The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-04-04
PRESIDENT TO Be
WIRELESS RULER
House Committee Thinks Ex-
ecutive Should Direct Its
Regulation.
PERIL WITH LID" OFF
REPORT susMITTED SAYS THAT
UNRESTRICTED OPERATIONS or
WIRELEss THREATENs LOSS OF
MANY LIVES.

Washington, b. c., April 1.-THE
president OF the United States is in q
fair way to become car of tho wireless
This is one Of the developments con.
nected with the desire of congress to
regulate wireless communication.
The title GEAR of the wireless az
applied to the president originates in
an official report of the house commit
tee on merchant marine. 1t summa.
rizes one Of the objections the wireless
companies have to proposed regula-
ton. They prefer not to have any
car over their business.
But the house committee insists that
the strange situation of wireless, with
its countless interferences threatening
wrecks and loss of life at sea, calls for
the wisdom and strength OF a car.
Information 10 Limited.
No one cabinet officer Is in posi-
ton to handle the issue. says the re-
port. No one government department
has q monopoly of wireless informa-
ton. All of them together know lit
tie. To give one cabinet officer pow
er to draw regulations might result in
confusion and friction, says the COM
mittee, because information must be
drawn from SO many departments.
But the president. as head of all de-
partments. will be able to correlate in
formation. And the committee says
the presidents responsibility and his
judicial temperament are guarantees
that the regulations will be prudent
and effective.
This proposed legislation Is confess
sion that neither congress nor its ad-
visers know how to regulate wireless.
1t says that the president shall estab-
lish regulations by designations Of
wave lengths "or otherwise So far
as wireless students now know, the
best method of regulating is by pre-
scribing wave lengths. This will pre-
vent private operators from keying
their machines to interfere with the OPP
erations of parties who wish to be left
in uninterrupted communication.
For instance, the president may
make trouble for that bright Washing
ton youngster who has been turning
his machine to catch messages intend
ed for the navy department alone. But
that this In few years will be the
only best method of regulation, no one
can tell
Answer to Objections.
One Of the objections urged before
the committee against the regulation
Of wireless was that 1t would deprive
American boy amateurs Of a harmless
and improving pastime. from which the
country hopes to reap benefit In future
Inventions. This objection Is met by
the committee after this fashion:
The police regulations Of nearly all
large cities prescribe permit before
boy IL allowed to carry revolver,
which at the most could shoot few
hundred yards and possibly hit one
man. Amateur wireless apparatus
often with range Of 100 or 200 miles,
may readily interfere with messages
from q ship in distress with hundreds
OF lives on board, or with important
messages relating to affairs of govern
ment. The committee believes sensi-
BILE boys will recognize the reasonable
ness OF the requirement of a bill that
they secure permits and then operate
their apparatus in such manner that
they shall not become nuisance to
Others"