Mr. BUCHANAN. Well, recently there was an article published in Public Utilities Fortnightly. That was this special edition for e. I think it was a special edition in connection with the annual vention of the Edison Electric Institute. It is a biweekly pub

Senator TOREY. Does your mind go back 5 years when you came fore this committee, when I was present here then, and gentlemen eared in opposition, and asked some questions? Where did he come

Pennsylvania? Who had he seen and talked to before he e down here! You mentioned two names. One is the head of the road industries, and the other is the head of the utilities?

Mr. BUCHANAN. Yes, sir.

Senator TOBEY. That is the kind of men that they send down here te masses' voice and to blah-blah-blah parrotlike. We have the vers of discernment. We can separate the wheat from the chaff. The same fellows are here today. That angered me very much, in1. Utilities attempting to kill you off, having men seeking to late and control here.

Ir. BUCHANAN. Continuing your question, Senator Tobey, there another article published in the Public Utility Survey. I think is the title of the periodical. It is an investors' digest published kly, and my article was published during the month of June of

year.

nator TOBEY. Thank you.

nator MAGNUSON. There has recently been opened in Alberta resources of natural gas. I guess you are familiar in a general with that. There are in northern and southern Alberta great rees. The Province of Alberta agreed to let that gas come into nited States if it is possible to build a line.

r. BUCHANAN. There seems to be some question about that, nator MAGNUSON. I am wondering what your views would be on general subject if it were possible to straighten out this matter the Provincial government, whether or not you would hold the al view that if we could get gas outside of the country as cheaply could get it here, that is, to the consumer, would it not be better we use some of those resources rather than to deplete our own, ing that these other matters can be taken care of and the gas I come to the consumer very cheaply?

o not want you to discuss any case, because I know that there me cases pending, but as a general proposition.

BUCHANAN. I was going to suggest that that case opened this ng before the Commission. We have been in conference with anadian Government about the importation of gas. Undoubtor the Northwest section it would be of great advantage if the n be brought in at an economical figure that would permit it ised out there.

ator Magnuson. As a general proposition, we can use it, and ad it, if we can get it at the right price and the consumer can cheaply. And as long as the Provincial government would ling to let it go, it might be in the best interests of all of our if we could get that gas.

BUCHANAN. I think that is undoubtedly correct, depending he price at which you would get it.

utility commission and came down here to the Federal Power Commission.

In the interim, between 1945 and 1947, I served as coreceiver of the Pittsburgh-Shawmut & Northern Railroad, a small railroad that operated interstate between Pennsylvania and New York. It established somewhat of a reputation as the longest railroad receivership in the history of the country. Succeeding the former receiver, we terminated the receivership in 18 months under the direction of the

court.

That is about the extent of what I have to say.

Senator O'CONOR. May I ask, Mr. Buchanan, whether there is any other expression with regard to your nomination, favorable, let us say, of which you are aware that has not been included-is there any thing else that you might bring to the attention of the subcommittee! In other words, we are trying to get from every source every bit of information that we can, and we will welcome any expression.

Senator MAGNUSON. I noticed one thing that has been neglected. You are a Democrat; are you not?

Mr. BUCHANAN. I certainly am a Democrat; yes, sir.

Senator TOBEY. In spite of that, I am for him all over.

Senator O'CONOR. I just thought that there might be something else of which you are aware that has not been mentioned; if so, we will be very glad to have you indicate it.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Chairman, I would want first to have it understood that all of these matters that have come in have been entirely unsolicited by me. I do not know of anything else that has been left undone, as you might say.

Senator MAGNUSON. The Chairman is appointed by the Presidentyou do not select a Chairman from the Commission?

Mr. BUCKANAN. That is correct.

Senator MAGNUSON. The President designates the Chairman: is that correct?

Mr. BUCHANAN. That is right. Prior to the Reorganization Plan No. 9, the law called for the selection of the Chairman by the Commission. Now the Chairman is appointed by the President.

Senator MAGNUSON. This is for how long a term, this appointment? Mr. BUCHANAN. It is for a 5-year term.

Senator MAGNUSON. They rotate in the Commission?

Mr. BUCHANAN. They do every year. There is a new appointment. The membership of the Commission is five.

up,

Senator MAGNUSON. The Commission is now filled there are four members now that are on the Board, other than yourself; is that correct?

Mr. BUCHANAN. That is right.

Senator TOBEY. You, Mr. Buchanan, are the only lawyer on the Commission, are you not?

Mr. BUCHANAN. No. The new Commissioner, Mr. Doty, who just came on, is a lawyer. I have been the only one up to now.

Senator O'CONOR. Mr. Doty is a member of the bar?

Mr. BUCHANAN. That is right. Prior to that time I was the only lawyer on the Commission.

