Evening star., 1951-08-10
NewGas Users
HereFaceCurb
Order by PAD
PUG to Go Along
With Defense Agency
If 1t Cuts Extension

,@hS S"ASaSsS"
The extension of natural gas
facilities for industrial use and
home heating may be stopped in
the District.
Chairman James H. Flanagan
of the Public Utilities Commls-
sion said. following Federal am
that the District will
go along with the Petroleum Adj
ministration for Defense, if a
restrictive order is issued, affect
ing new users. But Mr.. Flanagan
made it clear there will be no
reduction of natural gas for
present household users here.
PAD officials met yesterday IN
the Interior Department with
State public utilities commission
ers from IL Eastern and Mid
western States and the District.
C. Pratt Rather. assistant deputy
administrator for PAD, in charge
of the gas division, announced
his agency will decide next week
whether an order will be issued.
PUG Position Stated.
Mr.. Flanagan, who attended
the conference with Commissioner
Kenneth w. Spencer, gave this
summary of the PUG position;
"We recalled that. when the
first talk of restrictions was heard
several months ago. when COM
missioners of States supplied by
the Columbia Gas System were
consulted. we initmated we would
not look with sympathy upon any
application by our local COM
pany for a restriction of the use
of natural gas for house-heating
purposes. Representatives of PAD
attended that meeting. However,
since that sine, through confer
ences with the officials of PAD
and other commissioners. we have
learned that the problem is an
area problem and not purely a
local one.
"And we are convinced that the
Federal agency has and can get
more accurate information as to
defense needs than we can. So
we stated we would 60 along with
the proposed order of the PAD,
provided it's terms were sub
stantially in accord with those
which we had been discussing.
Grave Responsibility
"We look at it this way. The
Bow amendment to the Defense
Production Act imposes upon this
commission a very grave respon-
sibility.
IF we did not agree to restric-
ton, it means that we would have
to certify to President Truman
that we are in possession of the
power tt regulate the use of ma
tural gas and we are doing so in
such a way as to accomplish the
objectives of the Defense Produc-
ton Act.
eve would not, under any cir
cumstances, certify anything to
President Truman that we could
not back up with facts. There
fore, if we were not to have re-
strictions, we would be obliged. to
hold a public hearing to which
we would invite the representa-
tives of the PAD in order to get
the facts at their disposal.
presumably the PAD would tell
us, as they have been telling us,
that there is an acute shortage of
natural gas which would preclude
our ability to act contrary to the
provisions of the restriction order
being discussed. Therefore, we
signify our intention of going
along with the order, with the
full confidence that the petroleum
administrator 70. defense would
accord to the District If Columbia
the fairest possible treatment"
Studied by Commissioners.
PAD officials announced, after
the conference. that Mr.. Rather
discussed the proposed tentative
order with tn. State public util-
lities commissioners in closed ses-
sion at the department. Most of
the commissi' ners said they will
have to study the matte further
and hold discussions with their
own commissions.
Maryland was represented by
Frank Harper of the Maryland
Public Service Commission, while
H. Lester Hooker of the State
Corporation Commission appeared
E.