Show Half Slave i Half Free Federal control of the entire entire en- en tire tiro petroleum industry down to the last drill bit bit Is 1 in an overreach overreach overreach over over- reach of power through u unchecked unchecked un- un checked policy making nevi never by Congress That is the view of th the president of the Independent Petroleum Association of America And he bases it o oa on ona ona a hard foundation federal federa regulation of natural gas at atthe atthe the wellhead This resulted from a Supreme Supreme Supreme Su Su- Su- Su preme Court decision which necessitated regulation by th the Federal Trade Commission The result long years later can fairly be described a as chaotic Gas production a as distinct from gas distribution distribution distribution tion has none of the characteristics characteristics characteristics charac charac- of a public utility operation It is intensely and directly competitive Each well and each producing area has different dif dlf ferent problems and require require- ments The commission ha has tried ried and is trying varied regulatory regulatory reg reg- systems and all have havi been failures That is not the commissions commission's commis commis- slon's sion's fault it was simply given a task that it should not and cannot handle Of all the fuels as the association spokesman also pointed out only gas is subject subject subject sub sub- to federal price fixing The consequence Is that the petroleum industry is half slave alave of the price fixers and temporarily half tree And temporarily is the operative word there For regulation of ot the gas producers ers era could very well prove to tobo o o obe be bo the foot in the door that would lead to centralized control con trot over all our sources of energy A strong movement is afoot atoot for tor Congress to change th the law jaw and let free competition play its logical and rightful role in the production and sale of or gas at the wellhead May It U prove successful |