Senator TOBEY. Have any of your articles on the subject of power

Mr. BUCHANAN. Well, recently there was an article published in the Public Utilities Fortnightly. That was this special edition for June. I think it was a special edition in connection with the annual convention of the Edison Electric Institute. It is a biweekly publication.

Senator TOBEY. Does your mind go back 5 years when you came before this committee, when I was present here then, and gentlemen appeared in opposition, and asked some questions? Where did he come from Pennsylvania? Who had he seen and talked to before he came down here? You mentioned two names. One is the head of the railroad industries, and the other is the head of the utilities?

Mr. BUCHANAN. Yes, sir.

Senator TOBEY. That is the kind of men that they send down here as the masses' voice and to blah-blah-blah parrotlike. We have the powers of discernment. We can separate the wheat from the chaff. The same fellows are here today. That angered me very much, indeed. Utilities attempting to kill you off, having men seeking to regulate and control here.

Mr. BUCHANAN. Continuing your question, Senator Tobey, there was another article published in the Public Utility Survey. I think that is the title of the periodical. It is an investors' digest published weekly, and my article was published during the month of June of this year.

Senator TOBEY. Thank you.

Senator MAGNUSON. There has recently been opened in Alberta vast resources of natural gas. I guess you are familiar in a general way with that. There are in northern and southern Alberta great resources. The Province of Alberta agreed to let that gas come into the United States if it is possible to build a line.

Mr. BUCHANAN. There seems to be some question about that.

Senator MAGNUSON. I am wondering what your views would be on this general subject if it were possible to straighten out this matter with the Provincial government, whether or not you would hold the general view that if we could get gas outside of the country as cheaply as we could get it here, that is, to the consumer, would it not be better that we use some of those resources rather than to deplete our own, assuming that these other matters can be taken care of and the gas would come to the consumer very cheaply?

I do not want you to discuss any case, because I know that there are some cases pending, but as a general proposition.

Mr. BUCHANAN. I was going to suggest that that case opened this morning before the Commission. We have been in conference with the Canadian Government about the importation of gas. Undoubtedly for the Northwest section it would be of great advantage if the gas can be brought in at an economical figure that would permit it to be used out there.

Senator MAGNUSON. As a general proposition, we can use it, and we need it, if we can get it at the right price and the consumer can get it cheaply. And as long as the Provincial government would be willing to let it go, it might be in the best interests of all of our people if we could get that gas.

Mr. BUCHANAN. I think that is undoubtedly correct, depending upon the price at which you would get it.

Senator MAGNUSON. I know that there would be some controversies as to who would bring it down, but I am not concerned with that so long as we get it.

Senator TOBEY. You have been a real tribune of the people on the Commission, and you have acted for the consumers, because you have felt, as I feel, that the important factor in all legislation is how does it affect the people, rather than corporate agencies. People are the important thing in this country. If tomorrow Buchanan is confirmed by this committee-and I hope and expect that he will be-will he be the same Tom Buchanan, just as strong for the people as in the past Mr. BUCHANAN. I certainly would not want to contradict the record that I have already made. I do not see how I can go back on that record at this stage.

Senator TOBEY. In other words, your trend is that way-your pas sion is toward that?

Mr. BUCHANAN. Yes, sir. That is what I believe in.

Senator TOBEY. Thank you very much.

Senator O'CONOR. May I ask you just a few questions as to the condition of affairs at the Commission with regard to the volume of work, for example. Could you give us just a brief indication of the case load, about the situation there?

Mr. BUCHANAN. I will be very glad to, because now that I have three Senators before me I might be able to let down my hair a little bit and just tell you what the conditions are.

Never have we had a heavier workload than we have at present. Our Commission is divided into three bureaus: The Bureau of Power, which generally has to do with hydroelectric developments, licensing of hydroelectric projects, the regulation of electric utilities, and matters of that kind.

And then the Bureau of Accounts, Finance, and Rates, which generally has to do with the statistical, accounting, and the natural-gas regulation, and likewise rates of both electric and gas utilities.

The third is the Bureau of Law, which speaks for itself.

The workload in the Bureau of Power has not diminished at all this year; in fact, our backlog is creeping up. That means in some ways a loss of revenue to the Government, because we cannot license projects which pay into the United States Treasury annual license fees unless we get out and make the investigations and process the applications for the projects. The backlog is creeping up slowly but surely, simply because we have had to reduce our manpower. Of course, manpower is the basis of all production, granting that there is efficiency. And I would say this: That I think it is generally accepted in the Gov ernment that our staff-I cannot go into superlatives-is at least as good as any other agency staff in the Government.

The work in the Bureau of Accounts, Finance, and Rates has had a terrific increase. We thought following the beginning of the Korean conflict that our natural-gas-certificate work would fall off. It did not. Rather, it tended to increase.

In addition to that, our rate work just pyramided almost overnight. In the old days we used to regulate rate decreases. Now it is a matter of rate increases. We have presently, or will have, on our books as of the 1st of July of this year approximately $170 million in rate