mixture of
natural with manufactured gas.
Conversion Here i'm 1916.
To 10IcAF oil fon;J;+sor l.. A.. =