Evening star., 1924-06-29

|
| ~ leaps and bounds during the
| last twelve years, will, dur
| the next few months tighten
its grip even more amazingly upon the
American people. Only two facts
| need be mentioned to make this clear
First-The broadcasting of the Re-
publican and Democratic national
| conventions. with people all over the
United States by the millions listen
ing in, gives some idea of how the
| receiving sets will be worked over
time to bring the people of every
| state within hearing of the campaign
! orators.
Second-Secretary Hoover is nlan.
ming for the third big radio confer
ence to be held In Washington in
| september FOR better voluntary con-
troll OF RADIO" which will be attende ed
by representatives of every radio in
terest-manufactur broadcasters
dealers, marine interest, amateurs and
| listeners-in.
Already the administration of radio
centered under Secretary Hoover, has
grown to such proportions that with
| next Tuesday, there will be an i'm
| portant expansion of this service.
| Radio will arouse more interest
| than ever before in the campaign for
| the presidency, in congressional and
local campaigns. 1t has developed SO
| interest is intrigued. In the last
presidential campaign radio did not
| take an important part, now it is at
work with the prospect that it will
be used every extensively
Appetite Is Whetted.
Listening in on the conventions has
whetted the appetite of the people.
| They want to listen to the campaign
speeches They will listen attent-
| lively to a speech where they will
| throw campaign literature in the
| waste basket without reading it.
And there is no doubt about it-a
speech that you hear makes a different
| impression on you than one that you
read.
Campaign speeches can be made to
| go anywhere by radio. No matter
| how far in the backwoods a presi-
| Dental candidate may be, speaking
| to only a mere handful of people, all
| that has to be done is to have mi
| crophone in front of him connected
| with a small transmitter on a truck
| which serves as pickup for cen
| trail broadcasting station. And the
| big electric companies are prepared
to give just such service. In fact, it
| has been demonstrated in Washing
| ton, with the trucks thus equipped
| stationed in the Capitol plaza to give
! demonstration.
There is no way of estimating
| within many millions the number OF
radio receiving sets in this country
| that will be employed to listen in on
campaign speeches-because at least
| so per cent of all the sets in use are
| homemade In fact, the United States
| bureau of education has just made a
statement that farm boys Of high
school age have already built more
than 100000 sets.
| There is. however. an accurate rec
| ord of the broadcaSting stations
through which the campaign oratory
would be turned loose to a listening
world-5S9, according to the latest
| count, and they cover every state IN
the Union, Alaska, Hawaii and Porto
Rico.
People usually let up on radio in the
! summer time, partially because they
| can't hear as we'll, but more so because
there are other attractions in the great
| outdoors. This summer. however, they
will continue their interest in radio be-
cause Of the campaign, and When they
| go on tours or camping they Will take
| their radio equipment with them
Radio Administration.
So it might be we'll to consider briefly
| lust what radio administration under
| Secretary Hoover really means:
Way back in 1910, when the first radio
act was passed. it provided that radio
be carried on certain passenger-carryins
| ships Administration of the radio law
| was placed in the bureau of navigator
| Of the then Department OF Commerce
and Labor because this agency handieo
| all government matters relating TO snip,
ping. This radio service was established
| on July /, 1911.
| One year later the second radio act
| was passed, which gave authority to the
| Secretary of Commerce to examine ano
| license radio operators employed In al
| private and commercial radio statlons
and to inspect and Incense al ptiya.s ;s ase
| and commercial radio stations rms was
! intended to carry out the international
| convention which also comes under the
| Secretary of Commerce. These addltlona
| duties were thrown into the raolo oiVl'
sion, already established; uhoer Ine pu'
| reau of navigation, Of which d. b. Car
| con is commissioner and A ]. Tyrer
deputy commissioner.
r is under this law that the govern
ment still exercises administratlVe con
troll. with William D. Terrell. CHIEF radle
sI,neryisor. in charge Of the division. he
was the f1rst field officer in the govern
ment radio work. appointed July l, !sil
| when he was placed in charse OF lht
| entire Atlantic coast with offices IN Ne"
| York. r. Y. Cadmus, now supervisor II
| the third radio district, with headquar
ters in Baltimore, was placed In charge
| Of the work on the Pacific coast IN 1911
| and some time later a third f1eid omcel
| was nut in charge of the gulf coast az
| inspector Mr.. Terrell has been IN cnarge
Of the radio division since March
| 1915.
Operates Under Law of 1912.
The government still operates un'
der the law of 1912, because Congress
has failed to pass other legislation
In the session just closed. Represent
ative Wallace w. White Of Maine
and Senator Howell of Nebraska In
troduced entirely different radio con
troll measures. To expedite action IL
getting the House and Senate inte
conference the House committed
amended the Howell bill by substi
tuting the White bill after the enact
ing clause. This was favorably re
| ported and is still on the calendar.
This was intended to give to th'
Secretary of Commerce broader au
thority in the control of radio. Thi'