Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-02-15

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15:-Con-
gress, before it adjourns in March.
is expected to act to end the chaos
which the phenomenal spread of the
use of radio has created in the air.
The government seems about to as
seft its eminent domain over the at
mosphere, which, except for q few
minor laws adopted during the past
decade, has been free to all and uh-
restricted since men were on earth
to make use of it. The Young bill,
now pending before congress-, en-
bodies the consensus of expert opin-
take control of the ether and sehed-
ule the Communication that goes
through it, ~pArceling out concessions
among the customers Who apply. 1''s
Thus before the march OF sscience
crashes down another Illusion. "As
free as air" is one of mankind's old
est sayings, but now it seems that
the air is not to be free any longer.
It's use by wireless, at II rate, is to
be licensed, and licenses will cost
money. And it is quite possible that
other Use will be taken off the free
list. Already there is clamor that
the government should make air.
planes pay for using it. again by
means of a license system: and with
these precedents before 1t, what is
to prevent the government, If the
artificial fixation of nitrogen be-
comes widespread, from assessing
the fxatien plants for the air they
consume as the raw material of their
manufacturer h32s p"
The old breathing concession may
perhaps be regarded as i~nalienable,
and it is quite likely that on sultry
evenings one may permit the zephyr
TO fan his moist brow without pay
ment of a royalty on the air con-
sumed. Windmills can continue to
tap the air currents without fee, and
mariners may have it gratis for their
sails; but the more modern uses of
it are to be licensed and regulated.
Seriously, however. there is great
need today of a strict control of
radio, as all are agreed and none
more thoroughly so than the users of
radio themselves. With more than
$4,000 radio sending stations now in
operation in this country and with
nothing to regulate them except vol
anteer cooperation, the air is becom-
ing a bediam, and the users of wire
less are suffering asa result. The
present radio system will not work
without direction at the head Of it.
UnlH III. Is HidIdEGd anu ElAV
no receiving Instruments, which the
vast majority OF users are most in
terested In, will give satisfaction, and
the situation Is steadily tending to
become worse. ~
Sermons Clog Atmosphere
The city Of Washington was re-
Gently treated to an exhibition of
I what happens in radio when two
broadcasting stations cease to CO.
operate with each other. An emil
| nent divine of the capital city had
for some weeks been b~roadeasffng
his sunday evening sermons. sAn-
| other divine, equally eminent, deetd-
ed also to broadcast his and proceed
ed to do so-on the same wave
length. The result in the receiving
instruments may be imagined.
| Neither parson would give way to
the other and for several Sunday
evenings the ether palpitated With
simultaneous eloduence, until finally
the scores of Indignant letters writ
ten to the newspapers forced one OF
the eIefgymen to Yield. 0 ~
A more serious occurrence was re,
ported to the committee which acted
favorably upon the Young bnl. II
Philadelphia there Is a wealthy!radt
| amateur, w no DIT q SC2t VI Y~SIoV0 -
more has equipped his own broad
casting station. This man. a witnes:
before the committee declared. hap
pen9d TO dislike the denominatior
Of az Philadelphia preacher Whose
Sunday night sermon was beins
broadca sted regularly. This person
therefore, would seize upon tn
pauses in the preachers discourse a
opportunities for himself to mice
his own commentsN most OF then
flippant and some even profane.
No such interference as these cal
occur when the Young bill become
law. .
The pending legislation is the out
come Of the radio conferences catie'
last year by Secretary of Commere'
Hoover. The growth of radio va
emphasized in that meeting. but Y
even greater now. There are toda'
$50 general ~Broadcasting stations
ana one estimate is that recelVlnI
sets have been Installed by 2,5ee'oO
persons The eonferenee did nc
/. reconmend, and phef pending legs
!, lauon does not proeidst any reguIa
ron of reteipihgfset alth9uGh care
less nlanipulatioH Oh ioseillatfng re
. eehers may Set up interference. On
witness before the House Ec9nImitte
safd that there is MORE such inter