The Washington times., 1924-03-11
H0OvERIN
FAVOR0F
A|RLAW
Secretary Tells House Hear
ing Ether Must Be Kept
Free for Public.

Radio legislation must be adopt
ed which will safeguard the public
and which viii prevent monopoly
in the distribution Of radio mate
rial, Secretary of Commerce
Hoover declared at a House COM
mittee hearing on the White radio
bill today.
Secretary Hoover was the first
witness to appear before the COM
m1ttee and read his statement to
a crowded committee room.
Laws Needed ut Once
After declaring that immediate
legislation is necessary, Secretary
Hoover said:
THE legislation needed should. in
my view, regulate only to the ex.
tent that is necessary in the public
interest for the development Of the
science itself and for the service of
those who make use II it. It seems
therefore that the fundamental
thought Of any <adio legislation
should be to retain possession Of the
ether to the public and to provide
rules for orderly conduct Of this
great system Of public communica.
uon by temporary permits to use
the ether.
1T should be kept open to free
ana full individual development and
we should be sure that there can be
no monopoly over the distribution
OF material"
Opposes Licensing Sets.
Secretary Hoover declared that he
opposes any system which would II.
cense receiving sets.
The United States, he said, is the
only country in which this system
does not prevail. The remarkable
development In this country of radio
communication, he said, was evil
dence that no such system was
necessary.
Secretary Hoover also opposed any
censorship Of broadcasting material.
I'VE cannot allow any person or
group Of persons to place themselves
In q position where they can censor
the material which shall be broad
cast to the public. nor do I believe
that the Government should ever be
placed in the position of censoring
this material"
just ct Beginning.
Secretary Hoover declared. that
great as the development Of radio
has been in the past the world il
probably only at the threshold Of
the development OF one of the most
important Of human discoveries
bearing on education, amusement,
culture and business communities
ton.
1.-THE problem involves in Gov.
eminent regulation of RADIO" he
said, ARE the most complex and
technical that have yet confronted
Congress.
be considered as merely a business
carried on for private gain, for pri-
vate advertisement, or for the enter.
public concern impressed with the
public trust and to be considered
primarily from the standpoint Of
public interest to the same extent
and upon the basis Of the same gen.
eral principles as our other public
utilities"
He declared that he did not ad.
vocate any large personal authority,
but rather the resting of such au.
thority in administrative hands
checked by advising bodies.
Secretary Hoover said that 1t was
impossible now to determine how to
obtain a full and complete broadcast
ing service In such q fashion that
1t would support itself.
1--WE must leave that to further
experience" he said.
FavOrs Provisions
Secretary Hoover declared that he
supports the principles Of the White
bill but recommended that the sec
tons which would prevent monopoly
Of radio communication be altered
so as to make them more workable
In showing the growth of radio
since 1912, when the last radio legis
lation was passed, Secretary Hoover
were 4S5 American ships equipped
with wireless, 1913 land stations
only one of which was trans-oceanic
and 1924 amateur stations.
There are today, he said, 2,72;
American vessels equipped with
wireless. 10 transoceanic land sta
| LlOnS, t0V OCHSE l0HU SldtAVhS, aHO
| 1880 amateurs.
In 1912 there were no broadcastine
stations. Today there are SCI which
are broadcasting to an audience es
timated at between 100000 and
100000.
Commander A.. c. Bingham, as
sistant director Of naval com
munications, also appeared before
the committee today, and supported
THE general provisions Oe thN htll