Evening star., 1924-06-22

The work of the bureau OF naviga-
tion of the Department of Commerce
is increasing with leaps and bounds,
not due so much to increased water
transportation, tonnage work and
motor boat inspection, as it is to the
development of radio and consequent
increase in the necessary supervision
of radio stations and operators. both
afloat and ashore.
A recent appropriation provides for
| the transfer of international radio
accounting, formerly handled by the
Navy Department. to the bureau of
navigation, on July 1. In 1912 the
Navy handled so much of the worlds
radio communication that it seemed
advisable to leave the collection OF
international accounts to a section
of the communication service, but in
tions and ships of all nations are
handling radio traffic that the work
has increased beyond the ability OF
the Navy. Several naval clerks will
shortly be transferred to the bureau
of navigation under Commissioner
Carson, and combined with the per
sonnel of the present radio section of
the Commerce Department. Addi-
tional office space is now being
sought.
Practically every fan and amateur
knows that the administration OF
radio is under the direction of Secre-
tary of Commerce Hoover, but few
of them know how radio supervision
came to be placed in the bureau of
navigation.
When the first radio act was passed
in June, 1910. it provided that radio
be carried on certain passenger
carrying ships, and. on July 1, 1911,
the then Secretary of Commerce and
Labor organized the radio service or
the bureau of navigation, which
handled government matters per-
tanning to shipping.
In July. 1912, the second act was
passed. 1t required radio sets on
all vessels navigating the oceans or
great lakes and licensed to carry
fifty or more passengers, including
the crew. Vessels plying between
excepted. The bureau of navigation
was called upon to enforce this act
also.
The act to regulate all radio COM
munication was approved IN august,
1912. and incidentally the radio super
visors of the Department of Com
merce are still operating under this
act, although two recent eforts TO
| amend it have been made In congress
| without success Under TINS act Lne
|
| rized to license all transmitting sta
tions and radio operators, inspect sta
| tions and examine operators. 1t was
natural that these additional duties
fell to the radio section already estab-
lished, and to this date all radio mat
| ters are handled by the bureau, un-
der the direction of Commissioners d.
B. Carson and Deputy Commissioner
| A. J. Tyrer.
The radio section is headed by Chief
Radio Supervisor William d. Terrell
who was the first field officer of the
section, being appointed in 1911. AT
| that time Mr.. Terrell was in charge
of the whole Atlantic coast with
Offices in New York. and X. Y. Cad
h mus, now supervisor of the third dis
| trict, was placed in charge of the
Pacific coast work. A little later a
| third official was appointed as the
gulf coast inspector.
The work of the radio section has
been growing ever since, with in
| creasing numbers of transmission
stations. including commercial, anna
| teur and broadcasting stations, but
| il was not until early in 1922 that
broadcasting began to interest the
whole country and then interference
| complaints came pouring in. The
work of the field inspectors was
| greatly increased. Today there are
inine radio districts controlled by az
' maHy supervisors OF fadie, siasd by