N १४० NATURAL GAS 937 HEARING BEFORE U. S. Congress, House INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE SEVENTY-FIFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H. R: 4008 TO REGULATE THE TRANSPORTATION AND SALE OF 135605 MARCH 24 AND 25, 1937 Printed for the use of the UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1937 NATURAL GAS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 1937 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE, Washington, D. C. The committee met at 10 a. m., Hon. Clarence Lea (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order, please. We have met this morning for hearings on the gas problem. We have before us H. R. 4008 and also H. R. 5711; but my understanding is that the sponsors of H. R. 5711 are agreeable to having the hearing on H. R. 4008. We held hearings on the question of natural gas regulation in the last Congress between April 2 and 15, 1936. So it seems to be the desire of the Committee not to take up the subject generally again, but in the first instance to hear from those who have amendments to suggest concerning this problem. (The bills referred to are as follows:) [H. R. 4008, 75th Cong, 1st sess.] A BILL To regulate the transportation and sale of natural gas in interstate commerce, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, NECESSITY FOR REGULATION OF NATURAL-GAS COMPANIES SECTION 1. (a) As disclosed in reports of the Federal Trade Commission made pursuant to S. Res. 83 (Seventieth Congress, first session) and other reports made pursuant to the authority of Congress, it is hereby declared that the business of transporting and selling natural gas for ultimate distribution to the public is affected with a public interest, and that Federal regulation in matters relating to the transportation of natural gas and the sale thereof in interstate and foreign commerce is necessary in the public interest. (b) The provisions of this Act shall apply to the transportation of natural gas in interstate commerce, to the sale of such natural gas for resale to the public, and to natural-gas companies engaged in such transportation or sale, but shall not apply to the local distribution of natural gas or to the facilities use for such distribution or to the production or gathering of natural gas: Provided, That nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the Commission to fix the rates or charges to the public for the sale of natural gas distributed locally or for the sale of natural gas for industrial use only. SEC. 2. When used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires(1) "Person" includes an individual or a corporation. (2) "Corporation" includes any corporation, joint-stock company, partnership, association, business trust, organized group of persons, whether incorporated or not, receiver or receivers, trustee or trustees of any of the foregoing, but shall not include municipalities as hereinafter defined. (3) "Municipality" means a city, county, or other political subdivision or agency of a State. 1 |