Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-05-12

Faulty-Said America Is Behindhand
and Made Offer to keep OF tho
Grass" and Help.
For the first time in the memory of
man boy In short trousers was listen
ed to with attention the other day by
committee Of the United States SEN
ate.
w. Il. d. Stokes, Jr.. president Of the
Junior Wireless Club of America. lin.
tied. was the youthful speaker. and his
mission was to oppose certain features
of the Depew bill providing for the
governmental regulation of wireless
telegraph. Master Stokes plunged into
his argument in true legislative style
and despite the smiles of the commit
tee soon had the members tangled up
In the intricacies of radio-activitics.
Master Stokes. who was so short of
stature that he showed less than half
his body above the table. declared that
he held no brief for anybody except the
organization Of boy amateur wireless
telegraphers. He told the committee
his organization favored bill which
provided Il nominal license. revoHable
for "malpractice'' The language he
used in stating his position was that
of grown man, which. cOntraSted
with his size and boyish voice. kept the
committee laughing covertly.
Seven Objections Stated.
Finally Master Stokes stated his
main objections to the bill. which were
seyen in number. as follows:
He said the bill proposed discrim-
nation against amateur wireless teleg-
raphers in favor of commercial COM
panies. which. he said. were mostly
stockjobbing concerns or affiliated with
a trust.
He said the bill was impracticable in
many features and that it was am
biguous. making 1t possible for further
determinations against amateurs.
lie urged that its provisions were I'M
just to manufacturers engaged in the
production Of amateur wireless outfits.
That the bill would stifle the ifiven-
tive genius and ambition Of american
boys was one Of his chief coiilentions.
He added that it would require fror'
loco to 5000 wireless operators. draw W
Ing 5000 month each. to carry out
the full provisions of the bill.
incidentally the young orator had
much to say about the practical work;
ing CT wireless telcgrachy. He SAID
the United States was far behind all
foreign powers in. its system and adj
viscd the government to establish
standard of wave length of its own
ard get code which. combined he
said. nobody could read. He said the
commercial companies had never re-
covered from the fact that it was a
Maine boy amateur who had first pick
ed up the batteship fleet on its return
from it's world cruise. He declared
that one station was enough to trans
act the wireless business from New
York city. but four had been estab-
lished for stockiobbing purposes and
nine kinds of stock We're now on sale
by one company.
The Lads Remarkable Prophecy.
Then Master Stokes turned to proph-
ecy. He said in ten years it would be
possible for persons on land to cOmmu-
nicate with their homes by wireless.
IF a man breaks down in his auto
mobile twenty-five miles from home."
he said, "all he will have to do is TO
take out his instrument and call up
his butler and tell him he will not be
home for dinner"
In conclusion he told the committee
that there were from 25,OOO to 10000
boys in the United States already ill.,
terested in wireless telegraphy. which
he and his organization were willing to
organize to cooperate with the govern
ment in any fair undertaking.
LET the government establish its
wave length. and we will take an oath
to keep off the grass and help the gov
eminent in any way we can with our
apparatus" he said.
At the conclusion Of his testimony
several questions were asked the
youngster. When Senator Bourne ask
ed him what the capital Of his Organi-
cation was, however. he replied, IA?
Fifty-second street, New York"