Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-25
RADIO REGULATION
BILL COMPLETED BY
CONFERENCE GROUP
Proposed Measure Gives
Secretary Hoover Practi-
caIIy Unlimited Supervision
of Wireless
623 Riggs Building,
RY THEODORE TILLER

WASHINGTON, II. u, Apfll q
Wireless experts of the department
of commerce, Senator Frank B. KEEL
logg, of Minnesota, and representa-
tive Wallace E. White, Of Maine,
constituting a legislative committee
named by the recent radio confer
ence, practically finished Saturday
the bill for the regulation of COM
munication by radio.
The Journal correspondent is en-
abled to give the salient features OF
this proposed legislation. In the YER
nacular, it promises to be a case of
'1et Hoover do it," meaning that
general control of the air is to be
given the commerce secretary 1t is
not felt that congress, at this time,
can meet with specific legislation
the problems of aerial communica-
ton, and restrictive powers are to
be lodged in some one agency until
congress can find out more about
this thing of radio.
1t was learned Saturday that the
plan now is to give the department
of commerce the broadcast powers to
control communication by radio, to
assign wave lengths to broadcasting
stations, commercial companies, am
ateurs and others, and to designate
what form of communication shall
n INI,c-i
ness, of course, will have first call
ON the ether and Uncle Sam will
get the longest wave lengths.
No Rigid Rules
The committee on legislation fig
ures that the growth of wireless
telephony has been so astounding
in the past few months that it will
be impracticable at this time for
congress to fix rigid rules regarding
ALLEGATION of waye lengths and 9th.
er details The development Of radio
communication has been such that
changes may occur almost every
night, and it was said authoritative
ly today that the only way to meet
the present emergency and to elm.
mate chaos in the air is to give Sec.
rotary Hoover practically unlimited
powers of regulations.
Therefore, the radio bill to pc IN
troduced within few days VIII DE
more or less a temporary ana III
complete measure to meet an erner-
gency. 1t will not go, for instance
into the question of alleged monop-
olies of radio communication equip
ment. Legislation covering alleseu
monopolies, it is said, would require
lengthy inquiry into patent IlsnIo'
the antitrust laws and the apphca-
tion of existing legislation 10 SUN
equipment. The legislative coIill!lle
tee feels that it should 1lrsl pfIis
about a semblance or order III tlIe
oir and later, as radio commullca5
+ion makes still greater leaps to"aro
common use, monopolles Cali We
Pioid radio laws are impracticaple
of this time because lnere 80
Standardization of radio appdi
and new inventions are propaoie
anv moment Frequent chanseo "
design in the present stage VI W. va
less development it is eHpiaii no5
necessitate the bestoWal ol VI &C.
regulatory powers in the uepal .
mont of commerce and congress
cannot meet ny SpONAAAS
t11a dozens of questions presented.
Nominal License Fees -,
If is understood that the bill WIZ
carry nominal license fees to meeo
administrative expenses of govern
nent regulation. 1t is further prom
ised that the legislation will sate,
o1Iard both the commercial anu
amateur broadcasters, as well as
newspapers and other public spirit
ed institutions now furnishing en-
tertainment and information py
wireless telephony.
An interesting development on the
eve of legislation is the plan oE
both Democratic and Republican ma
tionaI campaign committees to in
stall costly broadcasting stations
for the use of politicians.
Through these wireless sets Dem
ocratic and Republican politicians
detained here in Washington during
the congress may make pollt1cai
speeches to the folks back home.
It has not been determined whether
the partisan wireless outfits viii
be located in Washington or New
York, but the two national commit
tees are now dickering for a radio
service to be used in this campaign
year.
After Senator New and Miss Alice
Robertson, only woman member of
congress, had addressed their con-
stituents through the navy wire
less there were such demands for
speaking dates in the ether that
Secretary DENLY ruled that no more
political speeches can go out over
the navy wave lengths. This has
put the politicians to their own de-
vices in utilizing the present posi-
bilities of the radio, which were I'M
dreamed of few years ago.