Evening star., 1922-06-25
PLAN FOR FEDERAL
. RADIO COMMITTEE
Congressional Bills Call tor
Advisory Body Of Twelve
Members.

The mystic symbols "S-S6S4 anu
"HR-l1964' designate official gov
ernment papers which bear direc'iS
on the future development or raoio
in this country. These papers are eN-
actly alike and comprise the proposed
radio Legislation introduced in Con-
gress. The first bill was introduced
by Senator Kellogg of Minnesota June
s and referred tothe Senate inter
state commerce committee. whlie '"e
House bill. prepared and introduced
by Representative White OF Name
was presented June and turheo
over to the committee on merchah'
marine and fisheries. Mr.. White ls
now more sanguine about the early
consideration Of his bill by TINS conf
mittee as the ship subsidy OIL was
reported out recently. cleariHs up
one of this committees Dig proo-
lens.
At the Department of Commerce,
radio officials are waiting the enact
ment of legislation so that tney can
clear the aerial traffic, SO TO spean'
especially along the route Of the Se9-
meter wave, on which all 34S oroad-
casting stations are now operating;
With the passage of the Dill. any
there seems little doubt that IL wiz
pass. as there are virtually no op-
ponents to it, conference IN asn
ington of all radio inspectors Will De
called to meet with the new radio ao-
visory committee of twelve author-
ized in the bill TO aid Secretary
Hoover in enforcing the legislation.
Personnel of Committee.
To date no one will hazard guess
as to the personnel of the committee,
although it is thought that the SIX
col a,.f q &C
clude number of the officials who
have already co-operated with the
department in its recent conference
on radio wave distribution and the
necessary legislation. The following
men were conspicuous in that work
and may serve again: DIR. S. w. STRAIT
ton of the bureau of standards: Maj.
ten George o. Squier, Signal Corps
the chief of the naval communications
service. ]. c. Edgerton of the post
Office w A. Wheeler of the Depart
ment of Agriculture and D. b. Carson.
or another representative. of the De-
partment of Commerce radio section.
1t il even more difficult to predict
the members to be selected from civil
life, as there are many interests to
be represented by only six men. The
manufacturers of radio apparatus
must be included. as well as trans
oceanic operators. broadcasters. ANA :
teurs, radio engineers. commercial
operators, ana pIODdDiS
institutions and news agencies, which
make eight interests. This shows the
difficulty which may be encountered
in making a fair distribution, al
though one man may be found who
can represent two of the classes vi
tally interested in radio.
Asxignment of Waves.
One of the first problems to be en-
countered by the department will be
the assignment of new wave lengths
so that interference will be decreased.
and then the problem of whether to
zone the country or classify the sta
tions will come up. If waves are as
signed by zones, it is pointed, out local
interference will become greater,
whereas if wave lengths are distribut-
ed to different classes of operators:
as for example. one wave to news
papers and one to entertainment. the
air would be jammed again with many
news stories on one wave length, and
with music and song on another.
Naturally there are not enough
waves between 2S5 and 4s5 meters
to give every operator of the 34S
broadcasters a specific length, and so
II would appear that plan OF COM
bired classification and coming would
have to be tried out and regulated
further by specific hours for operation.
II is thought. however, that by using
the. system of classification detailed
blythe full radio committee recently.
and "a zoning system with perhaps
the maintenance of local time
schedules in cities where there are
seyeAaf .broadcasting stations, much
cahfhs accomplished to clear the air.